Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1862-03-06
LETTER OF A SOLDIER IN OUR
REVOLUTIONARY VAR.

LETTER OF a SOLDIER IN OUh
REVOLUTIONARY VAR.
1s. sr MRS L. h. ueocEsrr.
- HARLAn. Setnsbe, astl. I77e.
Your precious letter, loving wife,
Came safely to me here;
God keep you ever in his hand.
And al our children dear.
We've had double taste Of war,
To try cur aoldierh stnf- 4.a
They call the frst . skirmish, though
l thought il grave enough.
wed had . march Of seven long miles,
While worn and vearied then.
They burst upon rs from the wood.
Like lions from their den.
We stood our groI,d as best we might,
But they were fresh Snd strong
We'll fed, and more than two 10 one,-
We could not stand It Ions.
From right to left, from left to right.
Their raking bullets fell; s
But. worst Of all, We had 10 yield--
With grief the truth tslL --7
Surrounded on all sides, 'tvere vain
To longer bide the fray;
We left some dead upon the field,
And 50. thank God. did they.
Some lost their knapsaeks, that contained
OF clothing all their store,
And what they'll do 'tis hard to say,
When winters at the door.
I've spared from my own slender stock
For how could Withstand
Some Of the shirts and stockings. wife.
Made By your careful hand.
They've got old father Chamberlain-
Those British proud and stern
He who 80 loved his country's cause.
We fear he'll not return.
How sad, if in some prison ship
His form shonld pine away,
And his white locks, reyered at home.
Be Of their scorn the prey.
Well, the next day they came again.
All fierce 10 seal our fate
Monday, September the sixteenth
That was the battles date.
Our regiment was called in front,
And nobly stood at bay;
Full four long hours we fought them there,
And no one shrank away.
We boldly faced those red-coat men
Ny household musket did its best
In this strange work of ours.
But. best of all, they had TO fly
They vanished from our view;
And if they're valiant IN the field,
They're swift at running, too.
Close at their heels, we drove them, wife,
For four long miles, or more;
They found the rebels had some pluck,
Though that they knew before.
They've kept their distance since that day
And not annoyed us here;
But then their troops have got New York,
And there they domineer.
Our dead men hay like broken trees,
When wreeking whirlwinds frown:
No quarter these grim Hessians give
They're hired to cut US down.
] got wound on hand and arm,
Yet scarcely felt the pain,
Until our hard days work was done
They're almost well again.
We have no covering save the skies,
But very soon. we're told,
That barracks will be built for Us,
As nights grow sharp and cold.
Nv brother Andrew sends his love-
God kept us from the dead,
When kissing balls few thick and fast,
Like hailstones, round our head.
We talk of oxford's pleasant wales,
And friends, and much-loyed home
And hope to meet in comfort there,
When the right time shall come.
So ever let your prayers, my wife,
With our young children's rise,
For us, and our dear country's sakes,
To him who rules the skies.
ANTHONY SIeoURNEY.
The above is almost literal version of ar
'pistle, preserved as precious heirloom by
he descendants of Mr.. Anthony Sigourney
Eho, with his brother Andrew, brayely and
'atriotically shared the hardships of our wal
f revolution. They were natives of the beau
iful town of Oxford. in Massachusetts, where
heir Huguenot ancestors settled, soon after the
oVocation of the Edict of Nantz, in 1855.