Sword and shield. (Clinton, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1885-09-12

Stuarts, Ashby's md jackson
valols alId Aedtns. Among these
| the dirge on Ashby, by an unknown
author, written in those Runic meas
ures, in which our Morse ancestr,
used to moan their soldier dead, is |
fine yirilc yet tender poem. and gives
a perfect picture of that gallant
chiyalric Vilgi:,ian. We have room
for bit few stanzas from the piece
He5 ID We The tl'r.l, ng word,
A INT Of eaC
i raj l.e ihr lderbOIt
Bow ng ach head
Over the ba lie dun,
Over each booming uu
dshby our 0fdcest one,
Asilby is dead
Dash, dash the tnar away,
= ash down The pam,
Duke ct uecus De
r est e ain;
Why lould he 4 cay pllI
Round nj il be flung at a /?
ID 4l0r OIL nero fall
Gall,ntly slal !?
! id as tae I on's Hear
ID q le5, and b ave,
knlgItly Is kli II .Iie5t
Bayafd coult Crs ye
SWee wi al Cney's grace
IenGeta ? Ham ldep IS flce-
VINO W1o all I'LL ie space,
VOID by 5i.ve?
Besides pieces Of this character
telling the same story history tells,
there are others still more numerous
telling OF what history passes over in
scorntul silence. Of thousand little
incidents on the battle field, by the
camp fires, in the hospital wards, in
the prison, of the aged fathers and
mothers at home, Of girlish sweet
hearts by CHEEKY fires dreaming of
their soldier love far away, asleep on
the damp ground under the starlit
tent Of heaven, muttcl.ing their
names in his slumber. we read
OF hundred pathetic incidents that
will, in spite Of our manhood and
age, bring the tears TO our eyes. We
reid Of some noble fellow, wounded
to death in the beginning off choroa
tory, and leave him to die there
alone Of another poor soldier hold
ing IN his dying hand a locket and
! little tres3 of golden hair and
pressing them to his lips, and gasp
n3 out to the comrade who bends
over him, tell her | was true to
country and her, of boy hardly
grown begging his fellow-soldier to
Dury him with his mothers letters
Ind Bible on his breast; of another
10Y, shot almost to pieces, asking
,he woman who stood beside to kiss
lim, as he knew his mother would
10 who had sent him out to fight for
ler; and then, too, we read of the
ong, dull pain and sharp anguish of
those who died in hospitals and pris-
ons, Of their dreams OF home and
peace, like this:
It he-e re no rs ag. n n his fever heat,
When b restle ancies fly his home,
4 d he t. 8 O., The scv.he in the falling wheat
al the ca ,eis hat 30 anu come,
I, IS thy ooy mate :9d .ler froliceome glee,
and cow e 'rYed .l.re on many a tree
n:me lit was der to lm
lf he e. q ross .hat 81 ter tle light,
! no = the open coo. ant window pane;
And AZ o. ODE ) re on the far-of height,
4 Z the q 2, coca lane;
)f he tule, 'sp'le an Ill. song of birds,
AND ne 'oia ows sand d.5 Ike men with |
s.'erTs,
'ffis no 70 ae = love al scr loving words
AID his caceks { W.. wi h tears
We have the jolly soldier songs,
uch as .Ridinr on a Raid" ssThe |
Song Of Morgan's Men, ETC.; and
We have some humorous pieces, for
10 ma ,er how stern and sad life
nay be this spiliE OF humor will bub-
lie up. Among the most delicious
,leces Of this kind are J. T.. Thomp-
on's ''On to Richmond" Asa Hartz'
TO Ny Ladye Love" and "Our Cot
age by the Sea, as some poor poet
styles Fort Lafayette. Smch
re the poems that the hearts of our
eople dreamed during these times
nd their lips sung. Our fathers
ought that they might leave to their
ons liberty, property and rights. In
his ende@vo, they failed, sadly and
earfu. ly failed. But in their stead
hey left us something more price
ess sill. They left US the conscious
ess OF being sprung from men who
eld love, life and wealth as triAes
Then matched with honor. They
eft us the example of deeds that
knights and proudest
eroes might wish to claim, and
howed that in a greedy, grasping
ge there was true manhood still.
very Southern boy should read
MS story ponder it, know it by
cart and love it. He should never
% a man who has lost an arm or
g in this strife without the impulse
, take his hat off in honor to the
eteran. They bled for US and our
,untry and we should honor them.
othing will teach this story better,
othing will kindle nobler longings
our breasts, nothing will make
nr hearts swell with purer love
II all who wore "the jackets Of
ray" and fought under 'sthe bonnie
lue fiag, than "The Southern
oems of the War
THOMAS DABNEY MARSHALL.