The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1865-07-26
THOUGHTS OF THE PLACE AND TIME.

When other hope Of peace had fed.
4 And not alone fer those who lie
! Tn honoIed graves before us blent,
( Shall our proud columr bread and high,
Climb upward to the blessing sky,
/ But be for all q monument
An emblem of our grief, as well
For others as for these, we raise
For these beneath our feet who dwell,
And all sTho in the good cause fell
On other fields, in other trays.
To aIl the self-same love we bear
Which here for marb,ed memory strives
No soldier for a wreath would care
Which all true comrades might not share
Brothers in death as in their lives!
On Southern hilI-sides, parched and brown,
In tangled swamp, on verdant ridge,
Where pines and broadening oaks look dowI
And jasmine weaves its yellow crown,
And trumpct-creepers clotBe the hedge;
Alou~ the shores of endless sand,
Beneath the palms Of Southern plains,
Sleep everywhere, hand locked in hand,
The brothers of the gallant band
VINO here poured life tbro' throbbing veins
Around The closing eyes Of all
The same red gI0ries glarcd aud flew
The hurrTiag flags, the bugle-can,
The whistle of the angry ball,
The elbow-touch Of comrades true!
The skirmish fre-a spattering sprayj
The suarling growl Of fire by file,
The thickeniug fury of the fray
When opening batteries get in play,
And the lines form DER many mile,
The foeman's YELL our answering cheer,
Red flashes through the gathering smoke,
Swift orders resonant and clear,
Blithe cries from comrades tried and dear,
The sheIl-scream and the sabre-stroke
The rolling fire from left to right,
From right TO left, we hear it swell
The headlung charges, swift ana bright,
The thickeniug tumult Of the fight
And bursting thuRders of the shell.
Now denser. deadier grows the strife,
And here we yield, and there we gain
The air with hurting missiles rife,
Eollev for yolley, life for life
No time tc heed the cries of paini
Painting as up the hills we charge,
Or down them as we broken rollj
Life never felt so high, so large,
And never Ger so wide marge
In triumph swept the kindling soul
New raptu-ec waken in the breast
Amid this hell Of scene and sound
The barking batteries never rest,
And broken foot by hOrsemeu pressed,
Still stubbornlv contest their ground.
Fresh waves of battle rolling in
To take the place Of shattered waves
Torn lines that grow more bent and thin
\ binding cloud, maddguing din
Twas thus were filed these very graves
Night falls at length with plying vail
j moonlit silence deep and fresh;
These upturned faces, stained and pale,
Yainly the chill night dews asSGil--
For colder than the dsws their flesh
And Pickering far through branch and wood
Go searching parties, torch in hand
Seize ifyou can some rest ard food,
At dawn the fight will be renewed,
Sleep on your arms r. the hush'd command.
They salk In whispers as they lie
In line-these rough and weary men
Dead or but wounded q? then q sigh
no coffee either !" "Guess wen try
To get those two guns back again"
I'VE FIVE flags TO their one oho!7
"That bridre-twas hot there as we pass d.
''The colonel dcadl It can't be so
Wounded and badly-thaJ I know
But he kept saddle TO the last
BE sure to send It if I fall"
"Any tobacco? Bill, have you ~
"A brown-haired, blue-eved, laughing doll"
Goodnight, boys, and God keep you ALI
What, sound asleep? Guess III sleep too"
Yes, just about this hour they pray
For Dad "StOp talking pass the word !"
And soon as quiet as the clay
Which thousands will but be next day
The long drawn sighs Of sleep are heard.
lh, men to whom this sketch. though rude,
Calls back some scene Of pain and pride;
)h, widow hugging close your brood,
)h, wife with happiness renewed,
Since he again is at your side;
his trophy that to-day we raise
Should be a monument for all
md on its side no niggard phrase
'onine q generous Nations praise
To those who here have CHANGED to fall.
'ut let US all to-day combine
Still other monuments 20 raise
iere for the Dead we build shrine
md now to those who, crippled pine
Let US give hope Of happier davs!
81 homes for these sad wrecks OF war
Though all the land with speed arse
e-aGs@ tEy iEoD every gaping scar,