Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1873-05-30
DECORATION DAY.
BY MAJOR THEo. J. EcKERsoN, L. $. AR

/ Coed friend. for me and you! 6aihi1f
Yes, sir, I'm the Superintendent, walk in,
! please. and have a chair vi -5-s.sV
There's heavy fog this morning, and it sort o
But the sun is breaking through it, and reckon
| we may say aniiEa ~ -
That we're going to have beauty this thrtieth
The ,Lodge7-why. yes, it's cosy and cemforta,
| bic enough go g-.frid.rL f-r,. ,ifsl.
| takin' it rough; rssz rT.g. .ftI
And the Quartcrmastcr. General docs all that
To fix us-and why wouldn't he2 the war cost
| him sonE .rFIgutT96 m !, '-''-f
My pet Army? Yes, Lord bless you! why,
/ here they lie in rows, rv<f -f.a ..-r'r
And know each soldiers name by heart, as far
as naming goes
That dozen rows out yonder where you sec that
Is the left flank Of my army-the brigade of The
"Unknoacn Pr p, AVA -5.,.r = .f-..r.
But they'll get their share of flowers in the
strcwing of to-day, 10
And you IL see some wet cyelasheS there this
thirtieth of May; .saen bae assa $500
Forth Q Mon heart claims all of them on this
proud day of ours, s7 y T7di7 b1t .3sGifEE
And it doesn't take fancy name to fetch the
tears and flowers
Long service ? Well, I've had my share, and
forty yeaes ago. .srsiaH mon
| hunted in the everglades to catch the Indian
foe; -s9pi1Q e tEf $500 tta-'
1 fough at Okee-cho.bee in old Trough and
Ready's" band,
And tramped five long and weary years through
Floridas' burning sand.
On the field of Paio' Alto, at Rosaca, too I
fought,
Where the loss of noble fellows made our vic.
tories dearly bought; tbes sni4n af
In .Taylor's ranks at Montery met Ampudia's
| crew, go gS-eiI - -i,---.f "a
Where the Third went in three hundred and
came out seventy-twoi US i7'asd1 ia .lA
Yes, Grant was thereon every field he met the
tawnyl foe, ..s5I
From the start at Palo Alto to the halt in Mex
And the. boys Of our brigade took heart, as to
the front they ran, s"fA la
At the words ofscheer that met them from that
young and gallant man.
They tell me he's not changed bit since he's
the nations head,
And know that he II not soon forget our ma.
TONS Union dead,
For read that last year in the storm the thir-
tieth day of May
He scattered flowers at Arlington on Decoration
Day. f-I4f.
Do find it lonesome2 Nos I sit for many
At the loot Of Chat old Gag .taff, when the moon
SHINING bright, ~ Il
And the wind is whistling hoarsely and the
rushing of the blast
Makes the halyards flap gay tattoo against the
towering mast
And my memory gathers round me all the COM
rades brave [ knew,
From Bull Run to Appomattox- reposng
Then l fall asleep and dream Of these my COM
rades with the dead
Till gaken with the chilliness and tattoo off !,
tieth day of May,
When meet the same good faces have seen |
here many day
Fathers mothers, sisters, brothers, Union
friends, who gladly come
To scatter springs bright flowers o'cr their lost
All! il makes mySold frame .tremble when I see
Sttl1e falling tear ~ ~%RsF~ @@8
From eyes that speak the love that brings the |
annual pilgrims here
And when some stricken mother vents her grief
in accents low,
Then Pm hurried back to childhood-ah, God |
that's long ago!
I'm looking forward, knowing that when I'm
dead and gone
Apd,in one Of these neat grassy rows they plant
II the usual stone,N s.ffEdF1 1875 =
Some true lover of the Union will, with kind |
and faithful hand,
Drop roses on the grave of one who fought to
save the land ~ a. Ig8fIE
Well, l see the crowd is coming so we'll step
out, if you please,
That's my bench, there in the shadow of those |
two. tallswillow trees %EERI8
There's my crutches-thank you kindly-you
may help me over the sill
Sir? my leg? oh, that lies buried at the foot of
Iahif s snl lit - L~--- n I'll