The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-12-06
CURRENT POETRY.

fRr panl NJ. Rnssell.l

(By Paul Nj. Russell)
The lightning flashed across the heaven,
the distant thunder rolled,
And, swayed by gusts of angry winds,
the far-off church bell tolled:
The pillows crashed against the rocks
that kissed the oceans foam,
And eager pilots trimmed their sails, and
turned their skiffs for home.
As darkness fell across the earth, aud we
were gathered round
Our blazing hearth, and listening to the
storms terrific sound,
We all looked up to Uncle Tom, who sat
beside the fire,
A-dreaming Of the by-gone days and OF
disaster dire:
For memory brought him back again to
times Of darkest woe,
When strong in hand and light in heart
he fought the Northern foe.
He often spoke of '46-the fight on Mexic
plain,
How Buena Vista heights were reached
while bullets fell like rain:
How Shields had gained Chapultepec,
how Santa Anna fled,
And how the Sisters labored, even where
the bullets sped;
And oft he spoke of later times, but al
ways with a sigh,
VIXEN South and North rose up en- masse
to fight for cause or die.
And as beside the fire he sat and piped
his meerschaum well,
We asked, to pass the time away, that he
a tale would tell.
He paused a moment, then he laid his
good old pipe aside,
And said, I'll tell you, boys, tonight,
how Stonewall Jackson died
I'VE were retreating from the foe, for
Fredericksburg was lost,
And on our flank, still threatening, APP
peared the Union host.
Down by the RappahaBnock, in our dis
NAL tents we lay,
And the lightest heart was heavy with
our grave defeat that day;
"For tbs better for a soldier like Mont
gomery to die,
Than to see his valiant comrades from n
hated foeman fly
But reverses often come upon defenders
of the right
And justice seldom conquers, boys, when
nations so to fight.
with heavy hearts we laid as down, but
mind you, not to sleep,
Nor did we turn aside to sigh, or turn
aside to weep.
But as we pondered DER our griefs, a sud
den moan was heard,
Far louder than the willows moan, when
by the wind it's stirred.
ut woke the camp from reverie, it woke
the camp to fear;
And louder, louder grew the wall, most
dreadful than to hear,
And nearer came the weeping crowd, and
something stiff and still
Was borne. we knew not what it was
but followed with a viii.
AT last within our generals tent, the pre-
cious load was laid,
And then pallid soldier turned upon us
all and said
We thought it hard, my comrades brave
to lose the field to-day;
But harder will our labor be to struggle
in the fray
" Tor he is gone our gallant chief, who
could our hopes restore,
And rout and ruin is our fate, since
Stonewall is no more
Il cannot tell you how we felt or how we
acted then,
For words are weak to tell tale when
grief has mastered men;
But this | know, / pulled the cloth from
off brave Jacksons face,
And almost jumped with joy to see him
gaze around the place.
But, boys, it was a fieeting dream,
vacant stare he cast;
He did not see the canvas shaken by the
sudden blast;
He did not see us weeping as we stanch-
ed the flowing blood
But again in battle fighting, he was where
the foemen stood.
!" Order General Hill to actionr loud he
cried as he was wont;
And then he quickly added Bring the in
fantry to 'front.'
As he saw the corps pass by him-as it
were-in duty's call,
Suddenly he shouted: Drive them
charge upon them, one and all
'"rhen he turned aside, and, smiling, said,
with voice of one in ease:
let us cross the foaming river; let us
rest beneath the trees
Then we waited, boys, and watched him,
but no other word he said;
For adOwn the fOaming river had our
leaders spirit fed"
LITTLE PATCHED TROUSERS