Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1886-07-16
rhE TT. MEles MEMORIAL HOME.


BY kUFHlNK o. TONPklNdi
Let us miuge historic and poetic sen,lmen,
with our hardy patriotism. Let US so pern,este
the atmosphere OF this beautiful land with rev.
erence for the deeds OF the noble men and wo'
men who bequea thed Il TO US, that our child
ren's children down 10 The farthest generation
shall imbibe the spirit and guard the sacred
trust Let young minds bo allied with deer
appreciation Of the cost of the magnificent hhnr
that comes to them, free aud unnruhbered
Our schools should make history OF first iu''
portance. Reading books should consist ptlh'
cipally OF historic narrative prepared 10 attract
and impress the young mind. Human nature
is PRONE to value lightly long-accus,cmed
blessings aud to ihoughtcssly squandur what
took so much To win and what once lost car
never be regained. Then 1t bchonves us, d,
those days OF toll aud warfare and Rlotlouc
achievement are removing farther and farther
Into the shadows Of the past, 10 place memorial
stones along lhs way that shall mutely appea
to posierity when lips that pressed the cup oil
sacrifice are long gone to dust. Let us not at
tempt 10 pierce tie clouds with characterles'
shafts, or cumber the bountiful earth with stat.
ues that have no heart In them. A statue with
a hearth Go to beautiful Memorial Hall in the
fair city of Toledo. There is statue with hear
and soul In it "A great, warm, living, levinP
vitality. Compare II with the useless, tiresom,
shapes Of stone that disfgure some Of our neigh
boring cities. From .henceforth,f would say
| let every monument 10 our patriot dead, who
Christlike, died for humanity's sake, be tht
walls Of homes for the unfortunate, or otherwise
dedicated to the public veal What could bt
more appropriate What more "Amercau p
Let us cothe these monuments in beauty, Sc
them 10 the midst Of beauty, give them beaut
| full and historic names and write upon thei
tablets the deeds of our worthy heroes.
The great State of Ohio has fairly thrust up
on her the golden opportunity to build such ,
memorial of the brave men who died for the
country, seventy three years ago at the siege o
Fort Meigs. The ground Is inviting in It's nat
ural association and hallowed with relics o.
their toll and warfare. Build there the Homt
for the Soldiers and Sailors and let it bc knowr
as the "Fort Meigs Memorial Home"
AT FORT MEIGs.
| AS we blL vi tle CiTpct, tu'
And gaze down the beautiful river, kissed b,
the lightsome breeze,
| Over the grassy meadows the wheat fields yel
Mellowing in the distance to green and COLDER
| stripe,
The scene is summer picture and open m,
| history book,
And the friend beside me answers, as down tn,
| page look:
"Yes, this is the place where Harrison with hi
little band Of men,
Stood fire from belching British guns and hurlet
And Proctor and his red coats there, drawn VI
| in fierce AIRY,
And old Tecumseh's savaaes were allies in th
Red.handed from the vinehung banks o
Raisins bloody tide,
| They thirsted for more massacre, and watched
| on every side
From thicket-brush, from tops of trees, to hur
the murderous shot
And still the stubborn fortress stood-the patri
OTIS faltered not.
"tsurrcnder came the naughty word swii
flew the answer back, -.
If you capture us, Sir Briton, the victory shal
| not lack '''
The honor Of meeting, face to face and hil
| to hilt,
With your men upon the ramparts and many
hearts blood split -,
"Three days without cessation the sweet Ma
air was rife ttl, -.
With thunder of the cannon and means of part
ing life. .....
Then fioating down the river came staunch Ker
tueky men,
Twelve hundred strong-on fiat boats--and hop
grew strong again,
And where the bees are humming In Glove
White and sweet
There gallant Clay made landing with his we
| come southern fleet.
And oh what fire raked them from the ma
Miami guns,
And oh with what defiance marched up thos
fearless ones.
"And there swept Colonel Dudley with h
dauntless fighting band
Keen-eyed and lion n-hearted to answesr the con
mand
Charge bayonetsr river. mnrmering to IL
Can you tell us lust how many smote the dust
rise no more?
But the foemen fled in terror, and the patrio
on their track
Thus were led into an ambush, whence thei
was no turning back.
Fatal error, quick surrounded, there the
Cleft by savage battle,axes and the whette
scalping knives.
"'Stay the slaughterV cried Tecumseh, rushin
on the dreadful scene
(For that order lay one laurel on his dust, an
:. keep ii green.)
| Down the southern bank Clay IS soldiers charge
the worsted foe again,
Spiked their guns and took their batteries, an
made captives of their men.
, | Nine long days ere stubborn Proctor owned Il
whipping he had got,
, Moved his camp and marched his soldiers to
sale and sheltered spot.
"What was gained? Forever after that decisiN
victory,
Fear of the revengeful savage faded from IL
, old Maumee
They had turned the name of terror all alor
the wooded shore;
I Day and night the vigil ceased not-loade
ritle-guarded door
. Day and night the wild cry sounded, homes fe
to a smOuldering heap,
Wives were widowed, men were tortured, chi
/ dren murdered in their sleep.
"Now the heavy cloud was lifted and the wal
savage foe
t shrank away from English friendship that b'
added to their woe,
Then there dawned for fair Miami first rays
the coming morn
And the poor mans stumpy acres blossom,
J into fields OF corn."
e Thus ended my history lesson and every pull
was stirred
BY the beautiful scene before me and what
had read and heard,
I And there on the blood-rich soil by the storit
riyer-now t-., t.- q t's
: Let us rear memory token for seventy yea
/, o, wise Ohio statesmen! could ye do fit
, deed ~. Do.
j rest for homeless soldiers who on the lal
!, and wave
= Made offer'of their own lives their countr,
life to save?
= monument of meaning from base to crownii
= dome,
a And be its name recorded-"FoRr MEIGs NJ
MORTAL HOME"
Notice. Listings can be Co
= drayman.