Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-08-09
NO. lS9.
"OLD WILEY"
By DAVID BARKER.

Read at the recent reunion of the Eleventh
Maine Regiment at Bansor.
who Cares in this crowd what Homer Gays
vi the Wa ring n.en in the ancient daysS
" Nat matters II now t. you or me
lhouSh he llad or ODYSSEY
MAY Ii If the me when rojan rse,
- Was tramped by the OF OF Il Grecian h rse,
though the epic song Of the bard NAV state
How Ach Hes iel at the Scaea an gate
But It sta1tle ii world that am come down
i . tell i u ma" fiom y La i've town.
VI "a man, ob cure, unkno = n and PLAIN,
But who once belonged 10 the lllh of Maine
Wh,n Slavery, pre- sed by F eed. m hard,
fireh up the heart of II Beaur gard
- And he Eagle scr, amed like u E. ream from hell;
When her shrek We, out DER vale AID crsg,
As she clung he dsath to the dear Id nag,
And tile fl It KIND look she got was one
From man named Roberl Ande, sou,
felt somehow and wrote and said,
That We had u b & old trouble ahead.
Wlh all NY ia I'll in Cod and such,
:, with 'ul my religlon and that want ml'h
MY Ia tn Wan't clear and II hope want light
l!l Dani Z. Wiley went into the fight.
They called him ''old Wiley" up there; I'm sure
I'll I, I'm eft used when our cloth. get poor
He laid the val and he ed the wood
FOR me and others In the nelgbboi ho d;
tie never could lecture and newer could speak
one word OF grammar and coul,i't read Greek,
though he dwelt in that old school house, ts true
Wa re the old road butts at the avenue
Through his leaky boots You could see his feet
| Az he toled To, his daily b cad to eat,
For MANY palm can never hold
The otdid dust that scraped from gold.
In ugh ne iel d the trees and now titled the lands
! IN his rawny arm n, d his horny hands,
| 1t neSe entered Il soldiers brain
| That Wiley would ever fght or train
And, never Z, ttlng draft or Call,
lie saved The wood and laid the wall.
One day to my village two men rode down.
i's, both came over from Stetsun town
and one was General Hill; believe
He hadn't on then that empty sleeve;
could've told them qui that he wouldn't yield
For one right arm on the Deep Kun field
Ard the other fellow with Hill, they say,
Was Ge eral PiaiAted. who talks To-oay.
This Wiley and were standing DER
die saving " ood) near my office doer,
As the men iroa stetson town rode by,
neighbOro q mine was standing nigh
W tn his traitor lips to the startled air
He bis s.d the flag that was floating there.
Like granite post old Wiley stood,
And his old saw dropped from the halfsawed
wood
Then lie hoisted the strap round his big broad hips
And he crumbIed the pipe meath his firm blue
lips:
And his burnt tanned face gave fendish emile
tnt n, yer word did he speak the WHILE,
Till he gloweled at the man hard by, aid when
lie taunted that Onion flag again,
Then his tortured nerves like a serpent coiled,
Aud these t ugh words from the old man boiled
Say he, "a i'll you hear hoW that derit Kissed
By J., 'Squi,e I'm going to enhstr
Though he $. III huge logs, he c. uldnr stand
! Tie thought oi rlit in his native land.
And he did enlist for the brave old soul
| " it'll his name Oh the gallant Plaisteu roll
| For the cast OF IA uie, iur a loss or gain,
With the gory-a ed old Ilth of Maine,
| For MOI tai fray with his kith and kind
Lett a dy ing wi eahd child behind
Marched out To he front, where he fought and bed
| And he anne back manned and now is dead.
Wit his folded arms he lies SO still
In n cola, sound sleep on the "Crowell HILL"
| | wish kn W il he felt the least
AS he Il 1t when our hers fl ig was Kissed;
For he siumbers there meath a beetling crag,
by The side of the who hissed the flag
As we go all pale with the boatmap DER
| In our final voyage to the other shore,
| Mid the ieai iul surge Of the rolling tide,
Sometimes you know,
That frIt nd and foe
| viii crouch anu cuadie down side by side.
| In that last review somea here beyond,
OF the woll 5 grand army train;
" hen the books aie read to an anxious throng
And they call for the llih Of Maine,
And the Judges come to Willtys case,
Loohi " ise and grim;
Unless by some strange farce they rout
And crush this llie's remembrance out,
| Or blot lho,e scenes OF warning strife
When batting 1. + IA nations life,
| mi from my soul wipe every trace
- love for country home and race
| Ii any part OF me is there,
In the face of every power, swear
| Ii " ley hnds no credit given
| Behind those lance.sheets in heaven,
| For nghll.g III the ilth OF Maine,
| And reaps ther, by no single gain,
Altho ph "a spirit-ce,ih II die,
| With loss Ot Immortality,
should hnd his case is going lard,
| I'll help the old man run the gu rd"
Ere the golden gate swings on him