Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-27
Lee 10 the Rear.

Iue loilOWlHB pOttlC peTSLOn OF TO-
markable and well-remembered incident
In one OF the Wilderness fights Is from the
pen of John r. Thompson, formerly rdI-
tor of the Southern Literary Messenger,
Richmond. Va
Dawn of a pleasant morning in May
Broke through the Wilderness cool and
gray,
While perched in the tallest tree.tops. the
birds
Were carolling Mendelssohn's "songs
without words"
Far from the haunts of men remote.
The brook brawled on with liquid note,
And nature, all tranquil and lovely. wore
The smile of the spring, as in Eden OF
yore.
Little by little as daylight increased.
And deepened the roseate flush In the
East
Little by little did morning reveal
Two long glittering lines OF steel;
Where two hundred thousand bayonets
gleam,
Tipped with the light OF the earliest beam.
And the faces are sullen and grim 10 see.
In the hostile armies OF Grant and Lee.
All of a sudden ere rose the sun,
Pealed on the silence the opening gun
A little white puff OF smoke there came.
And anon the valley was wreathed in
flame.
Down on the left Of the rebel lines,
Where breast-work stands In copse OF
pines,
Before the rebels their ranks can form,
The Yankees have carried the place by
storm.
Stars and Stripes over the saliant wave,
Where many hero has found a grave,
And the gallant Confederates strive in
The ground they have drenched with their
blood to regain!
Yet louder the thunder Of battle roared-
Yet a deadlier fire on their columns
poured
Slaughter Internal rode with despair.
Furies twain, through the smoky air.
Not far off in the saddle there sat-
A gray-bearded man in a black slouched
Not much moved by the fire was be
Calm and resolute Robert Lee.
Quick and watchful. he kept his eye
on two bold rebel brigades close by
Reserves. that were standing (and dying
at ease.
Whilst the tempest OF wrath toppled over
the trees.
For still with their loud, deep, bulldog
bay.
The Yankee batteries blazed away,
And with every murderous second that
sped
4 dozen brave fellows. alas! fell dead.
The grand old gray-beard rode to the
space,
Where death and his victims stood face
to face.
A world Of meaning there was In that!
"Follow me, Steady! Wen save the dayr'
This was what he seemed TO say;
And TO the light Of his glorious eye
The bold brigades thus made reply
"we'n go forward, but you must 20
And they moved not an inch III the peril
Gus track:
"Go 70 the rear. and wen send them to
And the sound of the. battle was lost in
their yell.
Turning his bride. Robert Lee
Rode TO the rear. Like the waves OF the
sea,
Bursting their dikes in their overflow,
Madiy his veterans dashed ON the foe.
And backward In terror tnat Zoe was
driven.
Their banners rent and their columns
riven,
Wherever the tide OF battle rolled
over the Wilderness. wood. and void.
Sunset out OF a crimson sky.
Streamed Ger field OF ruddier dye.
And the brook ran on with a purple
stain,
From the blood OF ten thousand foemen
slain.
Seasons have passed since that day and
year
Again DER its pebbles the brook runs
clear,
And the field in a richer green is drest
Where the dead OF the terrible conflict
rest.
flushed is the roll of the rebel drum.
The sabres are sheathed. and the cannon
are dumb.
And Fate. with pitiless hand, has furled
The flag that once challenged the gaze Of
the world;
But the fame Of the wilderness fight
abIdes;
And down into history grandly rides.
Calm and unmoyed, as In battle he sat,
The Gray-Bearded Man In the black
slorch hat.