Omaha daily bee., 1889-06-30
A WAR SONG.
Touching Ballad Suggested BY Gem
erals Sherman and She ridun.


Touching Ballad Suggested BY Gem
erals Sherman and sheridan.
The fact has been widely and truth
fully printed that William r. sherman
dislikes TO hear the tune OF Marching
Through Georgia. saws IL New York
special. 1t is not that he is unmindful
OF the fame which his Georgian march
made for him, but that on every oc
casion when " band of music plays
knowingly in his hearing they feel in
duty bound to render Marching
Through Georgia." and he has heard it
so many, many times that it has be-
come tiresome. He listened atten-
lively, however, the other evening to II
war song with the making of which he
had had something to do. There was
once a dinner at the Ohio club in Fifth
avenue, and Generals, Sherman, Sheri
dan and Carr were there. Stories OF
curiousiy wounded men were told, and
one Of the narratives was by General
Carr, and il related to soldier in the
Second New York volunteers, of which
Carr was colonel at the outset. In u
battle IL piece of au exploded shell
struck the man on the head and gave
to him what would ordinarily
have proved fatal wound. He lay in
| sensible among the dead for several
hours, nobody supposing that he was
| alive. Those who went to him found
gripped in one hand a asmall portion of
u letter from his vile. In this she spoke
Of II furlough which had been granted
TO him, and which he was going to use
| for IL visit to his home, his health being
! poor. She wrote atfectionatei of their
wedlock, reminded him of Il willow tree
under which they had done snme of
thni,. oh and tplI hin, ant n
| the day of his ARRIVAL she would meet
| him there. In the hurry and confusion
he was left lying with this paper still
| in his grasp. Night fell upon the bat
| tlefield with the dead unburied and the
| living busy with defenseS of themselves
| and care for the wounded. In the morn
| ing the bodies of tho slain were hastily
| buried in trench. 1t was supposed
| that our soldier was among them. But
| he was not. During the night he had
| revived and wandered away. Word
was sent to his home that he was dead,
| and this was regarded as beyond doubt,
| but us "A matter of fact he wandered off
| to distant hospital, remained
| there unidentified until his
| wounds lad healed and was
| discharged, utterly without memory of
| the past. 1t happened that he retained
the merest scrap of his wife's letter, but
without name OF place lift on it. This
| he retained, and with II vague knowl
edge that it was from his wife, who was
waiting for him somewhere, he wan
dered here aud there over the country
for four years. Then mere chance or u
shadowy recollection OF his home led
his tramp to the very spot whore his
| wife had promised to mcct him. II was
| the willow tree close to his old home,
| and thore he actually found her. The
] shock of JOY and recognition nearly if
not quite cured him of his malady.
| General Carr told the story very
| touchingly, and it made "a pathetic i'm
preston upon his hearers. one of them
| was rhymester, and, turpingtp him,
| General sheridan said: You ought to
| make verses out of that"
ut should have music, too,' General
| Sherman suggested. at ought to make
| n splendid song
| The rhymester promised to under
| take the job and TO get II friend to COM
| pose an air, with the proyiso that the
| three generals mentioned should get to-
| gether to hear it sung. The words that
| resulted were sung:
WHERE THE WILLOWS MAKE A SHADE
| The last fash of the battle, the last CLINT of
Lit lurid blood d-trampled plain;
| But twilight was waiting, when carnage was
| done,
To throw pail DER the slain.
Midst them lay soldier nigh to death,
| With agony bravely borne;
| Painting and bleeding, and gasping for
| breath,
| For shell his head had torn,
| A letter he drew With strength all sped,
And to read l. an effort made.
| ~ will watt his wife in the writing said,
"Where the willow makes shade"
| Though his mind was blurred, and memory
| dead,
Those words from his heart could not
'I will watt" his wife in the letter said,
"Where the willow makes q shade"
On the day and the hour when the soldier
His fond distant wifc's letter fast,
| She stood at the tryst tree, nor feared he
| was felled,
| Till his time for coming passed.
| He lived, but to wander far and long,
| In his head ceaseless pain,
| A sense of quest ana of going wrong
| Half thoughts of wounded brain.
| He knew that he sought home aud mate
| BY her call that his love ubeyed--
| No name and no place-ouly II Will wait
Where the willow makes a shade'
Though his mind was blurred ana memory
| dead,
Those words from his heart could not
81 win wait" his wife in the letter said,
"Where the willow makes shade"
When the willow was dropping its leaves Of
tears
| Sat a woman as at a grave;
| Despairing had followed the hoping OF years,
But this hour TO trrst she gave
| A veteran came tramping along the lane
And he walked as in a daze;
| An instant---then In q flash he was sane.
| And Joy was his only craze.
| "My wlfe' he cried, with a quick embrace
oAnd with kisses of love delayed.
"You have waited here" he said, ''at the
niace
Where the willow makes a shade.u
Though his mind was blurred, and memory
| dead,
Those words from his heart could not
fade.
| ~ will wait" his wife IN the letter said,
"Where the willow makes shade"
~ General Sheridan died before these
verses were muslcally arranged. Gem
eral Carr underwent a severe surgical
operation three weeks ago for the re.
moval OF a cancer and is still confined
to his hotel room. 1t was In his apart
ment that half-dozen frisnds, includ-
ing General Sherman assembled to hear
the song. The singer was profession
| ul vocalist. who Qaye effectiva exnrae-