The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-01-28
a Card From Maj. Fontaine.

YAzoo CRY, Mss, Jan. 10, 1885.
To the Editors of the New Mississppian:
As you have nobly come to my defense
in regard to the authorship of the little
poem "All Quiet Along the Potomac"
allow me II thank you most heartily, and
beg that the farther courtesy be extended,
of permitting me, through your columns,
to say few words in regard to the poem
in controversy-and l here ask every
Southern journal who has the love Of the
South at heart, and all Northern journals
who wish to see justice done, to publish
what | now write.
| claim to be the author OF the said
poem, and | claim that it is of Southern
origin, and propose to show that it is such
by inserting in the poem a verse that was
expunged from the original. l did not
wish it to go forth to the vorld as purely
Southern poem, but cosmopolitan. And
it was my intention to write it for the
world-not for the South alone. As it is
claimed to be a purely Northern produc-
tion-written by a Northern lady, pro-
pose to show emphatically, by reproducing
and printing the verse that will prove
beyond controversy or doubt that the
Southern. And any jury of literary critics
will, think, bear me out in the end. /
insert here the original, with the expunged
verse added in small capitals, so as to call
special attention to the same:
ALL QUIET ALONG THE POTOMAC.
IAN quiet along the Potomac" they say,
Except here and there a stray picket
Is shot as he walks on his beat 10 and fro,
BY rifeman hid in the thicket."
It's nothiug-a private or two now and then
n 0f he hat
Not an officer lost-only one of the men
Moaning out all alone the death rattle
All quiet along the Potomac tonight
Where the soldiers lie peacefully dreaming;
Their tents IN the rays OF the clear autumn moon,
Or in the light of tgeir camp-dres cleaning.
A tremulous sigh, as gentle night wind
while tie stars up above with their glttering eyes
Keep atch DER the army while sleeping
There's only the sound OF the lone sentry's tread
And thinks OF the two in the low trundle bed
Far away in the cot on the mountain;
AND HE THINKS OF THE PAsT-oF MS EARLY
UNTIL EVEN THE CHILLY NIGHT ALE,
Is FILLED WITH THE SCENT OF THE ORANGE
BLOOM
THAT HE'D TwIsED IN HER BRAIDED HAIR.
His musket falls sacl-ani his face dark and grim,
Grows gentle with memories tender,
As he mutters prayer for the children asleep
For their nlother-may heaven defend her.
The moon seems to shine as brightly as then,
That night when the love yet unspoken
Leapd up TO his lips. and when low murmurod vows
Were pledged, to be ever unbroken
Then drawing his sleeve roughly DER his eyes
lie dashes of tears that are yelling,
And gathers his gun close up to its place,
As If to keep down the heart swelling.
He passes the fountain, the blasted pine tree,
His footsteps arc tagging aud weary,
Yet onward he goes through the broad belt of light
Toward the shades of the forest so dreary-
Hark was it the night wind that rustled the leaves!
Was il moonlight wondrousiy flashing?
1t looked like rine-..Ha Mary, good-5ye.'
And the iife-bood is ebbing and splashing-
AIS quiet along the Potomac tonight,
No sound save the rush of the river;
While soft falls the dew on the face OF the dead
That of duty forever.
You will see that there is no break in
the poem or the sense of it, but the twin
ing of the orange bloom, with its rare
fragrance in the braided hair OF his love,
tells In what cline the soldier lived. For
the South alone is the home of the orange
1t does not bloom on the bleak hills of
the North. and it would have been more
natural for the lady who cl aims the poem
for the North to have twined some other
more Northern flower in the fair maiden's
hair.
1t is true that the orange wreath of the
Northern bride is of orange blooms, but
they are generally artificial, and some
where on them bear the advertising trade
mark Of the maker, while ours-whose
odors perfume the night air-bear upon
their breath alone the trademark of the
Great Creator.
Let my fair lady claimant from the
Northern cline come forward with her
added verse, aud prove that it is of North
ern BIRTH I have added mine, and the
challenge given The author always leaves
his ear-marks on all his writings. claim
that the poem was written and distributed