The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1864-09-06

EvERETT. ID. l.
In radiant beauty. ere his race was run,
Shone DER the earth the setting sun
Not in food Of rich and dazzling light.
But like q spirit fading from the sight.
Rich pearls end sapphires lined the amber clouds
And decked the sunshine in her crimson shrouds
Fen ear.h and sky threw back the mystic shade
And fairy foot falls tinkled in the glade; ii
Der the bright carpet of the emerald plain, n
The spring-time flowers are shooting forth again
The shades Of evening. on a scene like this
Had fingered long to give the parting kiss ~
No smoke of battle or lurking storm, el
Portends the strife which ushers in the morn.
mighty army sleeps on Shiloh's breast,
All save the weary guards have sunk 10 rest
From heaven is gone the storm king iron ear,
No longer vexed by elemental war. lllt
And now sheen of ripping pearls and gold,
Hushes the dream, and whispeys legends old,
Sweet as the murmur Of an angels song.
The day king welcomes ia the glorious morn,
Softly and sweetly his beams break away
The morn from its vestments old and gray.
'Tis a sacred morn, and the earth and the air
Are breathing their praises every where.
But bark tis the sound of the shrill bugle horn,
Profaning the peace of this bright Sabbath morn.
The long roll beats, and the rush to arms,-
Is followed swift by the drest alarms.
The rumbling of cannon, the beat of the drum,
And cries the "piquet"' the foe they come"
They rush to arms from near aud from far,
And swiftly they form in the ranks of war. s
Now swift as the Alpine avalanche dread,
Sweeps from the towering mountain head,
Or, as Niagara's laundering wave, l'hf 1hN
Rushes on to its yawning grave, rui l4
Thus like the ruler and king of the storm
They break through our lines ere our army cam
form ~
As grain in the field when the reapers 90 forth
Or, as chilled by the dark frozen winds of the
Even so our brave men melt away, sure but slow,
O'erwhelmed by the force of the out numbering
foe; ltiici1l ~
The rebels in thousands tumultuously pour,
Pressing our brave soldiers back to the shore
The ra tie of musketry, clashing of steel,
Parting the battle smoke, just to reveal
The sweeping OF carnage above and around
And the huge heaps Of stricken ones stretched
on the ground. -...s.,.-
Like the dread king of the midnight storm,
Dash they their force on ourarmy o'erborne.
Doggedly fight we now back, foot by foot
Naught save the sleepers in death can be mute
Through the smoke ofthe battle, the suns red eye
Looks downlike fiery beacon on high.
The face Of all nature is lurid an red,
A horrid light floats DER the forms of the dead.
But bark to the dreadful unearthly sound
q
The cannon wheels crushing the forms of the slain
Break through the skulls and spatter the brain.
Rushing thus madly the battle plain oer
Where they sink deep in the pools Of red gore,
desperate conflict RACES there.
The thunder of death shakes the sabbath air.
Past the zenith the sun yet the dark murky
cloud
Ofthick battle smoke, covers oil in q shroud.
The dreaded death ang gloats fierce DER the
scene,
And red-eyed Mars on this day serene,
Takes fiendish delight,when he shuts out the sun,
BY the cannon's smoke and the war clouds dun
Thick floats the canopy over the food,
Red grows the river with human blood.
Like the breath of a monster the smoke towers
high,
And the lurid light flashes like fire from his eye.
The surroundings are lit by the cannon bright
flame,
Like pattering hail comes the fierce iron rain
Not long can the foe face the whitening breath
That is 6reathed from the mouths Of these angels
Of death;
But backward they fall as the wave from the
shock
When it dashes its foam in vain on the rock
The conflict is over the sun in the west,
Has sunk ina cloud to his nights red rest.
Huge volumes ofsmoke DER the hoof-b beaten plain,
Envelop the forms of the wounded and slain.
nc Iule tNclllHB uut ny tic CIOuu
OF thick battle smoke which hangs like shroud,
Like an ensign of death Ger the forest below,
Shading in gloom the friend and the foe
Not breath of mute nature or natural life
Whispers a sound of the terrible strife.
Guardian angels look forth but to weep,
AS over the slain their watch care they keep.
The night is now passed, and the darkness
away
Has fed from the face of the bright sunny day
A 4 L.. a.. l..
o er the scene where SO many had ;ound them q
grave
Till at length the wrong yields, and triumphs
the right,
And the rebels are conquered and scattered in
fight.
At last the strife ceases, and over the plain
The silence of nature is brooding again,
Save where it is broke by the cry of the slain,
In last low wall and is still again.
And the measured monotonous, dreary tread
OIthose who are gathering and burying the dead,
In the bloody ground of the plain wet and red,
Sweeps like funeral march over their head.
They bury them all in one deep, broad grave,
United in death the true and the brave
But enough Of this scene, DER the fearful sight;
Draw quickly the cloud OF the dark murky night
Let not the moons face SO sweet and serene
Be cursed by the sight of SO horrid a scene
Slow toll the bell for the brave, the departed,
NTlnS Ic YOUR minus now ,ye pour Oroken ucdlbeui a
Let the dull sound ofthe crgpe- e-muffied drum,
Tell to the world their lost work is done.
Let the sad sound of the mourner's slow tread
Sweep like spirits wing over the head.
On the chilly night let the cannon's boom
Chant requiem and dirge o er the soldier s tomb.
Sad memories to night sing dirge in the soul,
A requiem of woe for life's broken bowl ~
Our brothers have fallen, our band has been
broken,
And the vacant seats, in language unspoken
Whisper in spirit tones low to the heart,
"Meet us where brothers are never to part
Sweetly and calmly then sleep soldiers brave,
Sleep where the angels keep watch o'er your
grave;
They will theii strict vigils over you keep,
Guarding your rest IN your last long sleep
Sweet roses and myrtle well plant Ger your
grave,
Their brnnch's the zephyrs of evening shall
wave.
When the still shades of even tide gently shall
fall,
And the church bells are Ginning the vesper's
last call,
Well come from the scenes of the worlds busy
strife, @
Well come from the cares and the conflicts of
of life,
With o'erflowing hearts wen kneel sadly there,
In woe for the dead we will offer our prayer.
Spirit forms guard you now, sweet be your rest,
Soldiers of freedom, your name shall be blest;
Patriots and martyrs, for Unio n you fell,
Soldiers and brothers, farewell, farewell.
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nEys A case or horrible youthful dep