Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-04-25

"You see 1t FIRST, !, bein' democrat,
Was thinkln' that the savage little spat
Betwixt the north an south was oil OWN
10 what them ab0litionlsts was doin'
But gosh l soon got crazy as the rest
An carried coal-oil lamps, an yelled my best
An pretty quick got to howlin round
Bout John Browns body moldering In w
ground
So when Steve Douglas said, right fair and
square,
That this was treason lurking In the OR,
Irun my nag up an says, says l.
b jinksl like old man Adams, Live or die
Survive or perish, you can count on me
As for the union an for liberty
IAN sois Billy says my wiie--our Bill,
Jest barely turned fifteen, but who could ali
The place Of any feller Of his size
That ever walked beneath Ohio's skies
"'Of course. says, but Billy he must stay
An pillow IN SOW an make tho corn an hay
I'm still the nghtin member o this arm,
Though some ay lately amt worth dern
But anyhow, there amt no use Of prayin'
Igo an you on Billy do the stayin'
An then, although somehow the tears would
start.
marched away to try On do my part,
With little Billy cryin' after me-
I want q chance 10 strike for liberty
Jest then never though. the time would
come
When Billy couldn't fairly stay at home,
But thinning ranks require new bone an muls
Gle,
An SO recruiting ofhOers must hustle,
An when two years had passed heard one
night
That Billy had enlisted for the Hght
God how watched that boy Sometimes
with pride,
Then fearful as he kept step by my side
Into tho battle--up tho mountain height,
Trying to keep his boyish form In sight,
Praying an sometimes swearing too, msybe,
When he exposed himself too carelessly,
For boys, somehow, with twice the cause 10
live,
Seem twice as reckless when lfe's to give
AT vicksburg, 10 the charge, tho rsscal
gained a, ,.,si-...
The parapet, but fell back, crushed and
MANNED,
Before the sweeping fire Of that red hell
Jest by the spot where gallant Nevis fell
Il took him In my arms and bore him back
Down under shelter, whorc .ha ina was slack,
Then called a au,seoa, While | cricd an swore
And dashed myself against tho fort once more.
He rallied fron that wound an he an |
Walked side by side on thlt fourth day "a July
When Pcmbcrton besge'' HsAns the Siege to
lift
An We marched in with arms right shoulder
shift
80 time went OH an we had stood together
In lots o battles an In widest weather.
But, sone way hc he'd Aoycr seemed so sound
After lho day ne got that ugly wound
used to take the little fcllor's placc
On picket, specially when there WAS trace
OF wandering in his manner or klld
OK strangeness, like he didn't know bis mind
One uIeht-~'twas 4. .hs midst OF that CAM
palsn
When skirmlshes were daily, an the ain
Of sherman an Of Hood was day On night
u got A chance to start winning fight
Billy was placed on picket duty, where
The danger seemed to hover in tho a,r
To had relieved me, s'rapsa spough 10 say
An had chasgcd him Us came away,
To keep his wits about him an his eyes
Wide open, or he d meet with surprise
'lsdldnt Ike his looks; he turned from me
An kind o graspel his musset cerele'slN
walking away upon MS dangerous beat
u rollcd up IN my blanket put someway
couluht sleep, pclore me, pain US day
was mat boy marching up an down-hls race
WIN mat queer look Of gazing into space
An not tne flrst iuca Of Danger near,
Vt shaaow OF anxicly or rear,
Dut lesl as II MS ,p9Nsa'' were iar away
10 wntre llsa mother bowed her heai to pray
IL, -
.,Vu'o" o'anu ~ oo Wv" NY gun
hurried to the outposts silently,
Anxious to find him once again an sse
iall went we'll an Il u did, why then
I'd Jest turp In an try to sleep again.
- reacncu spot Close underneath INC hiil
" hon " u SCUM my 'crV heart stoou st'iA
q SUNNI thch wy IN outh-ln 'nch
between me an the twnklins stars dim light,
mat Jest outlined their figures on the height |
~ wan no Time 70 lhllK lraisea my arm'
Ine Rooa ola musket runH OUT inc liarp'
a dozen answering shata tho rebels sent
linen turned an run o yeillng as tney went
- S, ,., w sno nun ah awful u'oau
MY pfos'n' inc po'' ne must 10
u. asau, ..,. ,.,A..,
g." .sne,' .a"v u" avon wv l.unu i,s 'vm
warm,
A blow upon the head that stunned, that's all,
Ills gun all right, with powder, cap. an ball
An when saw its-wall' felt smart Il
That hurt moron II the wound was In his
heart
Asleep upon his post He turned 70 ne
I couldn't help # dad he said an then
He smiled that boyish smIlo of his again
Jest saying, as he turned once more. You SEQ
,nont tell Inc talls At boms ~ hen an, n,av
Than he,,s a Tho crard, no ,no,ch. No.,