St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1889-10-17

Tread by Prof Churchill at Gettysbur
Oct o, 1889. at the Dedication of the V,
mont State Monument
Brothers, is this the spot?
Let the drums cease to beat;
Let the tread of marching feet,
With the clash and clang of steel
And the trumpet's long appeal,
(Cry Of joy and sob of pain
In its passionate refrain)
Cease awhile,
Nor beguile
Thoughts that would rehearse the story
of the paSt's remembered glory
Thoughts that would revive today
Stern Wars rude, inperious sway
Waken battles fiery glow
With its ardoT and its woe,
With its wild, exult1ng thrills,
With the rush of mighty wills,
And the strength to do and dare
Born of passion and OF prayer!
Let the present fade away,
And the spIendors of today;
For our hearts within us burn
As our gIances backward turn
What rare memories awaken
As the tree of life is shaken,
And its STORED branches blow
In the winds of long agol
Do We not remember, brothers,
Ere the wardays how twas said
Grand. heroic days were over
And proud chivalry was dead2
Still we saw the glittering lances
Cleaning through the old romances,
On the cloudy heights of Time;
And from the fields that they had won,
When the stormy fight was done
Saw victorious knights returning
Flushed with trium ph's JOY sublime!
For the light of song and story
Kindled with supernal glory
Plains where ancient heroes fought;
And i1iumined with splendOr
Rare and magical and tender,
All the mighty deeds they wrought
But we thought the sword of battle,
Long unused. had lost its glow,
And the sullen war-gods slumbered
Where their altar-fires burned low!
Iii.
Was the nation dull and sodden,
Buried in material thingss
Twas the chrysalis, awaiting
The stirring of its wings!
For when rang the thrilling war-cry
Over all the startled land,
And the fiery cross of battle,
Flaming, sped from hand to hand,
Then how Jared it, o my brothers:
We're men false or craven then ;?
Did they falteT.
Did they palter?
Did they question why or when?
Oh the story shall be told
Until earth itself is old;
How from mountain and from glen,
More than thrice ten thousand men
Heard the challenge of the foe,
Heard the nations cry of woe,
Heard the SUNNI Oning to arms,
And the battles loud alarmsl
In tumultuOus surprise,
IO. their answer rent the skies
And its quick and strong heart-thr1ls
Rocked the everlasting h1llS
Forth from blossoming fields they sped
To the fields with carnage red;
Left the p1owshare standing still,
Left the bench. the forge, the mill,
And the quarry'S marble shade,
Left the quiet walks of trade
Left the pulpit and the court.
Careless ease and idle sport,
Left the students clustered halls
In the old. gray college walls,
Left young 1ove-dreams, dear and sweet,
Wars stern front unbIenched to meet
Oh the strange and sad amaze
of those forgotten days,
When the boys whom we had guided,
Nursed and loved. caressed and chided,
Suddenly. as in a night,
Sprang to manhood's proudest hight;
And with calmly smiling lips,
As who Iife's rarest goblet sips,
Dauntless, with unhurried breath,
Marched to danger and to death!
Soldiers, is this the spot?
Fair the scene is, calm and fair,
In this still October air.
Far blue hills look gently down
On the happy. tranquil town,
And the ridges nearer by
Steeped in autumn sunshine lie,
Laden orchards. smiling fields.
Rich in all that nature yields.
Bright streams winding in and out
Fertile meadows round about,
Lowing herds and hum of bee,
Birds that fit from tree to tree,
Children'S voices ringing clear,
All we touch see or hear,
Fruit of gold in silver set
Tell ofjoy and peace. And yet
Soldiers, in this the spot
That can never be forgot?
Was it here that shot and shell
Poured As from the mouth of hell,
Drenched the shrinking, trembling PLAIN
With flood of fiery rain
Was it here the awful wonder
of the lannon's crashing thunder
Shook the affrighted hills and made
Even the stolid rocks afraid
Was it here an armed host,
Like two clouds where lightnings play,
Or two oceans, tempest tOSt,
CIashed and mingled in the fray?
Here that mid the din and smoke,
Roar of guns and saber stroke,
Tramp of furious steeds, where moan
Horse and rider, both Oerthrown,
Lurid fires and battle yell.
Forty thousand brave men fell
o brothers. words are weak!
What tongue shall dare to speak
Even song itself grows dumb
In this high preSence--Come
Forth, We whose ashes lie
Under this arching sky
Speak We in accents clear,
Words that fain would heart
Tell us when your dim eyes,
Holy with sacrifice,
Look through the battle smoke
Up to the skies =
Tell us We valiant dead,
When your souls Starward fled,
How from the portals far
Where the immOrtalS are,
Chieftaius and vikings old,
Heroes and warriors bold,
Men whom old II omer sung,
Men of each age and tongue,
Knights from thousand fields
Bearing their blazOned shields
Througed forth to meet yei
Tell us how, floating down
Each with a martyrs crown,
They who had kept their faith,
GrandIy defying death.
They who for ConScience'S sake
Felt their firm heartStrings break,
They who for truth and right
Unshriuking fought the fight
They who through fire and flame
Passed on 10 deathleSS fame
fastened to greet We
Tell how they welcomed We,
Hailed and applauded We,
Claimed We comrades true,
Brave as the world eeT knew;
Led your triumphant feet
UptO the highest seat,
Crowned We with amaranth.
Laurel and palm
Alas aIasI They speak mott
The silent deep they break not!
Heaven keeps its martyred ones.
Beyond or moons or suns;
And Valhalla keeps her braves
Leaving to us their graves!
Then let these graves speak tor them
As long the wind sweeps DER them /!
As long as the sentinel ridges
Keep guard on either hand;
As long the hills they fought for
Like silent watch-towers stand
VII.
Yet not of them alone
Round each memorial stone
Shall the proud breezes whisper as they pass
RustIing the faded leaves
On chilly autumn ewes
And swaying tenderly the shelter1ng grass!
o We who on this field
Knew not the Joy to yield
Your young. glad lives in glorious conflict up
We who braVely fought
We who as grandly wrought,
Draining with them wars darkly bitter CUP
As long as stars endure
And God and Truth are sure,
While love still claims its own,
While Honor holds its throne
And valor hath name,
Still shall these stony pages
Repeat to all the ages
The story of your flannel
VIII.
. beautiful one, my Country
Thou fsireSt daughter of Timei
Today thine eyes unclouded
In the light Of faith sublimei
No thunder of battle appals thee;