Delaware State journal and statesman., 1864-01-01

Aud many friend in lonely sorrow weeps,
Aud all around seems cold aud dark aud drear
To such indeed it is a sad New Year.
In oheerless novels, dreaiy homes Of want,
Dwell cold and hunger, spectres grim and gaunt
And wretched beings at our very door
For food and shelter mournfuly lmplore.
To hosts of our brave soldiers far away
Upon the fields Of war, how drear this day.
The cold wind sweeps across the dismal plain,
Aud every gust but seems a moan Of pain.
The lonely sentinel tramps to and fro
Amid tho driving wind md binding snow,
And as he sees the glowing camp fires CLEAN,
Ills distant home looms up in waking dream.
viii he again eer meet with goodly cheer
His own loved ones upon the glad New Year
And then how many fall perhaps this day
On bloody fields of battle far away;
And many, stricken on the CORY plain,
Now writhe and toss on lonely beds Of pain.
Then let US not forget those scenes Of woe
Where our brave soldiers grOan beneath the foe.
Ten thousand heroes lift their hands and cry
With tears for bread and call in vain and die.
And hath it come to this in our free andY
And shall these traitors starye this patriot band ?
Forbid il God. Let oil the world cry " shame. "
What foul disgrace upon the Christian name.
How can they starve their fellow-men, yet pray
Each morn " Give US our daily bread this day p
'Twould seem that Time had turned upon his
track,
And barbarous ages once again come hack.
Is this the SouihrOn's boosted cbivalry
But savages becomes such cruelty.
Methinks see, dlsturb'd by visions dread,
The rebel cheftain on his dOWny bed.
lie means and starts aud shudders in his dreams (:
A lvid, CHASTITY light around him CLEANS.
Before him, staring with their presence dread,
In spectral forms arise the sheeted dead
The sheeted dead Their only winding sheet
Alas, few torn rags Their naked feet
And shrigeId limbs aud eyes Of deathly hue
In all their ghastliness rise on his view.
They poin, with feshess fingers long and thin,
As they, with bones proIruding through their
skin,
Like hideOus skeletons around him stand,
They show him in the North captive band
OF his own hosts, in some strong fort confined:
How they are cared for by the good and kind.
Grim want aud wasting hunger ere not known,
And comfort dwells in prison walls of stone.
They point to chambers where his wounded lie,
Aud show how when his captive soldiers die,
They are attended with the kindest care;
How by their beds kneel gentle forms and fair
How men Of God pour in the dying eSr
Sweet words of peace aud songs of heavenly
cheer.
From this, the spectres to barren isle
Now turn. Upon it's surface low aud vile,
Unsheltered meath the winters leaden sky,
The crowded hosts of municipalities lie,
With none to pity, on the cold, wet ground;
Forsaken, and not cen u blanket round
Their frames. Here lie and gasp and starve and
die.
o, what sight for his Implying eye
From graves and prisons vile ascends cry
Yar vengeance diie: from living dead who meier
shan liz,
From dying ln'ag--who shall live Away.
Yet hear, "Vengehsce is mine, will repay"
Thus saith the Lord. May he to victory speed
Our arms Soon may our hosts with gallant
Meade
The gloomy prson-doors wide open burst,
And plants our flag on Richmonds Gates accurstl
How full of grand events the year just past
Each seeming more stupendous than tie last
How much that calls for hymns of grateful praise
To Him who overrulCs the passing days,
By all who love their oouutry's cause,
And hail the triumph Of her arms and laws
Upon the years first day with trumpet tone
II was proclaimed that slavery was oerthrown.
Three million bondmen knew that they were free
Whereer they saw the flag Of liberty.
And now beneath that banners starry fold
Staunch egions of these swarthy sons enrolrd,
March on to victory, midst the lannon's roar,
Aud shout the cry of " Freedom eyermore 1"
On many Southern plain their bones now lie,
And tell how freedmen dare to fight aud die.
The rebel stronghold by the mighty rivers tide
Our brave besieging armie long defed.
The sturdy Grant loud thunders at its gates,
And all the world the mighty issue waits.
AT length with its huge, Cannon-bristliDg walls
Before the prowess Of our hosts it falls,
And 30 Port Hudson frowning in its might,
Is stormed by serted lines of black and white.
In fierce and hot assault With fearless ranks
They charge and night beneath the gallant Banks
Ard then upon the ramparts once more wave
In triumph the red banners Of the brave.
But while these fortressos far in the West
Our mighty armies hot aud close invest,
The rebel legons leave their southern fields
To see what crops q cline more Horthern yields
Through Maryland they hold their onward way
And spread DER oil their baleful sway;
And soon resound beneath their thunderOu
tramp
The "Keystone States" fair fields. Wit
glistening camp
And wide spread host her soil, unwak'd before
Save by the sound of peace was covered DER.
Dark were the clouds that hung DER all thes
coasts
when like desolatiOu spread the rebel hosts.
Yet onward, onward steadily they came,
Like pestilence or wild devouriDg flame.
Our war-worn armies then were far away,
But men untTain'd were gathering for the fray,
And where the old bell once 10 days of old
hung liberty to all the lRud, now rolled
With stirring clang the peal "to arms to arms
And far and wide spread fierce and wild alarmt
Then came our hosts Tremendous was tie fgl
When there they met the foeman in his might.
Whore golden harvests rich had waved before,
Was garnered now, the purple crop of war.
X In smiling plain and shady grove and vale,
Unmarried since here the Indian made his trail
Resounded, echoing wild, rude wars alarms
And bugles blast and clash of deadly arms,
Now there was heard the mingng shout al
groaD,
Where muskets volleyed and grim death-fr
shone,
Whore cannons roared and burst the crashil
she'll
Until that paradise became n hell.
On Cemetery Hill most fearful blazed
The leaping fires of death aud there were raise
Huge piles of CORY corses DER the stones
Beneath which slept the mouldering bones
or the departed, where the thckest fell
The awful storms of ploughng shot and she'll
Full long and hard was that stupendOus hgl
But God gave glorious triumph to the right.
When on the third day set the fiery sun,
The bloody field of Gettysburg was won;
The rebels, overwhelmed with sore defeat,
Back to Virginia fed in wild retreat
And so was backward hurled the tide
OF fierce invasion rolling far and wide.
All praise aud honor be 10 gallant Mende.
Who from its horrors dread the land thus free
All honor to the hosts who with him fought,
And from impending woes deliveranoe brougI
Immortal glory to the noble brave
Who feound upon that field an honored grave
The nation for her fallen soldier weeps
And throws her pail Ger each brave one '
sleeps.
The laurel and the cypress aye shall bloom
And wave DER every gallant warriors tomb ;
And greener far the deathless memory