Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-07-20
Written for the Dispatch.
The Confederate Soldier.
INVOCATION.

While others sing Of Grecian isles
In stratns that ev'ry hear. beguiles,
How heroes fought, how cities Toll
For Helen. false aud 1cSle belle;
or how Nitiedes' army stood
A bulwark to the Persian mood,
And rolled 1t backward In disnay
At Marathon, and won the day
Let these and kindred themes belong
To poets Of immortal song;
Lot Milton, with angelic eye
Behold the bat les OF the sEy,
Or turn with equal sweep AID tell
The horrors OF the lowest he'll.
Mine be song in humber strain
OF him who bravely died 10 gain
cause go sacred and 80 DEAR
IL cannot die, but resppeor
In cy'ry age-the right divine
The right OF freemen to combine.
When fraud or force would nullify
The charter Of their liberty.
Virginia synonym OF all
That's good or great; on thee call
For tnspiration, such as given
70 others from tabled Heaven.
Promelhean fire need not shine
In hearts that worship at thy shrine,
For though the field OF Marathon
BE sacred 70 each Grecian son,
Tho sun Of AustcrlitZ y enhance
The nooa-d AZ splenior OF proud Franco
Tho Britain claim as Il her due,
Tn fn mortal fields OF Waterloo,
Tho Athens claims Demosthenes-.
Her tragic son, Euripides-
Tho France with martial Joy claim
Her title TO Napoloon's fame,
Virginia does not boast, but pleads
In eloquence the mighty deeds
or many sons-aye. points 70 them
The Jewels OF her diadem.
First the immortal Washington
Who stands pre-emnen1. the one
Whose lame, no malice can erase
The greatest that our records grace.
Yet who was he, hyenas pause.
A rebel for his countrys cause.
Next, Henry, whose impetuous soul
Within him glowd as living coal
Those tongue made colder natures fee
The heat OF his own kindling zeal,
Whose flaming words could burn their way
Thro' opposition and convey
To all who hung upon their tone,
A courage doubtless as his own.
Last, to the world Virginia gives
A name that now and ever lives,
A pame as moyeiess az the base
OF yonder mountain from its place.
Fix'd immovable az Fate
With eli that's either good or great,
The grandest Of the century
The name OF Robert Edward Lee.
IT'S not our purpose TO recount
The heights which he esssy'd To mount,
Nor how his fame must ever grow
As soft'niug centuries come and 60.
He lives for all. no factions claim
| The prestige of his mighty name.
But comrades all who wore the gray
| OF those we fam would speak today,
For whom no blaring trum pets sing.
| For whom no welcome plaudits ring,
Who sleep without shaft TO tell
| The glorious fields on which they fell,
| And vet we would the worli should know
| The grnnlest monument below,
Not grayid on stone by scuiDtors arr,
| But written on each southern heart
| IL theirs aud theirs shall ever be
While men are brave and men are Tree;
| The southland cslrd and forth they went
| To wounds, TO death, Imprisonment
| From hill and dale, and mountain side,
| Or where old oceans swelling tide,
| It's white spray rolls upon the shore.
| They sprang TO arms true 10 the core,
| Each stout young heart to DO or die
| For native land and liberty.
| Aye, shoIld their glorious deeds be told
| In words that never con grow cold.
| AT Malvern hill. at seven Pines,
| The dauntess charge along the lines.
| That laughed at danger, rushing ON
| Until the bloody field was won.
| Next at Manassas swept away
| Popes mighty army in day:
| At Chancellor5' or on tho heigh.
| Of Gettysburg their deeds did write
| A story none can falsify-
/ n ulSAOTY tutl tdliuOt ulc
| While truth remaios or yalor stirs
| The hearts OF freedoms worshippers.
" But, beaten at last" the coward cries,
| (The base poltroon who sells his lies)
" BY equal numbers: We repeat
| Lees army never knew defeat.
| Oerwherc by mere brute force alone
| BY numbers twenty times its own.
| Indeed there never trod the earth.
| Traced backward "a its very birth,
| An army that could even beast
| That 1t had beaten such a host
| With equal mum bers, death alone
| Cold halt It's line when marching on.
| But II amid the battles rosr,
It's banners they so proudly bore.
| A trial more appalling still.
| Show'd the uncomfortable viii
| OF southern soldiers when they found
In peace their homes razed 10 the ground;
| The hoassless chimneys standing bare
kespectral sentries OF despair,
| That msrkd the dearest spot on earth.
The hallow'd spots that gave them birth.
Is there man with soul 80 base,
| so stepped In infamy, disgrace,
| As even dare but intimate
| That heroes bearing such fate
| We're traitors, and as such should crave
| Forgiveness like an humbled kuRve.
May indignation, withring scorn
Like lightning blast the wretch South born
Who by tue lust Of power led
Wouia mus revile our gallant dead.
"Truth crushed 10 earth will rise again.
Will rise superior 10 its pain;
The nations OF the earth shall know
Who struck the fratricidal blow,
When heroes OF the Blue and Gray
Shall each TO each due homage pay,
| And scorn with all their martial souls
The towards base and venal ghouis
Who Stunned the conflict they had bred.
And live but TO malign the dead.