The National tribune., 1882-05-27
MEMORIAL DAY,
BY Ben. ID. House,
Asst Adjt. Gen, Dept of Ind.

Asst AdJt. Gen, Dept of Ind.
WHY sob the drums with sound of sorrow,
That brings to your brcws an air of gloom,
While wreaths are strcyyn OF our country's colors
From the warp and weft OF Natures loom?
TIare brazen buGics, your airs of triumph;
let your waling sounds OF grief be mute;
Roll drums, with echo of distant thunder,
With breath of fire Jet the guns salute.
Though our flag is seen at half-mast dropping,
All grief to q ch3stened pride must yield,
That it went and came through clouds of conflict
No star cclipscd in its azure field.
O. soldiers. who miss the touch of comrades
Who stood by you when the Nation bled,
Though your searching eyes can see no shadow
Where once they stood still they are not dead.
Some souls Wen, ont on the tide of carnage,
The cbb and flow OF the Nation blood,
Though they passed beyond your call Of hailirg,
They were not lost in the crimson flood.
What to you was gloam and glare OF battle,
Lighting deaths door with its luIid flame,
To them was the glow Of restfu camp-fres
Flashed forth through the wide swung gates OF
fame.
You caught but the conflicts clash and clangor,
They heard the heroes assembly sound,
And their way through the rush of squadrons
To the ranks of those by glory crowned.
Some heard in the night whispered calling
From their cots of pain in the swampy fens;
Some went a ghostly riders order
UnbaTred the gates of their prison-pens
They went to a camp of quiet tenting,
Where never the sound of cannon's din
Shall rend the air with the of battle.
Where the storied brave are mustered in.
And you, who saw AT that mighty arming,
Their pride of bearing and martial ire,
Whenth Nation iron nerves We're thrilling
With red-wingcd message of blood and fire,
o, wei! may you stand with heads uncovered
In the camp of those who won release
For you and yours from the wars red horrors,
And give them garlands who gave you peace
They caught their country's clarion calling,
And loudly their " Coming" answer rang,
When the Nations loyal heart pulsinG
In time with tocsiu's angly clang.
They went in pride with their chosen chieftains,
The ground by their chanping chargers spurned,
But beside each leader rode phantom
The steps of whose steed no sound returned.
They marched away midst bloom of banners;
You them go through mist of tears.
A veil prophetic of smoke of battle
That might not lift in the later years
You saw the dark, fever fogs arising
In the ghostly light of summer moons,
The damp from the dew of deaths distilling
BY southern rivers and swamp lagoons.
Yet watched till the dying sound of drumming
Backward borne on the summer air,
Changed to the groans OF the fever stricken,
Moaning for help in their dark despair.
Trhar x-or, .r,r-ed q worthy wives and mothars
And stilled your hearts tumutuous beat
Till they throbbed to measured martial music,
That timed the tread OF your loved ones feet.
o! mothers whose eyes red with weeping,
Let their light of pride gleam forth as when
You faltered not at the call of country,
IN its hour Of need, but gave it men.
O! wives, whose hearts are sore with sadness,
"a Let grief be tempered with loyal pride,
They you gave to the need of the Nation,
Whom you mourn dead, have never died.
o lovers, who hear the phantom throbbing
OF drums ia the night all sound above,
Thank God, that they who marched to its measure,
Were worthy of all your wealth of love.
o children, who look with wiae-eyed wonder
-As This camp with sprinG-tine bloom is drest,
The years viii show, how the blood of heroes, -s
Your lives with freedom has richly blest.
How no drop to gods of kingly glory
They of all that red libation poured,
I.ut spilled their hearts, that the God OF Battles
Night temper the blade of Freedoms sword
These are not tombs, but the tents of heroes,
Here this slope to the cloud-siriped west
Where stars come out till our bood-bought ban
uer,
Shows III the sky DER their camp Of rest.
AS We to-day, so our children's children
Shall walk these aisles with reverent tread,
And over the tents of sleeping heroes
The fairest flowers of springtme spread.
INDIANAPOLIS, May IA.