Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-06-07
FIRST EDITION.
DIR Holmes POpIsl,


AZ ''She saw it from the Belfry," gives its prn-
cipal interest to handsomely printed and illus
trated pamphlet issued on Saturday, by ]. Il.
Osgood Il Co., and called "Memorial of Bunk
or Iiill." 1t il ballad OF thirty seven stanzas
grandmother is represented AZ narrating to
her grand. children her remembrance OF the bat
tie, which as young woman she saw from a
Boston steeplo, into which sho and others had
followed an old corporal, friend whom she
met in the street. having left her grandmother
to go into the street to find out what the cannon
aiding meant The poom begins with these
stanzas -
Tls like stirring living tmbers when, at eighty,
one remembers
All the achngs and the quaklngs of "the times that
tried mems souls;
When talk Of Rhig and Tory, when tell the Rebel
story,
To you the words are ashes but to me they're
burning Goals.
had heard the muskets' rattle Of tha April run
Lord perey's hunted soldiers, can see their red
But deadly chill comes DER me. as the day looms
When a thousand men lay bleeding on the slopes
of Dunker's Bill.
Twas peaceful summers morning, when the first
thing gave us warning
Was the booming of the cannon from the river and
the shore
"Child," says grandma, "whats the matter, what
is all this noise and clatter :?
Have those scapng Indian devils come to murder
us once more?"
Poor Old soul my sides were shaking In tue midst
of all nv qnlkng,
To hear her talk OF Indians when the guns began to
roar
She had the burning vlllige and the slaughter
When the Molawks Killed her father with their
bullets through his door.
Then said, "Now, dear old granny, don't you fret
and worry any,
For III soon come back and tell you whether this
There can't he mischief Ia 1t, SO wont be gone a
minute -
For minute then started. was gone the live
long day.
She describes the first assault and repulse and
the confidence the womon in the belfry felt that
the battle was done,a confidence that was turned
to doubt by "the grim old soldiers smile, who
would only reply to their anxious questioning,
wait while" Then came the second at
tack -
They are marching stern and solemn we can sc G
each massive column
AS they near the naked eartl-mound with the
slanting wall so steep.
Have our soldiers got faintheared, and In nOseesH
haste departed?
Are they panc-struck and helpless Are they
palsied or asleep2,
Now the walls they're almost under! scarce a
rod the foes asunder
Not q ilrelock flashed against them Up the earth
work they Will swarm
But the words have scarce been spoken, when the
oinlnous ca m Is broken,
And believing crash has emptied all the ven
geancc OF the storm!
So again, with murlerous slaughter, pelted back
wards to the water,
Fly PigOts running heroes and the frightened
braves OF Howe;
And We shout, ' AT last they're done for, It's their
barges they have run for;
They are beaten, beaten, beaten AMI the battles
over now ~
And we looked, poor timid creatures, on the rough
old soldiers features
our Ups AFRAID TO question, but he knew what we
mot sure,n he said keep quet.--oncc more
guess they'll try it
Here's damnation to tho cut-throats !"--then he
handed me his ilask,
Saying '.3al, you're looking shaky; have drop OF
old JamaiHy:
I'm afeard there'il be more trouble afore the job
i5 done.'
SO took one scorching swallow dreadful faint
felt and hollow,
Standing there from early morning, when the FIR
ing was begun.
She watched tho fight to the end, however,
and the sequel in her own experience is thus
1t has all been told and painted as for me they
And the wooden-legged old corporal stumped with
me down the stair.
When woke from dreams afrlghted the evening
lamps were lighted
ON the door a youth was lying his bleeding breast
was bare,
And / heard through all the Hurry, I" Send for
WARREN hurry hurry!
Tell him here's a soldier bleeding, and he'll come
All, we knew not TIL the morrow told its tale of
How the starlight found him stlfened on the dark
and bloody ground.
Who the youth was, what his name was, where the
place from which he came was,
VINO had brought him from the battle, and had left
him at our door,
lie could not speak TO tell us; but twas one OF our
brave fellows,
As the homespun plainly showed us which the
dying soldier wore.
For they all thought he was dying as they gathered
round him crying
"What ipal his mother do?"
Then his eyelids just uncl0sing like chd's that
He family murInurej "Mother ."--and-I saw
his eyes were blue.
-"Why grandma, how you're winking !'-Ah, my
child, 1t sets me thinking
or story not like this one. Well, he somehow
lived along;
SO we came to know each other, AMI nutsed MIN
like a-fnOt er,
Till ut last he stood before me, tall, anu rosy
checked, and strong.
End we sometimes walked together In the pleasant
summer weather;
-"Please to tell us what his name was?"-Just
your own my little DEAR -
There's his picture Copleys painted we became 80
well acquainted,
That-in short, that's why I'm grandma, and you
children all are here y!
This little pamphlet contains besides DIR
Holmes poem, a concise historical account of
battle, by James M. Bugbee and the lines en-
titled ''The Crossed Swords" by the Rev. Dr.
N. L. rockingham, taken from Ticknors "Life
Of w. H. Prescott" The brochure is liberally
illustrated with maps, and original sketches by
Harry Stephenson reproduced by the heliotype
process.
Marsh Giddings, Governor of New Mexico,
died at Santa Fe, on Thursday, aged Gl.
oh baOo nm