The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-06-11
VOLUME 3.
Then we cried. .The troops are routed!

"Are they beaten? Are they beaten? ARE
they beaten?" s'Wait a while"
Oh, the trembling and the terror. FOR too
soon we saw our error;
They are bafiied. not defeated; we have
driven them back in vain;
And the columns that were scattered,
round the colors that were tattered,
Toward the sullen, silent fortress tnrned
their belted breasts again.
All at once, as we are gazing, 10, the roofs
of Charlestown blazing!
They have fired the harmless village; in
an hour it will be down.
The Lord in heaven confound them, rain
his FIRE and birthstone round them
The robbing, numbering red-coats, that
would burn 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 panic-struck and helpless? Are
they palsied or asleep?
Nowl the walls they're almost under!
scarce rod the foes asunder!
Not frelock flashed against them! up
the earthwork they will swarm!
But the words have scarce been spoken,
when the ominous calm is broken,
And believing crash has emptied all
the vengeance of the storml
So again, with murderous slaughter, pelt-
ed backwards to the water,
Fly Pigot's running heroes and the fright
ened braves of Howe;
And We shout, "At last they're done for,
it's their barges they have run for;
They're beaten, beaten, beaten; and the
battles over now?"
And we looked, poor timid creatures, on
the rough old soldiers features,
Our lips afraid to question, but he knew
what we would ask:
mot sure" he said; keep quiet-once
more, guess they'll try it
Here's damnation to the cut-throats"-
then he handed ME his flask,
Saying, "Gal, you're looking shaky; have
drop of old Jamaiky;
Pm afeard there'll be more trouble afore
the job is done;"
So took one scorching swallow; dread
full faint felt and hollow,
Standing there from early morning when
the firing was begun.
All through those hours of trial / had
watched calm clock dial,
As the hands kept creeping, creeping
they were creeping round to four,
When the old man said, They're forming
with their bagonets fixed for storming;
It's the death-grip that's coming-they
will try the works once more"
With brazen trumpets blaring, the flames
behind them glaring,
4ue ueduIy WIFI pSIOIS IncLt, III CieSe dE
ray they come;
Still onward, upward toiling, like a dra-
gon's fold uncoiling-
Like the mathematics shlill warning the
reverberating drum!
Over heaps all torn and gory-shall ]
tell the fearful story,
How they surged above the breastwOrk,
as a sea breaks over deck;
How driven, yet scarce defeated, our
worn-out men retreated,
With their powder-horns all emptied,
like the swimmers from a wreck?
1t has all been told and painted; as for
me, they say l tainted,
And the wooden-legged old Corporal
stumped with me down the stair.
And when l woke from dreams alright
ed the evening lamps were lighted
On the floor a youth was lying; his
bleeding breast was bare.
And I heard through all the furry
Send for Warrenl hurry! hurry!
Tell him here's soldier bleeding, and
he'll come and dress his wound"
All, we knew not till the morrow told it;
tale of death and sorrow,
How the starlight found him stiffenet
on the dark and bloody ground.
Who the youth was, what his name was
where the place from which he came
was,
Who had brought him from the battle
and had left him at our door,
He could not speak to tell us; but t'wa
one of our brave fellows,
AS the homespun plainly showed u
which the dying soldier wore
For they all thought he was dying, a
they gathered round him crying
And they said "Oh how they'll mis-
himp and, "what will his mother do?
Then, his eyelids Just unclosing like
| child that has been doing,
He family murmured, "Mother!"-an,
i saw his eyes were blue.
why grandma. how you're winkingl
and my child, it sets me thinking
Of a story not like this one. Well, h
somehow lived along;
So we came to know each other, and
nursed him like another,
TIL, at last he stood before me, tall an
rosy-cheeked, and strong.
And we something's walked together i
the pleasant summer weather;
--"Please to tell us what his name was?
I Just your own, my little DEAR
There's his picture Copley painted; "
became so well acquainted,
That--in short, that's why I'm grandm
and you children all are hereI
THE GRAssHoPPERs FoRTY-EIGH
e YEARS AGo.-In the year of our Lor
1927, forty-eight years ago, the gras
e hoppers came to Lower Canada
clouds, and literally ate up everythin