The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-07-04
Written for the Daily Hawk-Eye.
THE COLONEL,S STORY.

anu sixteen summer suns had left their COL
AND when the muster roll was called, he an
swered TO his name, NC o.
But non none could tell me why he fought, nor ye
from whence he came
/ heart was brave ~
Ano longed for action in the ranks where Free
ooms banners wave
III proud defiance DER the land the flares
- meath the sun
Where heroes fight to nue,I tho storrn TIM. 70;
ne moved about the Union camp with such
That all beheId with uop5,r;ng eyas tho cod
49, ness of his face
me wandering movement OF his eyes, his lips 8,
nrm compressed
All told that some ripe purpose lay concealed
| within his breast
ana an the lion of the heart, when fully one,
poused7
And when the looked-for hour came on, in bat
RMS fair,haired soldier, with the rest, joined il
w, the bloody fray,
winch Wan bought ,og for us the victory soldiers
The armies met in deadly strife and guns and
mortarS pealed,
ana hundreds laid with CHASTITY wounds on
haymond's bloody field
nm roarS were hushed,
The dead laid scattered DER the ground wbara
I'M Johnson had been crushed;
Anen .lty near on sheltering wings, beheld the
Which told us that the battle ba,, q draodf,I
conflict been!
me y, night closed in upon the day-the,pale
ty sailed, 49, 'e<'o
ana cio sn ne Its shimmering rays down on faces
ana then when morning broke again upon that
-, southern plain,
me dead We're gathered to their rest, while every
Rose on the startled breath of morn that wbis-
pered thro' the trees
AND said, mo heroes ever died so glory-crown-
A week had flown on rapid wing-a week Of
pain and woe
And some freed spirit pass..d from a.rth wifi,
~ every throbing throc
was mere within hospital, where wounded
] heard story which pray meier NAV b.o-
again, ~
There on cot, among the rest, fair-faced sol
l recognized in him the lad noticed day bv
day. ' ~
1 looked into his azure eyes and held him by the
And knew his life was almost DER. and dee.b
was near TO brand ~
His spirit for the better world, where strife and
- warnings cease,
To rest with God for evermore within the port
of peace.
William l whispered in his ear-he opened
And words for utterance to his lips, l thought
began to rise.
But then; as if some dreadful thought had crowd
A shadow crossed his pallid face and closed his
eyes again.
knelt me down beside his cot-beside tbat dv-
All! then knew why all his life had been de-
void OF Joy.
He spoke at last in whispered words, with fire.
Guent galSpS for breath,
And every word seemed borne along upon the
wings of death.
My cottage home"-he WHISPERED loE-"whera
now the loved ones wait,
Is where the fair magnolia blooms in far OFF
Georgia State.
LEFT it there in early spring year ago, Or more
When hooking birds were singing songs
. around our cottage door.
since then my weary feet have pressed the dark
and thOrny way,
Which leadeth up thro' bitter griefs unto the
My mother-may her rest be SWEETS sleeping
Where her freed spirit, reft of sin, went up to
She left me in my infancy-God broke her gal
ling chains,
And now they tell me negro blood went cours-
ing thrO' her veins.
How that may be cannot tell-this fact is all 1 |
know,
Myself with slavery's chains was bound these
sixteen years of woe.
Ny father-oh how can tell what pain such |
knowledge gave
Ny father would not own his boy, but held him
as his SLAVE!
And when this crue war broke out between the
right and wrong,
hAu swept, ike u lOTDauO WIG, tneSe southern
plains along,
lie grasped his sword, among the rest, and ralli-
ed tothe call,
he Colonel of his regiment, and dangerous
man Withal.
And when the tramping Of the horse was heard
upon the plain,
/ Joined the Rebel cavalry, and thereby sought
TO gain
Admittance to the Federal ranks'-he paused
awhile for breath
And gain freemans liberty, or freedom find
in DEATH
dropped my head upon my hand, nor dared
myself to speak,
or the tears came yelling to my eyes and fel.
upon my cheek;
md when saw his face again knew his life
was DER,
or crimson tide came rushing from his open
wound once more
i've minutes more the work was done that
only death could do
he light was gone that once had shown within
his orbs of blue.
peaceful smile lit up his brow which seemed
to say, I'm free!'
ne only word fell from his lips, and that was
"lberty!"