The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1878-12-12
Our Last w ar.

For years our beautious land was bsthed Ia peace,
1t grew In strength aud pushed afar its borders.
Its commerce nllsd the seas; and its bright.aAg,
Unfurlsd to every bteeze.iu every cline
Was the astonisnment Of older lands.
Alas! Upon that bright escutoheon grew
A cloud which darkened all its stars, and turned
Its stripes to streams Of blood. in prophecy.
This cloud, which held suIphurous bolts OF death,
Was soon TO burst upon the land. and drive
swest peaoe sw.y-.eavi1is /. s!a:xeas {. SCARED,
And desolste TIE cunsR OF SLAVERY.
Tho bitter heritage II greed ss6 gain
Which our forefathers kindly loft to ~.
The southron's heart wss proud, his lash vas keen
He would not lot Gods people go, until
The sweet South land was dyed in blood and tears,
And wars rude chariot wheels has crushed h!s
pride,
And lowed him down to want, and woe, aud famine,
Alas that wars should ever come! That LOVES
Sweet Offering must lie on sacrahcsl
Affairs, ere Gods Justice be appeased,
But ever 90. TAs dewy eyes Of flowers
That spring from graves bespeak the birth Of pesco
In tend'rest lines of crimson gold and blue,
An sngel still With flaming sword keeps closed
The gates of Paradise where Reason reigns
And wars mus! right tho WRONGS sh ich EFisvs
our aed,
o, for the thousand blessed years Of peacsi
5net every heart cry out "Amen."
NE timo, Gods time, had came to rebsbtizo
Our land. That innnts good begotten in tears,
And WOO and blood, be borne through hearts all cur
land,
To blight the light of many happy hor1es-
Whore wifes would watch for steps that never come
k,,J, I, ~to &N,o 80 1n>kh
Perchance to meet with desdened hearts the Of
widowhood, and childrens orphansee;
And sged mothers gave their sons to Wnrs
And lean on God alone; and maidsns 500
Their heroes march away to carnsge, death,
Or worse than death, imprisonment.
when Jsts decreed the ring cloud should burst
White faced men and women, with hands upon
Their hearts, stood still with bat Cd breath and lis
tened
To hear its thunderings nrst .. sumptcrs gatss,
where Doubleday Hall, loyal and true,
In close blockade controlled their hungry men,
On one swes Sabbath morn in after months
When these same men spread their white tents
benesth
The chestnut trees that shaded our sweet home,
Aad brought the very guns that thundered there,
War psnoplied, into m, fathers field,
Crushing the crimson clover heads beneath
Their wheels, and opening wide their gaping mouth
Upon the sweet virginia hills, that slopsd
In besutsous undulations down to kiss
Potomsos wAses, and they gussts to sat round
Our loyal board. heard the tsls Of sumpter.
How, whom their scanty rauons oil consumed.
TIE r.on s,;l, FED tho canron's mouths with balls,
And biazed away at those who'd desecrsts
The has the FREE OLD nag, Amid the heat
The dust aud thunderlngs they toiled unmoved.
Until exhausted hands could do no more.
Fen then tho officers command to them,
"HAu down the dag" must thrice be sts-nly given
Ere those old veterans lowered the stars and stripes
And wept like children. Their bearded faces burned
And gr,lnsd with powder, snd washed with salt Of
tears, ta.
They stood and talked Of vengeance, yet to fall up
ON tueir foes.
When 6umpter lowered the Gag, men rush'd 70 ss.na
In al the States was heard the cry Of war.
Then history came fast. We remember
The bitter years that followed, laying waste
Our sorrow1ng country's beautious lands and
homes,
Fen yet their bitterness and psngs psrchsnos
Lark like posnosd arrows In msny hesrts,
AL DER our lands are soldiers lonely graves
And for each grave IN empty, broken heart.
"somsbodys darling lies buried there, you know.
Tis needless TO repeat the long, long List
OF charges. failurs, rsversee ssd
That followed this attack on sumpter's walls.
Issh one who lived through thoss dark bloody year
Knows oil too well, and sweet faced children nov
| May rssA the scrolls that history unrell,
Throughout the wsr lived upon the borders,
And though my life was young, soos vas brought
To know the sternsss Of the God Of war.
| Perhsps little sketch Of incidents
OF those old days, OF random strung IKE beds
Upon knotted string, might please you, here
Dwelling upon these ~crdrors rcs!c.s Wild,
| That nj their broad expsnses mako me think
OF things eternal, infinite: yes 20
Unlksthe hills Of my oHn Maryland.
Throughout the fou, long years the hiils aeonut
Our hutas wsrs whi:s With tsats, snd hugo moaths
And brjstlsg beyonets ON every eide
wsrs est; and cur swsst wales resounded Win
The tramp Of soider,, snd beat of druaas.
xa5 sssss I'll. ws.S ;scss sessss
~ N~..1