Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1884-10-30
THE BIvoUAo OF THE DEAD,

OF the thousands who have read or listene
o the famous and pathetic war poem entitle
The Bivouac of the Dead, "but few, probably
nave ever heard the story OF the authors life
The poem follows:
The mufiied drums sad roll has beat
The soldiers last tattoo,
No more on life's parade shall NEE
That brave and fallen few.
On Fame's eternal camping ground
Their silent tents are spread,
Aud Glory guards with solemn round
The bivouac OF the dead.
No rumor OF the foes advance
Now swells upon the wind,
Nor troubled thoughts at midnight ha unit
or loved ones left behind.
No visions Of the morrow's strife
The warriors dream alarms,
No braying horn, no screaming fife
AT dawn shall call toarms.
Their shivered swords are red with rust,
Their plumed heads are bowed.
Their naughty banner trailed In dust
Is now their martial shroud-
And plenteous funeral tears have washed
The red stains from each brow,
And the proud forms by battle gashed
Are free from anguish now.
The neighing troor, the flashing blades,
The bugle's stirring blast,
The charge, the fearful cannonade,
The din and shout are past.
Nor wars wild notes, nor glory's peal,
Shall thrill with fierce delight
Those breasts that never more may feel
The rapture OF the fight.
Like the fierce northern hurricane
That sweeps his great plateau,
Flushed with the triumph yet TO gain,
Come down the serried foe;
Who heard the thunder Of the fray
Break DER the field beneath.
Know well the watchword Of that day
Was "VictorY or death"
Full many mothers breath has swept
Der Angustura's plain,
And long the plying sky las wept
Above its moldered slain.
The ravens sores m OF eagles flight,
Or shepherds pensive lay,
Alone now wake each solemn height
That frowned DER that dread fray.
Sons Of the dark aud bloody ground,
Ye must not slumber there;
Where stranger steps AMI tongues resound
Along the needless air.
Your O vn proud lands heroic. soil
Shall be your filter grave:
She claims from war its richest spoil
The ashes of her brave
Thus near their parent turf they resi-,
Far from the CORY field;
Born TO Spartan's mothers breast
On many bloody shield.
The sunshine of their native sky
Smiles sadly on them here,
And kindred eyes and hearts watch by
The hero's sepulcher
Rest on, embslmed and sainted dead
Dear is the blood you gave
No impious footsteps here shall tread
"a ~
Nor shall your glory be forgot
While Fame her record keeps,
Or Honor points the hallowed spot
Where Valor proudly sleeps.
Yon marble minstbel's yoiceful stone,
In deathless song shall tell
When many vanished year hath tiown
The story how YOU fell;
Nor wreck, nor change, nor winters blight,
Nor Times remorseless doom,
Can dim one ray Of holy light
That gilds your glorious tomb.
The author OF this beautiful poem, Colonel
'heodore O'Hara, was widely known as poet,
specially IN the southern states, where ne
anked high among the best journalists On
be breaking out of hostilities with Mexico In
$40 he Joined the army, aud crossed the Rio
frande TO uphold the honor Of the stars and
tripes In the land OF Montezuma, and In the
ampaign which followed, gained a brilliant
Citing record; ana, at lis close, when the
tate of Kentucky honored her citizens who
ad fallen In the struggle, by gathering their
emains for final interment in Frankfort Gem
terry, where she erected a monument to per-
etuate their bravery and 7delity To their coun-
~, he was one OF the first among his coun-
rymen to remember those who stood side by
Ide with him In the hour OF battle. 1t was
hen, and not after the late southern rebellion,
s many enormously suppose, that he wrote
The BivOuac OF the Dead.n
In the late war between the north and south
e served on the staff of General Albert sidney
ohnston, Of the Confederate army, where he
gain sustained his record as brave soldier.
Ifter the surrender Of Lee, Colonel O'Hara
ient to Columbus Ca, where, in company
nth Capt. J. j. Grant, he conducted the
'lanter's warehouse, until 1t was des-
royed by fire. Leaving Columbus,
e went to Mobile, Ala, in which city he be-
anne connected with the Daily Register, but
is health being somewhat impaired by the
ltigue and haI dships Of two wars, he retired
rom journalism and returned to Columbus,
nd from thence he went to the home OF Capt.
irant, where he uied in 1867.