Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-03-06
"THE IMPRESSED AmERICAN.D
Written by a Kentucky Soldier
Who Left IL ON the Bat.
llefield.
St. Louis Rspublican


Mr.. Lawrence Hudson, Of Spring
field, ILL.,, tells the story Of a manu-
script, and gives extracts of "Tale
in Verse" in thin pamphlet. Hudson
states that he has possession OF the
poem, and the question with him is
whether to priLt or not to print. He
is vouched for by Mr.. H. s. Welten.
OF Springfield, as a man of truth and
veracity and exemplary industry. The
statement Hudson makes ia, 10 sub.
stance, this: In the spring of 1861.
just before the battle of Wilson's
Greek, Hudson was on scouting duty
in Southwest Missouri, and in the
brush came upon man Of fabout sixty
five years dying Of shot in his breast.
The wounded man was in Confederate
uniform and said he was Kentuck
ian, and a scout .or General
Sterling Price. He had been
picked off by Federal sharp,shooter.
had dismounted, picketeG his mare
Jennie" to a bramble and was crawl.
ing toward cooling spring to quenoh
his feVerish thirst. He had not long
to stay, and he had story to tell. He
had been lawyer in early life aud had
written principal poem, The I'M
pressed American, and several shorter
pieces, some of which had been printed
and praised. He was connected With
some OF the most prominent people in
his State, and knew several of the
leading men personally. He declined
to give his name; said that all he had
in the world was Jennie" and roll
OF manuscript in the saddle pockets.
also sealed package containing his
name and memoir, which latter was
to be kept sacredly sealed until ten
years after his works were published,
it they ever saw the light
He gave Hudson Jennie" and her
saddle and all it contained, and died.
with the last request to print the poem
if possible; it not, it was to be given
to the Public Library OF Louisville.
KY, or that of Lexington, for pres,
ervation.
Years passed and accidents befell
Hudson. He is now trying to fulfill
his promise to the Kentuckian. The
poem deals with the impressment Of
American citizens into the British
naval service, one OF the causes of the
war of 1872. 1t treats an individual
case, and tells domestic story. The
scene is laid in the highlands Of the
Hudson, in some OF the islands Of
the ocean and on shipboard. The
descriptions apply to scenery aud cons
ditiOns about the beginning of this
century.
TIE specimen extracts from the
Impressed American" are given in
the pamphlet, which is in some sense
prospectus of a volume to contain
the whole poem, and some of the
fugitive pieces of the dead Southern
soldier The extracts athaId prove the
poem to be very uneven. 1t is writtenin
the heroic couplet, and contains brill
liant lines aud many eOuplets, but fre-
queut diRressions and inyersions of
language betray a heroic struggle for
metre and rhyme. The wriier had
poetic feeling, and fancy which took
flights higher than its wings could
sustain, and before it is printed the
poem needs an editor who is a smooth
versi6er, to expunge commonplace and
tuue the faulty lines into rhythmic
roundnesa. There may DO q success
in the works il the best is done with
it, and in any case 1t is understood
that Hudsen's Springfield friends
stand ready to help him in the enter
prise. Should the volume be issued.
there might be great deal of curiSs-
ity to know the name OF the author
after ten years