Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1896-04-02
ABILENE WEEKLY REFLECTOR ABILENE KANSAS APRIL s-7WEIW PAGES
THE POETRY OF ARMS.
Thoughts That Have Stirred Soldiers h
the Midst Of Battle.

the Mto1t o. 8Atties
It is related in Lord Mahon's history
that ION the night Of the 18th Of Sep
TENDER, 1859. the night before the bat
tie on the plains Of Abraham, portion
Of the British army passed down the
St. Lawrence. Swiftly but silently
gays the historian, did the boats pull
down with the tide, nnobserved by the
cnemy's sentinels at their posts along
the shore. Not a word was spoken
not n sound heard beyond the ripping
Of the stream. Wolfe alone-thus ira
dition has told us-repeated in a low
voice to the other officers In his boat
those beautiful stanxas with which u
country churchyurd inspired the muse
Of Gray. At the close Of the recitation
Wolfe added: Now. gentlemen. | would
rather be the author Of that poem than
take Quebec
Elsewhere we are told that "Sir Wnl-
ter Scott's intimate friend, Sir Adam
Ferguson. led a company in one OF the
bloody Spanish battles in Bonaparte's
wars. His company, under the heavy
fire Of the enemy. were ordered to lie
down behind breastwork. Every
vcstigc Of visible head was a mark
for French balls, and occasionally a
bomb whistled through the air and ex-
ploded in their neighborhood. They
we're to hold that spot, they could not
tell how many minutes or hours. The
lady of the Lake was just out. ard
Sir Adam, pulling it from his pocket.
read aloud, to the stirring accompani-
ment of shot and shell, the battle be-
tween Roderick Dhu's men ard the
royal troops Is not this the very poetry
of arms? Conceive the Scotch troops
for Scottish men they were--how their
hearts would vibrate to the names OF
their familiar mountains and chief.
tuins!
I'll see the Moray's silver star
And mark the dagger crest Of Mar,
Conceive the accompaniment of rat
Ting drum and booming cannon'
""Twerc worth ten years Of peaceful life,
One glance at their array
.Where, where was Rodcrlrh then.
One blast upon hts buglc horn
Wore worth thousand men
at is said that Sir Adam was 80 car
RED away that he sprang to his feet to
recite, and that had not some OF his
| friends been more prudent than he, and
compelled him 10 take an humber posi-
ton, the poetry might have been paid
for with his life"
Our union war gave instances as
striking us the above. Conspicuous
among these was the case OF Col, Daniel
McCook, a member Of the famous fight
ing McCook family Of Ohio, who. In
command Of brigade, was in the as
aaulting party in Sherman's charge
upon the enemy's work at Kenesaw
mountain, Ca, June ~, 1864. just be
fore his last charge, according to thu
account given, McCook rested under
shelter, on a brief pause, for his brigade
While thus waiting, the fine, fiery sol
der repeated in voice full Of enthusi
assn these lines from Macaulay's "Hora
titus at the Bridget"
'"Then out spoke brave Horatius.
To captain of the gate;
To every man upon this earth
Death cometh soon or late.
And how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds.
For the ashes Of his fathers,
And the temples of his gods"
Then the charge was ordered and TIL
gallant McCook, true to the union blue
went to his death. REV. j. G. Magee, il
National Tribune.
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