Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-08-21
TWO FAMOUS POEMS.
PECULIAR CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER
WHICH THEY WERE WRITTEN.

WHICH THEY WERE WRITTEN.
Old Captain John Duble and His Bundles
of Faded and Time Worn Papers That
Recalled Interesting Memories of the
Long Time Ago.
Old John Duble, the doughty captain
of the Ohio river gunboat Conestoga and
the commodore of the fleet which helped
repulse Bragg and Kirby Smith when
they laid siege to Cincinnati, is suffer-
ing from the infirmities of his fourscore
years at his home in this city. Though
his sea legs have gone back on him to
some extent, his mind remains clear and
active. I called upon him the other
evening and found him engaged in rum
maging through several packages Of
timeworn and yellow papers, which he
said were notes that he had kept for
years before and since the war. Picking
up a clipping upon which were some
verses, he laid it in my lap with the re-
mark, "Did you hear how that was
written?"
I examined the clipping and saw that
it contained the verses of General W.
Fl. Lytle of Ohio, who, while fighting
with the Army Of the Cumberland, lost
his life near Chickamauga. Who has
not read IT Am Dying, Egypt, DYING"
"I'll tell you about that piece" con-
tinued Captain Duble. ST knew Lytle
long before the war, when he was
young man studying law in Cincinnati.
He was inclined to be a gay youth and
spent too much time over the flowing
bowl. One night he was taken to the
Hammond Street station for safe keep
ing. AS he sobered up he called for q
pen and ink Then and there he wrote
that poem. 1t immortalized him.
"Years after Lytle became Union
general and participated in the battles
Of Tennessee. He was killed at Stone
River. When the rebels examined the
body and found the poem, which estab-
lished his identity, they tenderly
wrapped him in the Union flag, for
which he had so bravely fought, and
sent him across to the Federal camp, ac
companied by guard of honor. That
was one Of the prettiest things I ever
knew the rebels to do, and our boys ap-
preciated it too.
''Here's another story Of how Buch-
anan Reed came to write that dashing
poem, 'Sheridan's Ride with which
every one is familiar. Reed was on my
staff at the siege of Cincinnati. He had
been living in that city, but he came
originally from Pennsylvania, and was
as much at home in Philadelphia, New
York, Boston, Rome, Dusseldorf, Lon
don or Paris as in the county ef Ches-
ter. which gave him birth He went to
Cincinnati .tailor's apprentice, then
became student Of sSGalpture under
Clevenger and carved angel faces upon
freestone monuments. Abandoning
sculpture he took up art and mental cul-
ture. When I knew him in 1862, he had
been all over the world and had lived in
all of the large cities. He had written
quite a number Of war poems.
'Sheridan's Ride was written the
1st of November, 1864. Murdoch, the
actor, was to be given an ovation in
Pixies Opera House. Murdoch was read
ing Harper's Weekly that morning, and
upon the title page was the thrilling
picture of Sheridan S ride to the front
A friend suggested that there was a
poem in the picture, and asked if he
could not have one written for the actor
to recite at his ovation. Murdoch ex-
pressed his doubts at being able to mem
orize the piece in time. But the friend
sought Reed, who enthused upon seeing
the picture, and during the afternoon
the poem was finished. Before the ink |
had dried on the paper Murdoch was
committing the verses to memory. That
night Murdoch inimitably interpreted |
that poem, and peal after peal Of enthu- |
siasm punctuated the last three glowing
verses. Both Murdoch and Reed were |
called before the footlights to receive |
congratulations. Reed afterward gave
me the manuscript Of that poem. The
author told me that he took nothing to |
his room save a pot Of black tea, at |
which he slipped as he wrote. THAT |
poem, with it's faults said he, came
from no inspiration of the bottle I /
would like to have corrected some Of |
those faults, but Bayard Taylor advised
me not to allow the least change or
emendation, but to let it stand as writ |
ten. It now stands as the muse gave
it. '"-Washington Cor. Cincinnati En- |
quirer.