Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-05-03
THE CAPTAINS Drum
LEaaela. conneeticut. Aprll. IA.

[Eafeid Connecticta, april, r775.l
In Pilgrim land, one Sabbath day,
The winter lay like sheep about
The ragged pastures MULLEN gray;
The April sun ehonc in and out
The showers swept by in fittul iOcks,
And caves tioked fast like mantel clocks;
And nov and then a wealthy cloud
Would wear a ribbon broad and bright,
And now and then winged crowd
OF shiverinR azure flash in sight.
30 rainbOws bend and bluebirds fly
And violets show their bits of sky.
To Enfield church throng all the town,
In quilted hood and bombazine,
In beaver hat with tiaring crown,
And quaint vandyke and yictorine;
And buttoned boys in roundabout
From calyx cOllars blossom out;
Bandanas wave their feeble Ere.
And foot-stoves tinkle up the aisle;
A gray-haired elder leads the choir,
And girls in linsey-woOlsey smile.
80 back to life the beings glide
Whose very graves havsebbed and died.
One hundred years have waned, and yet
We call the roll. and not in vain,
For one whose flint-l0ck musket set
The echoes wild round Fort Duquesne,
And smelled the battles powder smoke
Ere Revolutions thuuders woke.
I,o, Thomas Able answers: Herer'
Within the dull long-mcter place.
That day, upon the parsons ear,
And trampling down his words of grace,
A horaemAns gallop rudely beat
Along the splashed and empty street.
The rider drew his dripping rein.
And then letter, wasp-nest gray,
That ran; The Concord's minute, men
And red-coats had fight tO-dayl
To Capt. Able this with speed
Twelve little words to tell the deed.
The Captain read struck out for home
The old quickstep of battle born.
Slung on once more n battered drum
That bore painted unicorn.
Then right about, as whirls torch,
He stood before the sacred porch.
And then n murmuring of bees
Broke in upon the house of prayer;
And then wind-song swept the trees,
And then a snarl from wOlhsh lair;
And then charge of grenadiers,
And then flight of drum-beat cheers.
So drum and doctrine rudely blent
The easements ratified strange accord;
No mortal knew what either meant;
Twas double-drag and Holy Word,
Thus saith the drum, and thus the Lord.
The Captain raised 80 wild rout
he drummed the congregation out.
The people gathered round amazed;
The soldier barred his head and spoke,
And every sentence burned and blazed,
As trellchant as a Baber stroke:
. 'Tis time to pick the flint to-day,
To sling the kuapsack and awayl
" The green of Lexington is red
With British red-cOats, brothers bloodl
In rightful cause the earliest dead
Are always best beloved by God.
Mark timel Now let the march beginl
All bound for Boston fall right inr'
Then rub-a-dub the drum Jared on,
The thrObbing roll of battle beat;
N N my MI H..
They rhymed the tune with heart and feet.
And so they made Sabbath march
To glory meath the elm-tree arch.
The Continental line unweund
Along the churchyard's breathless sod,
And hOlier grew the hallowed ground
Where Virtue slept and Nalor trod.
Two hundred strong that April day
They rallied outapd marched away.
Brigaded there at Bunker Hill.
Their names are writ on Glory's paue.
The brave old Captains Sunday drill
Has drummed les way across the age.
BENZ. r. Taylor, IN Nay 1tldnttc.