Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1867-10-25
The Vetsran.

He stood upon the village green,
Clothed In his eountTyls gabandine.
His dusty suit OF faded blue,
His forage cap and army shoe
(Alosl he had but need Of one,
For twas a cFutch he leaned upOn.)
His steady look and martial m1en,
Showed plainly what he once had been.
I marked him Welt, for such as he
Are more than dear to you and me
The centre Of our hopes and fears.
A bhrOng had gathered at his side
With them hucksber's trade he piled.
HIS eamp-cut phrase and shreWder vein
A willing audience soon obtain
And while he talked he gave his cares
More to his story than his wares;
And rough and ready, IKE the man,
I give its tenor as it ran
eIarn a soldier Of sixty-one-
One of the first, you see TO rally.
I ran with the rest at the first Bull Run.
And carried q gun with Banks in the Valley,
fred my twenty rounds away
When hen shields s3l gave AtoneWaH such
CThe boot was changed at q later day,
And we took aa''' stlEll a. Jhe double quick
And 50 Il passed for a year or more,
When We woke one morning, bright and
Part and parcel Of the old First Corps.
The bulliest corps in tlas grand old army /!
And how we fought and how we tramped,
Too long tale, perhaps. I'd spin ye,
But first and last, th1nE we camped
In every field in old Wirgimuy!
Twas, gay old life, but, Lordl twas
No rest for the good. no peace for the
When You didn't tight you were put on
And when you came or you went on
Yet stiii 2Ii992 Somehow it gtruoh my mind
No single step to muca amounted;
OF score Of things done you were lucky to
That two Of the number had ever counted.
Rut war is war. and me -TT INST be
AS patient as the game uncertain;
'Iis little Of the play you zee
The biggest parts behind the curtain,
Too long the sillZen glove we wore,
And III we thr0Ve on mix ana water;
Eli cool and grim our Grant stepped IN
And brayed bold Dixie in his mortar
"AhI Ignorance may Live and learn,
And Folly may give ear 20 Reasons
But, turn whichever way you turn,
eTis Force alone can deal with Treason!
For he who swel1s with brutal brag
That he hates the charter that made him
That he mates his eouutrv. and hates his Tag.
And PIRATES OF war with q deYtlisa glee-
This man in vain yOu strive to gain
with tender words and soft appeaiings5
But good bloyTs--he yields to those
And there at least you touch his feelings
''Weu, as for me, I stood mp stout
Until Cold HarbOr, dark and cruel,
And this leg was counted out
At last your uncle got his Cruel
had been scratched three times before,
But not enough to hurt my beauty,
And for thirty months and something mora
I had scarcely been ofIa day from duty.
"And now, my friends, I'm psgging my way
From town to town and county to county
you see we privates had very small pay,
And the old SfXty-Oners got no bounty,)
A-pedd1ng my save YYhefeYer raid
And don't feel ashamed, now, nary a
particle,
For selling saIYe is an honest trade,
And this of mine is q prime old article
Good for any kind Of a bruise,
From a gUn-shot wound to the bite Of a
mouse,
Or a cut or a buFn-an ready for use,
And an excellent thing to have In the
Buy a boxP Thanlz'eel And you, sirq Two7
guess 'tain't for nothing I've taken this
Yes, my good Sir, another for you;
1t only costs you a twenty five stamp.
And another one, too
Oh, bully for you
I'd gladly give you q dozen more,
You all talEesO kind to the old First CoFps7'
And while he paused in his simple strain
r Wi Io7t ltl ~ lis ne f fsi iS 81 -ISI IIe s III g
A grander vision, nObler thought.
He thought OF his country's trIumph-the
OF his own most costly sacrifice;
And loving glance sJlhused and dim,
Fell down upon his shattered limb.
saw tear on his eyolId flash
saw it fall from the quivering lash
And he spalze these words, unheard Of men /:
"A1l that gave would give again :"
Oh, well tried soull through toll and pain
Wen hast thou wrought, nor wrought in
Thou hast fought in the van of a noble host;
Thou hast saved a land that was welI-nlgh
lost.
And the sight of thy tattered suit Of blue
shall hold men honest keep them true
True to the pledge which in darker years,
W g made In sorrow and sighed in tears
That ever and ever our faith holds good
To the law of human brOtherhoOds
That the souls Of the leaI and true are white,
And that man shall be man, and right shalt
be right.