The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1866-12-14
Ths Aantusk asftersuniua
ifrom The wsverly Mneazme,l
D General Lytlc. D

~ On the banks OF the Chicamauga
In the heat of the second days bat
tie, there fell not only one OF tb,
bravest soldiers that ever breathed
but gentleman Of fine literary tast,
and attainmetts Yes, William II
Lytle died on th7t day as he had
wished to die-leading a gloriou:
charge, and haloed with the glory o.
dying for his country. Twas hi,
third battle during the war, and hi:
third wound The bloody fields o
Carnifex Ferry, Of Pcrryville, and o
Chicamauga, are more eloquent
though silent-witpesses of his al
most sublime heroism than any pa
lrade of mere words. lie was tn,
Very brau ideal OF The citizen sol
dicr, in physique as well as mental.
--the American Bayhrd. -a-
Gen. Lytle was a native Of Cincin
natl, and served in the Mexican wa
with distinction, as a Captain OF vol
unteers. Afterwards he became Ma
jor General, commanding the South
ern division of Ohio Militia A
the breaking out Of the present wa
he took the field as Colonel of th,
10th Ohio Volunteers. AT Carnife,
Ferry he was wounded, as we have
said, leading his regiment in splen
did charge, and bis horse fell deat
inside of Floyds intrcnchments.- =
He was barely recovered, when, lead
ing 4 brigade at Perrysville, in Iii
usual dashing style, he was agail
wounded. Soon after, lie receive,
HE well.earned promotion to Briga
dier General, and, at last, scaled hi
devotion to his country will; his life
Such is his military career, brief,
Stated.
Gen. Lytle was poet of no ordi
mary ability; his poems, though few
bear the unmistakable stamp of &C
Mus. He had many great virtues
and one grievous fault--a sin that |
peculiarly one which bcsets genei
Gus tcmperaments, and which is NOR
hurtiul TO the sinner than any on
ielsc. II was the same fault that ser
Edgar A. Poe to his untimely gray
love Of drink.
A literary friend related to me til
following anociote of Lytle:
He was walking along the stree
one day, (in Cincinnati) when |
was slapped on the back by Lytlc-
who had plainly been imbibing III
accosted with: t........g OH
II say, G., l have pcrpetrated
poem, and want your opinion OF i
r Come in aud hear it,"
0 They accordingly repaired to
Z. room in a neighboring hotel, an,
over couple OF "brandies," Lyt
fecited his "Antony and Cleopatra.
The General had full, rich voic
and was an excellent elocutionis
and G. declared he was perfect
enchanted, aud praised the poem el
Enthusiastically. Lytlc seemed su
prised, for lie said,- ... ....
"Why, G., l am glad you thin
well OF it, for was AFRAID TO send
for publication until l had SON
body's opinion ofit. Tue fact
| wrote it last night when W,
tight" ,u...-ts .....t..N o..
lie then related that he had bee
"around' with some friends, an
returning to his room, picked up
volume oil Shakespeare; opening it
the play OF "Autony and Cleopatra
the first words that met his gaze we
those of Antony's dying speech
am dying, Egypt, dying!' Stru'
hy the words, he seized pen ar
: scrubbed Off the poem. 1t was pu
a lished in the "Conmercial' q fe
\ arys afterwards, and created q mar
ell sensation, w. w. Fosdick. tll
poet and critic, pronounced it, in /
peculiar style, unequalled in the En-
lish language. Annexed is the poem
ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA.