The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1882-03-03
puetical.
THE FUNERAL OF LEE.

Through yonder shaded, silent streets, see slowly
wind along
With dropping head and softened tread melau-
choly throng
No bugle sounds its warike note, they raise NO
battle cry;
No cannon from its brazen throat now bids them
The fierce delight that warriors feel amid the
deadly fray,
Nor Kissing ball, nor clashing steel, shall thrill
their hearts to-day.
Fun oft they rushed upon the foe, oft flashed their
swords on high,
With battle light in mad'nlng fight oft cleaned
each glowing eye.
Their useless swords are rusted now, DOTTED is the
Nor aught of wars proud pageantly appears in
their array;
But oft-reeurring waves of grief sweep like a
Der each brave breast that erst has pressed to
victory with Lee;
Ana every face in sorrow clad, each heart attuned
To lay the hero-saint to rest with solemn step
they go.
With rustling as of thousand wings DER mount
and vale and sea,
The spirits of the fallen come who fought and
fell with Lee:
From mad Mssourl's turbId flood to Rio Grande's
wave,
From many quiet churchyard. many a nameless
grave,
From where they fell in brake or dell nations
flag to save,
From noisOme swamp and mountain side arise the
fallen brave,
FROM Misslssippfs darksome tide to sparkling
Tennessee,
From swiftly-rolling Rapdan and Cbickahonjny.
iron, Eastern hill and valley fair, from Southern
From Western wood and prairie wide come forth
the noble slain:
From treach'rous Erie's limpid wave unto the
MeXic sea,
They come, the shadow warriors tn where they
bury Lee.
disemboded host they rise, the morning air
they throng,
From twice two hundred battle fields five hun
dred thousand strong.
mighty sob of sorrow floats along the autumn
'ris not burst of anguish nor the waing of de-
spair
As breathes the spirit Of the winds, some oldcn
Its pa int song of sadness through the signing
So some their sympathetic signs borne on the
No dirge for him, but signs for them, the 'reaved
ones, left behind.
A people weeps not burning tears, as when great
jackson fell,
Nor when above the yictor's cheers was heard the
nations knell.
This was no orb that, comet like. rushed flaming
through the Skies
wondering world with awe to strike, then sank,
no more to rise;
en- ray.
And rising stIll that beamed and burned up to
And i, when the tempest, gathering long, now fu-
rious and fast,
In iron bolts and leaden rain burst like the cy-
clones blast; -
With beams refulgent fu-orbed still, to guide
and cheer and warm,
IND mmed by clouds he scared throughout the
And though his morning beams were bright, and
glorious his prime
His steady, calm, majestic light ut evening shone
sublime.
More mighty chief than thou, great Lee this
world hath never seen,
And pnrer In his greatness still there never yet
How sink, compared with thy fair name, who Ho-
~ mers pen employ,
The chiefs who led the Greclan hosts against the
walls OF Troy;
half his race,
Whose star in Persian night went down, to purer
The names of ancient heroes pale before thy no.
bier name,
And feats of tabled dem-gods beside thy DEATH
less fame.
Not name of prince nor Paladin, nor hero of ro-
nance,
Nor even thy heroic son, OH fair but fallen Frapce
Nor he who carved a brighter name than this
than those, than all,
Who with his dauntless legons swept the plains
OF ancient Gau,
Within Fame's temple blazoned high more bril-
liantly doth shine,
Nor one of all their race can show escutcheon
pure as thine.
Oh, fails my intellectual pen, oh, weak are words
Thy gories and thy virtues rare, thou hero, sage
and saint
Long as their, primal law controls the swift re-
volying spheres,
And still returning mark the cycles of the
years,
Thy deeds in classic numbers linked with never
dying fame,
Shall sound wherever virtue dwells or honor has
name.
Columbia shall proudly claim thee as her noblest
son,
And Irvine thy honored name with that of cher
iShed Washington.
giant rampant frowning dun, defying foes to
win,
The mountains rise DER Lexington and close the
valley in,
While on their crest the chestnuts rest, their
hoary heads in air.
And stern and silent sentries stand forever watch
ing there.
cred dust
gallant peoples richest gems are given to your
Let icy winters boreal blasts blow here in gentle
breath,
Where rest nations heroes low in quiet sleep of
death;
And doubly honored Lexington, shall thou for
ever be,
That thou dost hold the hallowed mold of Jack
son and of Lee.
CnY,fG