The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1868-01-29

POLITICALLY expressed:
a III MEMORANDA. J. R.
Thou art sleeping, brother, sleeping
I'm thy lonely battle grave;
Shadows DER the path are creeping
Death, the Reaper, still is reaping-
Years are swept and years are sweeping
Many memory from my keeping.
But I'm waiting still and weeping !.
For my Beautiful and Brave. +
when the battle songs were chanted,
And wars stirring tocsin pealed;
By whose songs their heart was haunted
And thySpirits proved, undaunted,
Clanored wildly-wildly painted
"sfother! let my wish be granted
will meier be Knocked and tainted
That feared to meet our Wanted
Foemen on the bloody field"
"They are thronging, Mother, throngins
10 ClOtlSlUu uelttS Va itthlo (, f..r4Ftr-
Let Inc go-'tis wrong and wronging
God and thee to crush this longing;
On the muster-roll of glory,
On the field of battle CORY,
Imust consccrate my name."
Mother, grid my sword around me;
Kiss thy soldier-boy good bye"
In her arms sue widely wound the,
TO thy birthland's cause she bound thee
With fond prayers aud blessings crowned
thee,
And she sobbed-" When foes surround
thee,
If you fall, I'll know they found thee, 4
Where the bravest love to die"
At the altar of their nation,
Stood that mother and her son;
He-the victim of oblation,
Painting for his immolation;
She--in priestess' holy station
w
While God smiled his appreciation
Blessed the boys self-abnegation
Cheered the mothers dcsolation
When the sacrifice was done.
Forth like many noble other,
Went he Whispering soft and low
Coed bye--pray for ME, my mother;
Sister, kiss me-farewell, brother"
Aud he strove his grief to smother;
Forth, with spirit proud and peerless
Forth, with footsteps firm and fearless
And his parting gaze was fearless,
Though his heart was lone and cherries
Thus from all he loved to go,
10! yon flag of freedom flashing
In the sunny Southern sky!
Onto death and glory dashing-
On-where swords are clanging-clash
ing AZ
0n-whcre balls are crushing-cras1ling-
On-'nlid perils dread, appalling
On--they're falling fallins-falling-
On-they're growing fewer-fewer- f.
On-thcir hearts beat all the truer-
On-on--on--uo fear--no falter-
On-though round the battle-altar
There werc wounded victims groaning-
There were dying victims moaning
On-right n-death-danger Drawing
Warning where their flag was waving
And baptismal blood was having.
With tide of crimson water,
All that field of death and slaughter;
On-still on-that bloody larcr
Made them brave and made them Drawer
On--with never halt or waver--
On--they'rc hattling-bleeding -bonndin!
While the glorious shout sounding,
ave will win the day or die
And they won it--routed rivon,
Relied the focmen's proud array.
They had struggled long and striven,
Blood in torrents they had given,
But their ranks, dispersed and driven,
Fled disgracefully away.
Many heart was lonely lying
There that would not throb again.
Some were dead and some were dying;
Some were silent, some We're sighingi
Thus to Observation-Disclosures
Unbewept and unbefriendett--
On that bloody battle plain.
When the twilight. sadly, slowly
Wrapped its mantle DER them all
Der those thousands lying lowly-
flushed in silence deep and holy
There was one-his blood was flowing,
And his last of life was going
And his pulse faint---flipter beating
Told Ills iionrs were few aud tlecting;
And his brow grew white aud whittier,
And his eyes shono bright and brighter
There he lay-,ike iufant dreaming,
With his sword beside him cleaning;
For the hand in life that grasped it,
True to tleath-still fondly elaspcd it,
There his comrades found him lying,
Mid the heaps of dead aud dying;
And the .sternest there bent weeping,
Der that lonely sleeper sleeping.
Twas the midnight stars shone 'roun
him .oza,.s
In sllrond of glory bound him;
And they told us how they found him
Where the brayest love to fall. s
Where the woods like banners bending,
Dropped i'll glory and in gloom
There, when that sad hight was ending,
And the faint, far dawn was blending
With the stars now fast descending
There--tlley mute and mournfnlbore hirl-
With the stars and shadows Ger him
Thcre-they laid him down so tender,
And the next days sun and sllendor
Flashed upoa my brothers tomb.