The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1890-08-09
FORT DEFIANCE


Where the twin Elks' blended waters seek
Their winding way to the Chesapeake,
Ere south-bound slOops, on the sluggish tide
Out OF sight OF Elkton's turrets glide,
From their decks, on the right hand shore is seen
a Iutting mound
With its oak trees crowned
And riverward slope OF Swallowed green.
On the rounded summit, plainly traced
You may read what time has not etfaced
Ofrecords that tell, to Britain's shame,
How over these quiet waters came
ut is now nearly fourscore years ago.
To Cecils marts.
Its homes and its hearts,
FOretokenings dire of Il coming woe.
Broken and grass covered ridges-made
At that long past date with pick and spade
Are the ruins of earth-built ramparts rude
Which then in their stern defiance Stood
Mounted with cannon and ready to pour
The iron hail,
That should well avail
For sweeping the river from shore to shore.
Again the tempest of wasting war
Ger the land had burst and from afar
Its deep-toned mutterings, family heard,
With its vague alarms some hearts had stirred;
But suddenly, fearfully now, and near,
The binding flash
And the thunder crash
Tell that its horrors are gathering here.
On the Chesapeake, in sullen pride,
Fleets OF the infamous Cockburn ride,
Chasing and pillaging, night and day,
The merchant vessels that throng the bay:
Or, upon the villages of the shore,
Marauding bands,
With their blazing brands,
Like legions of Embossed demons pour.
And the flames of burning homes fling high
Their lurid glow to the midnight sky;
And shrieks OF agony and despair
Are borne far out on the startled air.
Alike over water and over wave
Sweeps ruin dire
On its wing. of fire;
And none that pity have power to save.
The boom of guns and the Redeemed skies
Confirm the rumor that nortnward flies.
From Elkton, through all the country round,
Couriers post, with the tidings bound;
And as shadow-like they are spread, All me.
How faces pale,
And how stout hearts quail
At the terrible thought of what may be!
But homo and country are passing dear;
And they cravens who yield to fear:
The hearts that trembled soon aflame
With kindling wrath and with burning shame;
And they all with one common purpose glow
To scatter back
On their fiery track
The menacnY hordes OF the coming foe.
At beat of drum and the bugle's blast,
From near and far, ere noon is past,
To the Head of Elk throng hurrying bands,
With fintloeks grasped in their sturdy hands;
And before the setting of next days sun,
Above the tide,
In its strength and pride,
Frowns the well planned work which those hand
have done.
And none too soon,-for that very night,
While the weary fain had slept, light
Vividly flashed DER the waters below
The tavorite signal of the foe-
Twas the burning of Frenchtown, making day
On tn river side,
And thence, far and wide,
To the glimmering surface OF the bay.
The flames are dying, but still reveal
Twelve barges that up the river steal:
On, on to the hidden fort they sweep,
And all is still as In slumber deep,
Until, like thunderboIts from the skies
Serenely blue,
With no clouds in view,
Breaks on them the crash OF their fell surprise.
Toward Elkton they urge their flight in vain:
Lo, stretched in their way 4 hindering chain.
So backward their oars they stoutly ply,
And under Il once more darkened sky,
(Save as lights from the forts hot brOadSide
gleam,)
The shattered fleet
In its prompt retreat,
| Is gloomily drifting adown the stream.
| No pause they make until out of range
| OF the forts artillery. Then change
| OF their bafiied scheme, pertorce, is planned:
| Even yet may Elkton be reached by land;
And a trusty guide will grant their prayer
Without delay,
And for trifing pay
The marshes avoding--to pilot them there.
| Il it the darkness or treachery?-
| When the goal they seek at last is nigh,
| Again a bitter and blasting gale
| Beats on their heads with its leaden hail.
And its flashes show what they too well know
To be n fort.
of the seli-same sort
| With the one that before had wrought their woe
| They are gone. The coveted prize is lost:
| They had learned that dear would be its cost.
Gone. And they never will come again
| These conquerors bold of unarmed men,
| Dauntless where woman their mercy implores;
But not, oh not
In the storms OF shot
| That furnish their welcome to Elk's green shore
Thanks be to God, and the patriot band
| By whom her garrisons twain were manned,
| Elkton now rests in guarded repose,
Won by the rout of her frightened foes;
And from shadows of dread calamity,
Scattered as night
BY the mornings light,
Are the rescued homes OF Cecil free,