Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-03-06
BY PAUL NJ. RUSSELL.

The lightning flashed across the heaven, the dis
taEt thunder rolled
And. swayed by gusts of angry wind, the far.
of church bell toled;
The blilOwS crashed against the rocks that kjs.
| the oceans foam.
| And eager pilots trimmed their sails and turn
ed their ski1fs for home,
AS darkness fell across the earth, and we wer,
gathered round,
Our blazing hearth, and listening to the storm.
terrific sound,
We all looked up to Uncle Tom, who sat beside
the fire,
A-dreaming of the by gone day. and Of disasts,
| dire;
For mem Try brought him back again to times o.
darkest woe,
When strong in maud and light in heart he tough
He often spoke of 'ie-the tight on NJ. xlc plain
How Buena Vista heights were reached while
bullets fell like rain;
How Shields had gained Chapultepec. how San
ta Anna fed;
Aud how the sisters labored, even where the
And oft he spoke of later times, but al ways with
aslgh,
When south and north rose up en- masse to fight
Tor cause or die.
And as Beside the fire he sat, and piped his
meerchaum well,
We asked, to pass the time away, that he tale
would tell
he paused a moment; then lie laid his good old
pipe aside,
And said. "I'l tell you, boys, tonight how
stonewail Jackson died.
ave We're retreating from the foe, for Freder-
lcksburg was lost,
And on our flank still threatening, appeared
the Union host
Down by the Rappuhannock in our dismal fonts
And the lsitest heart was heavy with our grave
defeat thai day;
For IT'S better for soldier ike Montgomery to
die,
Than TO see his comrades from hated foemau
Bat rsverses often come upon defenders of the
right,
And Justice seld. IN conquers, boys, when ma
lions so 10 fight.
With heav, hearts we lay US down, but, mind
you. not 10 sleep,
Nor. ul.i turn aside 10 sigh or turn oside tn
Weep
But as We ponder-d o'er our grlefs IL sudden
moan heard,
Far louder than the willows moan when bv
the wind 'iis stirred.
Il woke the camp IRON revrrie-it woke the
CAMP 20 fear;
And louter, louder grew the vail, most dread
lui Ia n to near
And ne:ier came the weeping crowd and some
thing sun and still
Was hornei WI knew not what it WAS, but lol-
low led with viii.
1t last within our generals tent the precious
And taen pslld soldier turned unto IL. all.
and said: '
I'VE Thought 1t hard, my comrades brave. to
lose the field To-day,
But Ealder VIII our labor be to struggle in the
Tray;
For lie i. gone, our gallant chief who copId our
hopes restore,
And reut and ruin is our fate since Stonewuu
Isno more.''
l cannot tell you how we felt or how we acted
then,
For words are weak to tell a tale when grief has
mastered men;
But this | know, | pulled the cloth from or
brave JAckSoh's face,
And almost jumped for JOY to see hln gaze
arount the place.
But, boys, it was a hseting dream-a vacan t
stare he cast:
lie d!a not zee the canvas shaken by the sudden
blast;
de did not see us weeping as we staunched the
flowing blood "
But again. in battle lighting. he was where the
loeman stood.
'Order Central Hill to acton,'' loud he cried
as he was wont;
And then he quickly added: Bring infantry to
the 'front.'
And as he saw the corps pass by him-as it were
in duty's call,
Suddenly he shouted: Drive them-cbarge
them-one and all. -
Then he turned aside, and smiling said with
voice OF one at ease
Let US ersss the foaming river; let us rest be-
Meath the trees.'
Then We waited, boys, and watched him but
no other word he said
For adown the foamIug river had oar leaders,
spirit sped.''
Jackson Is last words were: s'Let us eros,
over the river and rest under the shade of the
trees