The National tribune., 1882-11-30
SONGS OF THE CAMP.
4 Soldiers Letter.

Soldiers letter.
De4y Madam II IN a soldier, and nay speech IS rough
and plain;
I'm not much used to writing, and hate 80 give
you pain
But promised that ia do isc-hs thought il Daighs
be So
II 1t came from who loved him. psghsps 'tvGuid
ease the blow:
BY this time you must surely guess she srath fsn
yould hide,
you'll pardon rough soIdisE's words. while
tell you how he died.
the night before the battle, aud Ia our
rowdCd tent
than one brave boy wAs sobbing and many
knee was bent,
sc knew not " hen the morrow, yvieh its bloody
5ork was done,
many who were seated there should iss
citing sun;
3 not so much for self Ihey cared as fog shs
)ved At home,
tis always worse 30 think Of, than 20 heAr she
annon boom.
Twas then We lefs shs crowded tent. your soldier
boy and /,
And we both breethed froor standing underneath
the clear, blue sky;
I was more than ten years older but ne seemed 20
take 10 me,
And oftener than tho younger onss no sougAs my
company
He seemed to want TO talk Of homo, Snd those he
held most desr,
And though I'd none to talk of, ysE I always loved
to hear.
SO then he told me on that night. OF tho time he
away,
And how you sorely grieved for him, but would
not let him stay;
Al l. a - -.
this war through
He might go back with honor, to his friends At
home and you.
He named his sisters, one by ono, and then deep
flush came,
When lie told NE Of another, but oe did not spsak
her name.
And then he said "DsAE Robert, fs nasy be thas
shall fall,
And will you write TO them NJ hons bow iOvsd
and spoke Of all?"
SO promised, but did NOS shinE shs time would
come 40 soon;
The fight was just three days Ggo-ho died to-day
at noon.
1t seems so hard that ono loved Ss hs should
be gone,
While / should still bs living here, who Rad so
friends at home
1t was in the morroS battle, last EsIuud tho sL0s
aud shell,
He was fighting close beside mo, and / saw him
when he fell;
So then took him IN my arms and laid hin OF the
grass
Twas going against orders, but think they'll lot
Twas mimic bail shst struck him, ii entered at
the side,
And they did nos think it fatal, til the morning
that he died.
So when he found that ne must go, he called ns to
his bed
And said, You'll not forget 70 write whep you
hear that am dead;
and you'n tell them how I loved them, and bid
them all good-by
Say tried TO do the beet could. and did uoe fear
to die;
And underneath my pillow there's eur OF golden
Lair
There's Il name ugoa the papsE, send 81 70 my
mothers cars,
last night / wanted 20 to live seemed so young
Last week passed my birth-day, I was nineteen
then you know;
When thought of all I'd planned 10 do, is seemed
so hard to die,
But then l prayed to God for grace, and my cares
all gone by"
And here hls voice grew weaker, and he partly
raised his head
And whispered, "Good-by, mother" " and 80 yOus
boy desdi
I wrapped his cloak around hira, and we bore him
out tonight
And laid him by dump oS trses, whsrs shs zuoon
was shining bright
And carved him out head board Es shiIifaii a.
could
If you should wish to find IS can toll you ~ here
II stood.
/ send you back his hymn-book, and the osp ne
used to wear,
And lock cut the night before, OF his bright,
curling hair.
send you back his Bible; the night before he
died,
We turned its leaves together, as read it by his
side
I've kept the belt he always WORE he told me- so to
do;
1t has hole upon the side, tits where the ball went
through.
So now I've done his bidding, there is nothing more
to tell
But L shall always mourn with you the boy we
loved 80 well