Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1883-10-18
Poetry.
The Dying Soldier.

Slowly crept the weary hours in that gloomy
house of pain,
Where the sick and wounded soldier, in their
snow-white beds We're lain.
Borne from of the field of carnage. haggard.
SCARED, unkempt and grim;
some with hallow ghasty faces. some with
blood-stained bandaged limb.
Some as white and young and robust, brought
in fanting from a wound.
As the sculptured gladiator dying orAihe mar
BILE ground.
Noiseless moved the careful watcher. up and
down the narrow aiSlc>.
Here would speak a word of comfort. there
would cheer with mods and smiles,
TIL he stopped and smoothed the pillow where
aspeechless soldier lay.
From whose bullet shattered body life was
ebbing fast away.
''How is it asked the chaplain. .'do YOU feel
afraid TO die
\ tremor shook his wasted frame and lit the
hero eve.
He took the pencil and then wrote. unsteady
cramped and slow.
NJ! trust in Christ is perfect am prepared
TO go.'
And still. with cold. blue fingers. PLEASE tell
the boys 10 sing
Come rally round the flag. boys il will take
away deaths sting"
Then the chaplain took the paper from the iy-
ing soldiers hand
And read aloud the message. 80 that all could
undertand.
And soldier, who had lost hand. >pramg
from upon his bed.
Waving his mutiated stump. and the ">ong OF
freedom" led,
I'VE will rally round the flag. boys: we'll raj
~ once again."
While another and another cot rang out with
well rally from the hillside. well gather
from the plain,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom
4 Scared old veteran heard ii. halfway down
Deaths misty vale.
And hc added 10 tn chorus though his lips
were cold and pale;
And q lrglc>> hero caught the words. though
>huddcring in his pain.
Rose W and waved on high his crutch. and
Joined the thrilling strain.
TIL thousand soldiers voices Swellc,i the
chorus loud and long.
An' that mournful place of suffering was glor-
flied with song:
I'VE are >pringinc 10 the call Of our brother,
gone before.
And well ill the vacant ranks with million
freemcn more,
Shouting the battlc-cry Of freedom"
They had heard that '.cry of freedom by the
clnIp-hre'> fiCkrring light.
II rose 10 cheer their toil~Dmc march and the
lonely watch nj night:
They had heard il from the mountain peak
borne softly on the gale
And II rose, Ike song "f triumph. from the
dark and noi,omc vale;
And the outpost Of the enemy heard that bat
tl,-cry afar.
And the tramp Of moving armies ana the SOL
di,r> Wild 'huzzah.''
We are >pringing Ia the call, from the East
and from the West,
And wen hurl the rebel crrw from the land
We love the best
Shouting the battlc-,ry Of freedom
And 80 those loyal heroes. on their weary beds
of pain.
Lived DER again the day Of strife in that old
familiar strain:
Lived DER again the tolls Of war and the tvdi-
un Of the camp.
And they heard again the buglc-call. and the
slow and measured tramp.
80 they sang. those suffering soldiers. with
wild and thrilling cry.
Till it burst through beam and rafirr and
echoed to the Sky,
THE Union forever. hurrah. boys. hurrah,
Down with The traitor. up with the STAR
While We rally round the flag boys. rally once
again,
Shouting the battlc-cry Of fr,cdom.''
away.
And again upon hi> pillow each suffering sol
dirr lay:
But while that mighty anthem had been swell
ing 10 the >kY.
n>ecn. Il whitc-robcd spirit with unc soldier
had passed by.
No eye had seen it, presence. no one had
caught the sound
OF waving wings or trailing robes. nor seen
the martyr crowned.
With a smile upon hi pallid lip, on hi couch
the soldier lay:
But with that mighty burst Of -ong hi> soul
had passed away,
,TDhn Mdckintire