The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1867-08-01
From the New York Citizen.l
THE EMPTY SLEEVE.

Iwant no pity, ask DO aims:
Give me some work for this one hand:
The other. meath the southern palms,
Is rottng in the shining sands.%
1 left home, a child q Wife, -
AS dear to me as yours to you,
And freely offered UP my life. ata
To aid Il cause knew was true;
And so my friend with your good leave,
No pity for this empty sleeve.
could not rest in idle ease. ci s5
And read of fiery deeds each day;
Although she, weeping. clasped my knees
And earnest plead that might stay
"Dear heart, 1 said, ''wrll steel and ball,
Beneath the banner OF the free ..t..
I'll take my chance, for should it fall,
What would be my home to me
Without the ilag whose sacred dyes
Are pictured in Gcd lovely sklesS'
Begrimmed by smoke and torn by shell,
But each star standing in its place.
More holy for the hearts that fell a5
To shield it from disgrace;
1t waves in glory once again,
AS in tfe bright old days before
Its honored folds received the stain
OF kindred blood at Baltimore
Ere that Old emblem sunk believe,
I'd wish a shroud to wrap this sleeve.
When the keen saw rasped through the bone
From my pale lips there burst cry;
Twas not the singing pair alone,
That caused that moan of agony;
But thoughts OF home smote on my brain
Good reasons had | TO deplore-
Oft time seat at Labor's door;
How should then their wants relieve
A soldier with an empty s!eevef
''Nay, don't despair take courage, lad,"
7 ne busy Surgeon kindly said;
BE sure, to lose arm is bad.
But better 'tis than lose your head;
Why I'll our tongues love well to wag
OF colOr-sergeant Richard Todd
Whose arm was first to plant our flag
Above grim Wagner's smoking sod;
rI.t l. nf 4 fHn sNfrsN- "a
You are doubIy paid for the empty sleeve"
But glory will not fill the hands
Ofthose who wait at home for bread
d. Upon our hearth spectre stands,
That fills our heart with dread,
Seeking for work day after day,
And gaining naught but cold replies;
At night see her turn away
To hide the tears that fill her eyes,
And almost wish death might relieve
My pain, as toy with my empty sleeve
Daily are places filed by those 81
Who cursed the cause for which bled,
Two years ago our deadliest foes,
NOV on the public bounty fed.
Must we who breasted rebel steel
And bore ''Old Glory through the land,
Now ask cf passer-by meal,
Abject and humble, hat in hand2
Republic, can you thus disgrace
] he hearts that held you in your placer
Does it not tell of hardships passed
1nlS useless, swinging Sleeve OF miner
Dread marches in Defenders blast,
In peltirg rain and shine;
OF CORY fields and CHASTITY slain.
Whose faces make the senses reel,
And manned men shrieking in III, ir pain,
Where laundering squadrons charge and
wheel;
Whose fierce hoofed steeds, in th wild strife
Crushed out the little left of life.
Ofmidni ght vigils it doth tell,
In boarded forests meath the stars.
Where thro' the boughs the moonlight fell
Cpon the earth in silver bars:
OF sptals where groaning rows
OF stri, ken men drew painful breath
And prison doors that darkly close
On horrors ten old worse than death;
Think then will beggars aims relieve
The bearing of this empty sleeve.
For what is past yet can say,
cherish not one vain regret;
DO not. then. make me curse the day
My old blue coat with flood was wet;
Sp.s,e N yo,r pity i: you please
AMI give me WORK for this one hand;
Tie other meath the green palm trees,
Is rottiilg III the shifting sand
y, grand Republic give me leave
To prondly iaunt this EN- Jtv sleeve.