Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-06-13
rHE BATTLE or BUNKER HILL.

From the Bunker Hi Memorial
The following poem, by DR.. Oliver
Wendell Holmes, is taken from the
Bunker Hill Memorial, sn admirably
attractive, illustrated brochure, to be
Issued this week, by James r. OsgoOd q
Co, Of b -ston.
GRAGDMOTUERs STORY or BUNKER
HILL BATTLE, As SHE SAW 1T FROM
TdE BELFRl.
It's ike stirring living enters, when, al
eighty, one remembers
All ihs aching and she guakiug Of 1.-The times
that tried mems -ouis;
When ! talk Of Wing and TORI, when / tell
the Rtbst story,
To you The words are ashos, hui TO me they re
burning cUals.
had heard the muskcts rattle Of the April
RAINING battle;
Lord Percy hunted soldiers, can see their
But a deadly chill comes DER me, as the day
looms up before me,
When "a thousand men laY bleeding on the
slopes OF Bunker Hin.
Twas peaceful Summers morning, when
the first tning 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 clattsr"
Have those sCalplng Indian devils come TO
murder Us once mOre?"
Poor Old soul! my sides were shaking in the
midst Of all my guaking,
To hear her talk OF Indians when the guns
began 10 roar
She had seen the burning viIlgge, and the
slaughter and the piilage,
When the Mobawks klued 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
Cd. s. VTf.r p mr. .Is
There can't be mischief in 81, 50 I won't be
gone a minute
For minute then I started. I was gone the
hye-long day.
No time for bodice-lacing or for Iooking-glass
grimaciug;
Down my hair went as / hurried, tumbling
halfway 10 my heels;
God forbid your ever knowing, when there s
blood around her flowing,
How the lonely, helpless daughter Of quiet
household feels.
In the street heard humping; and knew
OF the corporal, our Old neighbor, on that
wooden leg be wore,
With a knot of ribbon round limit was
lucky had found him
50 followed with the others, and the cOrpO-
raj marched before.
They were making for the steeple,-the old
soldier and his people;
The pigeons circled round US as we climbed
the cTeaktng stair.
J Ist across the narrow rlyer-Oh, so close 1t
made me shlVCTi
Stood a fortress on the hilltop that but yes
terday was bare.
Not slow our eyes 10 find it; 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, lOOkiD &
wild upon each other,
And their lips were white WithiteTTOr as they
said, The HOUR HAS COME!
The morning slowly wasted, nota morsel had
we tasted.
And our heads were almost splitting with the
cannOnS' C'afening thrill,
When a figure talIs and stately round the
Tampal So. ole sedaLely;
Il was PRESC gET, one since told me, he COM
mandeu on the hill.
Every woman's heart grew bigger when we
saw his manly figure,
With the banyan bucKled round IL, standing
up so straight and tall;
Like g gentleman Of leisure who is strOlling
Out1oT pleasure,
Through the storm Of shells and cannon. shot
he walked around the wall.
At eleven the streets were swarming, for the
Ted-cOats ranks were forming;
At noon in matching order they were moy-
ing 10 the piers;
How the bayOnets cleaned and glIstened, as
we looked far down and listened
To the trampling and the drum beat of the
belted grenadiers,
At length the men have started, with cheer
ut seemed f8iut-hearted),
In theirscarlet regimentalS, with their KNAPP
sacks on their backs,
And the reddeniug, ripping water, ss after a
ssa-hgbt's 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
At last they're moving, marching, marching
proudly up the hill.
We can see the bright steel glancing all along
the lines advancing
Nov the front rank fires vOlley-they have
thrown away their shot;
For behind their eaIthwOTk 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 tlpPle)-
He mad heard the bullets whistle in the old
French war before
Ca ont in worlds Of jeering, just as if they
all were hearing
And his wooden leg thumps fercely on the
belfTy fioor:-
"Oh! IRE away, ye Williams, and earn King
Georges shillin's,
But yen waste ton Of powder before a rebel
falls;
You may Bang the dirt and welcome, they're
as safe as DanI Malcolm
Ten foot beneath the graVestone that you've
splintered with your balls"
In the hush Of expectation, in the awe and
trepda ion
OF the dread approaching moment, we are
well nign breathless all:
Though the rotten bars are falling on the
Tickety belfry railing,
We are crowding up against them like the
waves against wall.
Just a glimpse Cthe air Is clearer), they are
neutrality-suspicious.
When fiash-a curling smoke wreath-then
a crash-the steeple shakes
The deadly truce is ended; the tempest's
shrOud is rended;
Like a morning mist il gathered, like q thun-
der-clOud II breaks.
Oh, the sight our eyes discover as the blue
black smoke blows overt
The red-cOatS are stretched-ln windows as q
mower IGkeS his hay;
Here scarlet heap is lying, there a headlong
crowd Is flying
Likea billow that has broken and is shivered
into spray.
Then we cried, "The troops are routed! They
are beat-it can't be doubted!
God be thanked, the fight is Over"'-Ah! the
grim old soldiers smile!
e Tell Us, tell US why you look sop 1--WE could
hardly speak, we shook sol
% Are they beaten? ATe they beaten? ARE
they Deaten?-"W ait Wblle.'
Oh, the trembling and the terror! for too soon
We saw our error:
They are batled, 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 turn their
belted breast again.
All at once, as we are gazing, 10 the roofs of
CnarleStOwn blazing!
They have fired the harmless village; in an
hour ii Will be down!
The Lord in heaven cOniOuud them, rain his
fire and birthstone round them
The roboing, 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-heaTted, and in
nOiScless haste departed?
Are they panic->truck and helpless? Are they
palsied or asleep?
Now! the walls they're almost under! scarce
a rod the toes aSunder!
Not a tirelOck flashed against them up the
earthVOTk they will swarm!
But the words have scarce been spoken, when
the Oml nous calm is broken,
And believing crash has emptied all the
vengeance OF the storm!
So again, with murdercus slaughter, pelted
backward TO the water,
IA u r.1ff p. Hr-unE 44. 81