Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1872-03-12


In stiffness unearthly fasr follows his force
Undsuntcd and proud. with a smile on his mouth,
The chivalrous pride OF the chivarous South,
Adown the green valley he sweeps like a breath,
And leads the fierce charge in the battle of Death
There speeds his advance, here grim squadrs
wheel,
'N1idst cleaning of carbines and glitter of steel,
And red nostriled horscs, and banners ahare,
And plumes of bold warriors painting The mir.
And saddles left empty, and sighs of the wounded,
And spectral recalls from spectral lips sounded;
Then leader and host fit away Ger the plain,
Gliding down to the cold bivouac of the slain.
Through yon mountsin gap. still silently come
The Armies of Death-the eloquent dumb
They pour like stream through yon rocky dcf!e,
Come back from their soidieriy dream of exile.
In spectral batta lions they steadily tread,
These warrior souls of the warrior dead
From Piedmont's green heights and Repuhlic's
dark plain,
And Cross Keys, they solemnly gather again,
With forms gnunt with hunger, and toll tured
feet,
Yet strong with strength that aurvivsth defeat,
They lift their pale brows from tn = gloom CT the
grave.
To watch DER the valley they battled 10
They camp the PLAIN and the sheen of the blade
CLEANS far with the CLINT of the turf turning spade,
Whilst whispering forests do shudder and shiver,
IA under their verdue and under their shodc
These Armies of Silence rch down the glade;
And the bosom of Night quakes with chilly aIarms,
Asi thrills to the clash OF the weird grounded
They camp the plain and the odorous herbs
Eniba I'm the pale host that their quiet disturbs,
Yet tretnblc iron, delicate petal to root
As they yield to the tramp of the Ike OF the mute
Here rises the breastwork there glistens the gun.
Tho sentinel spectre HE pace has 5egun,
And haely ~
height
He trcads in the star haunted castle of night.
There marches the picket thrown out his post,
And here. on its arms, sleeps the uniformed host;
Whilst there. in his silent and color drap ped tent,
Is Jackson, the leader, in prayer huInbly bent.
No cross in the zenith message conveys
or glory and conquest aud victory g bays
As of old blazed aloft in the heavens serene,
Asa signal of cheer to the bold Constantine
Still. true to the colors so hopefully Haunted,
Though sla in still unconquercd. though dead still
undauuted.
They march and they countermarch, form and dc.
ploy,
In ranks that Deaths fat hath failed to destroy;
Whilst the banner of midnight it's azure unrolls
As a triumphal arch DER these lcgions OF souls
All silent and solemn and spectral and pale,
They throng Shenandoah's battle swept vale;
There ghostly the gunuers and ghostly the gune,
And spectral the charger that ridcrless runs
While shadowy ranks. drawn in full line of tt!c
Wait war songs of cannon, the musket'. death rat
tie.
Now, out of the stiffness around and around
The shostly artillery wheels DER the grounds;
There 10 ranging of troopers, tho marsha ling of
boats.
"A the grandly invincible army OF ghosts.
Then the bullets weird whistle, the scattering shot,
And Battles big heart beating heavy and hot
a Wi hoftb a1ra tbatb ,,,o
The merciful smoke overshadowing all,
But. 10 in the east float the pennons of Dawn.
Tho war flags are fu.led and the swords are I'M
drawn;
The battle unfought and the orders unbrcathed
The cannon unmoun ted, the sa5rcs a III shea thed
Across the green valley with bloom bordered meal
Now sweeps like the gale the weird army of shad-
And fair Shenandoah reopens her graves
To welcome her warriors, TO shelter her brnves
Aye. ghostly the banner and ghostl7 the tramp
And ghostIy the battle and ghosty the camp
And spectral the dreams that they drca mpt of their
glory,
Which lives but in ashes. a blood written story.
fa'r Vale of Virginia! green, green must thou
blossom!
For vaior and chivalry sleep in thy BOSOM
And noble the brows that there slumbcrjsp low
Were destined no laurels triumoh to- know
BACK to the dust they have given their duet
ner cause like their bincs cloudcd with rust
I Ct a ma 10 about thy brave heroes is set
which even their ioce would be In:h To forsct
what ioiter NEED would thy green valley CHIN.
Than Jackson's and Ashby "a immaculate Game,
Ana "hat unta rnished iustre thy sodicrIy Lee,
In life md in death hath tcqucat he'd unto thee
These Irvine like the bays on vic torious hyows
Around thy dead dreams and thy den tn hro,.
vows
IT,
Ihe'r venom with an undying glory surrounds
Inc pa ths oil thy ruin. thy lost tile. grounds
And sheds round the gloom OF thy woe ga ndalcd
feet.
a sPiendor that gids cen the pail of defeat
'rginias proud mothers, weep not for your sons
Oh! maidens, mourn not for your Chivalrous ones,
For, down through tho echoing aisles of the ages
From yet coming poets md yet coming sascs
: The laurel shall twnc with each unsulIicd name
heir glories ring out from the trumpcts of fame
And proud generations yet coming shaII give
: This need to thy heroes-"Thoush fallen. they
- live.''
Z =: paEey Of The Shenandoah, august, 1871.
.. ENLoUR'-we shs II keep On hand Messrs Lceg
- 20 atss' aud Mrssrs McCurdy Co "a several
: grades of FiOurin bags or barrcls-at tho same
8 PrIeesiheys arc sold at their miIa.
sFe636, 1872 KEARSLEY s SHEERER
E$VTELVETEEN.--We have iust received BIaek