Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-11-05
THE HISTORY OF a POEM.

ern literature of song is that one
known everywhere by its first pathetic
line:
4 am dying. Egypt, dying"
And which was written by Gen. Will
liam Haines Lytle. on the eve of the
battle of Chickamauga. We are in
debted to the late Col. Realf, poet,
author and soldier. who shared the for
tunes of war with his friend, Gen Lyle,
for an account of the peculiar circum-
stances under which the poem was
written.
Col Realf shared the tent of Gen.
Lyle on the night preceding the battle.
The two friends were both given to
writing poems at such times, and each
had an unfinished poem on hand They
read and criticised each others efforts
humorously for some time. when Gen,
Lyle said, with a grave smile:
''Realf, shall never live to finish
that poem.
Nonsense" said his friend, you
will live to write volumes of such stuff. .
No" said the general, solemnly, las
] was speaking to you feeling came
over me suddenly. which is more start
ed in to-morrow's fight"
Col. Realf asked him to define this
feeling, and he said:
las l was talking to you l saw the
green hills of Ohio as they looked when
/ stood among them. They began to re-
cede from me in a weird way-and as
| they disappeared the conviction flashed
| through me like the lightning's shock
that should never see them again"
Gen. Lyle was a native of Ohio. and
dearly loved his birth-state
Col Realf laughed at his friend, and
rallied him upon his superstition, but
acknowledged afterwards, that he be-
canned so thrilled himself with an I'M
natural fear that he legged the general
to finish the poem before he slept, that
such fine work might not be lost to the
worlT
In the small hours Gen. Lyle awak-
ened his friend from the slumber into
which he had fallen, to read to him
that beautiful poem, which must live
as long as our literature survives.
| Imagine the scene. The two men
united by the bonds of friendship, of
congenial tastes, both ready and will
ing to face death on the morning in its
direst form, scanning by the light of
their tent lantern each others features,
when the finished poem had been read
aloud.
Col Realf said that his own eyes
| filled with tears but the general said
not word, as he placed the manuscript
in his pocket and lay down to his last
nights rest upon earth.
Before dawn came the call to arms.
| When Realf next saw his friend he lay
cold in death among. the heaps of slain.
| Then he thought of the poem, and,
searching the pocket where he had seen
him place It. he drew it forth, and for
warded 1t to Gen. Lytle's friends with
his other effects. We give the poem in
its entirety, feeling sure all will renew
their admiration of it, when they read
under what tragic circumstances it was
written:
| ANTONY AMI CLEOPATRA.
1 am dying Egypt dying
Ebbs the CRIMSON life-tide fast,
And the dark Plutonian shadows
Gather on the evening blast
Let thine arm, o, queen, support me,
Hush thy sobs and bow thine ear,
Hearken to the great heart secrets
Thou. and thou alone must hear
Though my Scared and veteran legions
Rear their eagles high no more.
And my wrecked and scattered galleys
Strew dark Actiums fatal shore;
Though no glittering guards surround me,
Prompt to do their masters WILL
must perish like Roman
Die the great Triumvir still
Let not Caessr's servile minions
Mock the lion thus laid low;
Twas no foeman's arm that felled himg
Twas his own that dealt the blow
His, who, pillowed on thy bosom
Turned aside from glory's ray
His who, drunk with thy cAresses,
Madly threw a world away.
Should the base plebeian rabble
Dare assail my fame in Rome,
Where my noble spouse, OctAvia
Weeps within her widowed home
Seek herl Say the gods have told me-
Affairs, augurs, circling wings
That her blood with mine commingled,
Yet shall mount the throne Of kingl
AS for thee star-eyed Egyptian
Glorious sorceress OF the Nile
Light the path to Stygian horrors
With the splendors of thy smile.
Give to Caesar crowns and arches,
Let his brow his laurel Irvine;
can scorn the senate's triumphS
Triumphing in love like thine.
am dying, Egypt, dying
Hark! the insulting foeman's cryl
They are comingl Quick, my falchionl
Let me front them ere die
All no more amid the battle
Shall my heart exulting swell;
Isis and Osiris guard thee
leopatra-Rome-farewel
Gen. William H. Lytle. in Detroit Free Press
SMALL SHOTS.
GEN. GEORGE Fl. THOMAS is said to
have struck the first hard blow the con-
federates got at Mill Springs, KY, jan
uary 10 and 90 1862. For this battle
the president issued congratulatory
letter to Gen. Thomas and his troops.
Gen. Thomas was one of the most uni