The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1896-05-02
TWO FAMOUS POEMS.
PECULIAR CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER
WHICH THEY WERE WRITTEN.

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 infrmities 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. l 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, Ibid you hear how that was
written?"
examined the clipping and saw that
It contained the verses Of General ".
4 H. Lyle of Ohio, who, while fighting
with the Army Of the Cumberland. lost
his life near Chickamauga. Who has
not read 81 Am Dying, Egypt, Dying?'
I'm tell you about that piece" con
tinued Captain Duble. 81 knew Lyle
long before the war, when he was u
young man studying law in Cincinnati
He was inclined to be 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
pen and ink Then and there he wrote
that poem. 1t immortalized him.
Years after Lyle 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, &c
companied by guard Of honor. That
was one Of the prettiest things | 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, 'Sheridans 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
r York, Boston, Rome, Dusseldorf, Lon
? don or Paris as in the county of Ches-
ter which gave him birth. He went &c
s Cincinnati as tailor's apprentice, then
e became student Of sculpture under
: Clevenger and carved angel faces upon
q freestone monuments. Abandoning
/ sculpture he took up art and mental cul
ture. When l knew him in 1862, he ha6
been all over the world and had lived il
1 all OF the large cities. He had writer
= quite a number of war poems.
Q 'Sheridan's Ride was written tn,
n LIST of November, 1864. Murdoch, tn,
S actor, was to be given an ovation il
e Pixies Opera House. Murdoch was read
Il ing Harper's Weekly that morning, ans
5 upon the title page was the thrilling
l. picture Of Sheridans ride TO the front
d A friend suggested that there was
It poem in the picture, and asked If h
2 could not have one written for the acto
a to recite at his ovation. Murdoch ex
It pressed his doubts at being able to mem
p orize the piece in time. But the frienl
, sought Reed, who enthused upon seeinI
l the picture, and during the Afternoon
10 the poem was finished. Before the in
le had dried on the paper Murdoch wa
I'd committing the verses to memory. Tha
TO night Murdoch inimitably interprete
that poem, and peal after peal Of enthu
siasm punctuated the last three CLOWN
verses. Both Murdoch and Reed wer
re called before the footlights to receiy
III congratulations. Reed afterward gay
o. me the manuscript Of that poem. Tn
IN author told me that he took nothing I
IN his room save pot of black tea, Q
es which he slipped as he wrote. This
H. poem, with its faults. said he. cam
IN from no inspiration Of the bottle.
H. would like to have corrected some {
'r those faults, but Bayard Taylor advise
p me not TO allow the least change d,
Us emendation. but to let it stand as wri
III ten. 1t now stands as the muse gay
il. '-Washington Cor. Cincinnati FL
OF ouirer