Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-01
rHr R1oHMoNp OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. DECEMBER /. 1895

lying in the straw near by. a. u was
impossible to obtain sepulture Tor any OF
the dead Of either sids."
I found Captain Motifs body guarded
by his two colored servants. Nat ana
John. I said to them:
Boys. we must find some means 10
bury your master" but we could ma
no implements. except an axe aid
broken spade. With those we pried OF
some of the Misunderstanding Of the
Alexander house. dug shallow ertvs
at the foot OF q large Catalpa tree, iined
II with the planks, and laid those Two
soldiers side by side-the Blue and the
GRAY. Two other officers. Major Huger'
of Maginault's staff. and Colonel Naras':
OF the regiment which killed General
I,ytle. were buried near by. These bodies
were subsequently all removed ceneraI
Lytle's three or four days aftsr ne was
killed. a casket having been sent through
by flag OF truce. ..a
"And this Is the true account OF III.
decth and burial of Brlgadier-Generai
" II L,ytle. the author Of - am
Dying. Egypt, Dying. .so
At the reunion OF the Blue ana VI.
GRAY at Chickamauga battle-neio i"s'
srn.mer Colonel West met severai niein
bers of General Lytle's commaho, man.
of whom are leading men III 'ne eI'
OF Cincinnati He was maze inc
cIpIent OF many courtcsiee py tnenl' a.
specially invited TO participate IN ne
exercises incident to the oeo'cauo IT,.
n handsome monument 20 Genera i-s
memorv which had been erected on tnat
historic field. General Lew wallace Wa
20 have delivered an address OH '"o
occasion Colonel West wouid nav
cepted the invitation. but owins 10 JIM
raj vVallace's failure TO be present. some
OF the arrangements fell throush' anu
Colonel West did not attend. ,
cantain John c. Parker. an ex-Fede'ai
navel officer. formerly a resident OF GIN
oirrati hut now OF New Orleans' was
welt acquainted with General Lyle. he
agreed with Colonel West that the poem
81 am Dying, Egypt, Dying, was written
n few wears before the war. Mr. Parker
said he remembered reading IL IN Yin
cinnati paper about the year 1898.
General Lyle he said, sprahs I'ol,,
a military family. he was man
great refinement and culture. ana
very gallant soldier. and he possessed
a strong personality and magnetism ms
death was greatly mourned In ONO anu
he lies buried in Spring Grove ceme'els.
Cincinnati under a handsome monument
erected by his family.
THE POPULAR VERSION.
We herewith append the popular YER
sion OF the romantic story OF the au'io
shin Of the poem. the poem i'seii' 49, 49,
a brief sketch Of Lyle, but we are unav
to discover the name or the ua.e Oh VIZ
paper from which the clipping ~ '"N
The tale about the lines being "flVten ",
tbe eve OF Chickamauga Is fully wen
oxn,oded hut ANTONY and Cleopatra
,s a noble production and VIII i've az
long as American literature. We nav
never seen anything else from fne
men of the gallant and unfiincning SUI
der. but II he never wrote anotner
verse or line this production Ha.Ss
him as a poet in the true sense OF 'he
word. l.. ~. ersst
literature OF song is that one known
everywhere by its first patneuc hhe'
Fl am dying. Egypt, dying
and which vas written by dehera,
William Haines Lyle on the eve OF ,n.
battle OF Chickamauga. Inc De.ro''
Eree Press SAYS il is indebted TO the late
Colonel Realf, poet, author. and soldier
who shared the fortunes OF war win
his friend, General Lyle, for an account
of the peculiar circumstances under when
the poem was written. Colonel heah
shared the tent of General Lytle on the
night preceding the battle. The TWO
friends were both given to wrltihg
poems at such times and each had an
unfinished poem on band. They reau
AMI criticised each others enorts huho,
ously for some time, when Geherai L'"'
said with a grave smile:
"Realf. l shah never live 10 nnish 'hd'
poem a., III,
Nonsense" said his friend, you VIII
live 70 write volumes of such stun
"No." said the General solemniy, as
I was speaking to you a feeling came
over me suddenly, which Is more starting
than prophecy, that / shall be Killed IN
to-morrow's fight"
Colonel Realf asked him 10 define this
feeling and he said
"Ae / was talking 10 you saw the green
hills of Ohio as they looked when stood
among them. They began to recede from
me in a weird way-and as they uisap-
peared the conviction flashed through me
like the llghtnlng's shock that should
never see them again
General Lyle was a native OF ONO anu
dearly loved his birth state. Colo
mel Realf laughed at his frlend
and rallied him upon his super
stition, but acknowledged afterwaru
that he became so thrilled himself with
an unnaturai fear that he begged tins Gen
eral 10 finish his poem before he slept,
that such fine work might not be lost
to the world. In the small hours General
Lytle awakened his friend from the SUM
Der into which he had fallen 10 READ 10
him that beautiful poem, which must i've
as long as our literature survives.
Imagine the scene. The two men. united
by the bonds OF friendship. or congehlal
tastes. both ready and willing 10 race
death on the morning in Its direct FORM
seeming by the light OF their tent lantern
osl
poem had been read aloud.
Colonel Realf said that his own eyes
flied with tears. but the General said not
q word as he placed the manuscript IN
his pocket and lay down on his last
nights rest upon earth.
Before dawn came the call or arms.
When Reaf next saw his friend he lay
cold in death among the heaps OF slain.
Then he thought or the poem. ana search
ing the pocket where ne had seen him
place H. he drew II forth ana forwarded
il to General Lytle's friends with his
other effects. We give the poem In its
entirety. feeling sure all will renew their
admiral ton OF II, when they read under
what tragic circumstances II was written.
AN DYING. EGYPT. DYING.
/ am dying. Egypt, dying!
Ebbs the crimson ilfe-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
Bear their eagles high no more.
And my wrecked and scattered galleys
Strew dark Actiums fatal shore:
Though no glittering guards surround
me.
Prompt 10 do their masters will,
l must perish like Roman
Die the great Triumvir still!
Let not Caesars servile minions