The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-06-05
sTAUNTON. VIRGINIA. JUNE 5. 1879.
COVER THEM OVER.
BY WILL CARLETON.

Cover them over with beautiful flowers,
Deck them with garlands, those brothers OF ours,
Lying so silent by night and by day,
Sleeping the years OF their manhood away,
Years they had marked for the Joys Of the brave
Years they must waste in the mouldering grave.
All the bright laurels they waited to bloom,
Fell from their hopes when they fell to the tomb.
Give them the need they have Won in the past,
Give them the honors their futures forecast;
Give them the chaplets they won in the strife,
Give them the laures they lost with their life.
Cover them over-yes, cover them over
Parent, husband. brother and lover!
Crown in your hearts those dead heroes of ours,
And cover them over with beautiful flowers.
Cover the faces that motioness lie,
Shut from the blue of the glorious sky,
Faces once decked with the smiles Of the gay,
Faces now marked with the frown Of decay;
Eyes thatlooked friendship and love to your own
Lips that the thought Of affection made known,
Brows you have smoothed in the hour of distress,
Cheeks you have frightened by tender caress.
o ! how they cleaned at the nations first cry!
o. how they steamed when they bid you goodbye
o! how they cleaned in the battles fierce flame !
o how they plead when the death angel camel
Cover them over, oh cover them over,
Parent, husband, brother and lover,
And cover them over with beautiful flowers.
Cover their hands that are lying united,
Crossed on their bosom and low by their side;
Hands to you, mother, in infancy shown,
Hands by you, father, clasped close to your own,
Hands where you, sister, when tried and dismayed
Hung for protection, and counsel and aid;
Hands that you, brother, in royalty knew,
Hands that you, wife, wrung in bitter adieu;
Bravely the musket and sabre they bore,
Words of affection they wrote in their gore,
| Grandly they grasped in their garland Of light.
Catching the mantle of death-darked night
| Cover them over, oh cover them over,
Parent. husband brother and lover;
Crown in your hearts those heroes ofours,
| And cover them over with beautiful flowers.
Cover the feet that all weary and town,
| Hither by comrades are tenderly borne,
| Feet that have trodden the flowery ways,
| Close by your own in the old happy days;
Feet that have pressed in life's opening morn,
| Roses of pleasure and Deaths poisoned thorn
| Swiftly they rushed to the help Of the right
| Firmly they stood in the shock of the fight
Meier shall the enemy's hurrying tramp
Summon them from their death-guarded camp.
Meier till the bugle of Gabriers sound,
Will they come out their couch in the ground.
Cover them over yes, cover them over,
Parent, husband brother and lover!
Rough were the paths of those heroes of ours,
| Now cover them over with beautiful flowers
Cover the hearts that have beaten so high,
Beaten with hopes that were doomed but to die,
Hearts that have burned in the heat of the fray,
Hearts that have yearned for the homes away,
Hearts that beat high in the charges loud tramp,
Hearts that fell low in the prisons foul damp.
Once they were swelling with courage and Will,
Now they are lying all pulseless and still.
Once they were glowing with friendship and love;
Now their great souls have gone soaring above.
Bravely their blood to the nation they gave!
Then in her bosom they found them grave.
Cover them over, yes, cover them over!
Parent, husband, brother and lover,
Kiss in your hearts those dead heroes OF ours,
And cover them over with beautiful flowers
Cover the thousands who sleep far away,
Sleep where their friends cannot find them to-day,
They who in mountain and hillside and dell.
Rest where they wearied and lie where they fell
Softly the grass blades creep round their repose.
Sweetly above them the wild fowret blows,
zephyrs of freedom fly gently o'erhead,
Whispering prayers for the patriot dead
So in our mind We'll name them once more,
So in our hearts we'll cover them DER.
Roses and lilies and violets blue,
Bloom in our souls for the brave ard the true.
Cover them over, yes, cover them over,
Parent, husband brother and lover;
Think of those far away heroes of ours,
And cover them over with beautiful flowers.
When the long years have rolled slowly away.
Fen to the dawn OF earths funeral day,
When the archangel's trumpet and tread,
Rise up the faces and forms of the dead,
When the great world its last judgment awaits,
When the blue sky shall swing open its gates,
And our large columns march silently through
Past the Great Captain for the final review,
Then for the blood that flowed for the right.
Crowns shall spring upward untarnished and
bright.
Then the glad ears of each war-martyred son
Proudly shall hear the good tidings 'well DONE -
Blessings for garlands shall cover them over,
Parent and husband and brother ana lover,
God will reward those dead heroes of ours,
And cover them over with beautiful flowers