The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-06-09
Ths 8utland Daily Globe.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 1875.
TILE BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL.
Memorial Poem by Oliver Wendell Holme

GRANDMOTHER STORY OF BUNKER HILL
BATTLE:
AS SHE SAW IT FROM THE BELrRY.
IT'S like stirring living embers, when,a eighty,
one remembers
All the achings and the quakings OF "the times
that tried mems souls :"
When talk OF Wing 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 the April
running battle
Lord Pcrcy's hunted soldiers, can see their
red coats still
But deadly chill comes DER me, as the day
looms up before me,
When a thousand men lay bleeding on the
slopes OF Bunkers Hill.
Twas a 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, "what's the matter,
what is all this noise and clatter?
Have those scalping Indian devils come to muir
der us once more 2"
Poor old soul my sides were shaking in the
midst OF all my quakng.
To hear her talk OF Indians when the guns be-
She had seen the burning village, and the
slaughter and the plllage,
When the Mohawks killed her father with their
bullets through his door.
Then said, NOW, dear Ole granny, DO MT you
For I'll soon come back and tell you whether
this is work or play;
There can't be mischief in 1t. so won't be gone
For a minute then started, was gone the live
long day.
No time for bodice lacing or for looking glass
grimacing;
Down my hair went as hurried, tumbllng half
way to my heels
God forbid YOU knowing. when there's
blood around her flowing,
How the lonely, helpless daughter of quiet
household feels
In the street heard q humping and l knew
1t was the stamping
or the Corporal, our old neighbor, on that
wooden leg he wore
With knot OF women round limit was lucky
had found him,
SO followed with the others, and the Corporal
marched BEFORE
They were making for the steeple, the old So.
dler and his people
The pigeons crcled round US as we climbed the
creaking stair.
Just across the narrow rlver-Oh, so close 1t
made me SILVER!
Stood a fortress on the hilltop that but yester-
day was bare.
Not slow our eyes to lind 1t; well we knew who
stood behind 1t.
Though the earth-work hid them from US, and
the stubborn walls were dumb:
Here were sister, wife and mother, looking
wild upon each other.
And their lips were white with terror as they
said, THE HOUR HAS COME!
The morning slowly wasted, not morsel had
we tasted,
And our heads were almost splitting with the
cannons deafening thrill,
When figure tail and stately round the ram
part STROBE sedately;
1t was Prescott, one since told me he COM
manded on the hill
Every wo p, heart grew blggerwhen we saw
With the banyan Duckled round 1t, standing up
so straight and tall
Like gentleman OF leisure who is strolling out
Through the STORM of shells and cannon-shot
he walked around the wall.
At eleven the streets were swarming, for the
red-coatS' ranks were forming
AL noon In marching order they were moving
TO the piers;
How the oayonets CLEANED and glistened, as
- we looked far down and listened
10 the rampling and the drum-beat of the
belted grenadiers.
At length the men have started, with a cheer
ct seemed faint-hearted),
In their scarlet regmentals, with their KNAPP
sacks on their backs,
And the reddening, ripping water, as after
sea-fghts slaughter,
Round the barges gliding onward blushed like
blood along their tracks,
SO they crossed to the other border, and again
they formed In order;
And the boats came back for soldiers came for
soldiers, soldiers still
The time seemed everlasting to US women faint
and fasting
At last they're moving, marching marching
proudly up the hill.
We can see the bright steel glancng all along
the lines advancing
Now the front rank fires a volley-they have
thrown away their shot
For behind their earthwork lying, all the balls
above them flying,
Our people need not hurry so they wait and
answer not.
Then the corporal, our old cripple, (he would
swear sometimes and tipple)-
He had heard the bullets whistle lin the old
French war; before
And his wooden leg thumps flercely on the
dusty belfry floor -
ooh! fire away, We villains, and earn King
Georges shillins,
But yen waste a ton or powder before rebel
falls;
You may bang the dirt and welcome. they're
as safe as Dan'l Malcolm
Ten foot beneath the gravestone that you've
splintered with your balls -
In the hush OF expectation, in the awe and ire
or the dread approaching moment, we are we'll
nigh GREATNESS ali;
Though the rotten bars are failing on the
TlCktty DtlIry railing,
We are crowding up against them like waves
against a wall
Just glimpse (the air is clearer, they are
observation-disclosures,
When fiash-a curling smoke wreath-then a
crash the steeple shakes
The deadly truce Is ended the tempest'S
shr0ud Is rended
Like morning mist 1t gathered, like thunder
cloud 1t breaks
Oh, the sight our eyes discover as the blue
black smoke blows over
The red-coats stretched In windrows as mower
Here scarlet neapis lying, there headlong
crowd is flying
into spray.
Then we cried, ".The troops are routed They
are beat 1t can't be doubted
God be thanked, the fight is over !-Ah the
grim old soldiers smile
"Tell us, tell us why you look so !" 1--WE could
hardly speak, we shook SOY
"Are they beaten? Are they beaten7 ARE
i..- they beaten 7"--"Wait WHILE"
Oh, the trembling and the terror for too soon
we saw our error;
They are bafied, not defeated we have driven
them back In vain;
And the columns that were scattered, round
tho colors that were tattered,
Toward the sullen silent fortress turned their
beited breasts again.
All at once, as we are gazing, 10 the roofs OF
Charlestown blazing
They have fired the harmless village in an
hour 1t will be down
The Lord In heaven confound them, rain his
fre and birthstone round them,-
The robbing, numbering red-coats that would
burn II peaceful town
They are marching, stern and solemn ; we can
see each massive column,
AS they near the naked earth-mound with the
slanting walls so steep.
Have our soldiers got faint-hearted and In
noiseless haste departed?
Are they panlc-struck and helpless? Are they
palsied or asleep?
Now the walls they're almost under scarce
rod the foes asunder
Not q nrelock flashed against them up the
earthwork they Will swarm
But the words have scarce been spoken, when