Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-25
OUR POET PRIEST.
FATHER RYAS's PICTURE TO BE
PRESENTED TO LEE CAMP.
THE CONQUERED BANNER.
circumstances Under which IL Was
written-,Irs. Jones's Descriptive
Poem-The Author Did Not at First
Think Much of His Work.

The portrait gallery Of Lee Camp, with
| its memories OF great soldiers and master
| minds, will contain no rarer gem than
| the likeness of the soldier-priest and
| poet with which 1t is to be enriched to-
night 1t has been painted in oils for
the camp, at the request of some OF
Father Ryan's friends and admirers. and
will be presented by Hon. w. f. Reddy
on their behalf, and received for the
camp by Rev. Father Kelley. Of Savan-
nah, Ga, who is widely known as a
speaker OF exceptionally brilliant at
tainments.
The event has been anticipated with
the keenest interest. and it is safe to
say that the camp hall will hardly pro-
vide accommodation for those who VIII
wish TO attend the incidental exercises.
The reason for the enthusiasm which the
event has aroused is not far to seek, Ior
the poet has touched and thrilled the
hearts of his countrymen by the music
Of his song. which rings still firm ana
true down the avenue of time; Tor the
visions that came to the mind OF the
priest as 'he walked down the valley OF
silence, down the dim. voicelesS valley
alone" live on, for they are immortal
THE CONQUERED BANNER.
One of the many interesting features
of the programme will be the recitation
by Miss Florence Evans Of the Con
duered Banner" that great southern epic
which was wrung from the heart OF the
poet at a time when the Southland stood
in grief and i'm untold sorrow
The story OF how that poem came to be
written had been told by Father Ryan
himself in the following words: DO you
know that the Conquered Banner Is
great poem? / never thought it so. but
"A poor woman, who did not have much
education. but whose heart was nlled
with love for the South, thought so, and
If 1t had not been for her IL would nave
been swept out OF the house and burned
up.
II was In Knoxville when the news
came that General Lee had surrendered
at Appomattox Courthouse. 1t was
night, and | was sitting in my room in
a house where many Of the regiment OF
which [ was chaplain were quartered
when an old comrade came in and said
to me: All is lost; General Lee has sur
rendered. | looked at him. l knew by
his whitened face that the news was too
true. / simply said, Leave me- and he
went out Of the room. L bowed my
head upon the table and wept long and
bitterly. Then thousand thoughts came
rushing through my brain. l could not
control them. The banner was con-
quered; its folds must be furled, but Its
story had to be told / looked around
for a piece Of paper to give expression TO
the thoughts that cried out within me.
ON COMMON WRAPPING-PAPER
All that | could find was piece Of
brown wrapping-paper that lay on the
table, about an old pair of shoes that
friend had sent me. seized TINS piece
of paper and wrote:
"Furl that banner, for tits weary;
Round its staff lis dropping, dreary;
Furl it. fold it, it is best;
For there's not a man 10 wave II,
And there's not sword 10 save IL,
And there's not one left 10 lave 1t,
And it's foes now scorn and brave II;
Furl it, hide il, let 1t rest
Take that banner downl tits tattered;
Broken is its staff, and shattered,
And the valiant hosts are scattered,
over whom il iiOated high.
.. It's hard for US to fold II,
Hard to think there's none TO hold II,
Hard that those VINO once unrOlled 1t
Now must furl it with a sigh.
once ten thousands hailed it gladly,
And ten thousands wildly, madly,
SWore il should forever wave;
Swore that foeman's sword could never
Hearts like theirs entwined discover,
Till that flag would float forever
Ger their freedom or their grave.
"Furl it, for the hands that graspea it,
And the hearts that fondly clasped 1t,
Cold and dead are lying low;
IL Ion &c
While around il sounds the WalllnS
OF its people in their woe.
For. though conquered, they adore IL,
Love the cold. dead hands that bore II,
Weep for those who fell before IT,
Pardon those who trailed and tore II,
And. O. wildly. they deplore II,
Now to furl and fold it So
"Furl that bannerl true it's CORY,
yet tits wreathed around with glory,
And twill live in song and story,
Though it's folds are In the dust;
For its fame on brightest pages,
Penned by poets and by sages,
Shall go sanding down the ages,
Furl its folds though now we must.
"Furl that banner! softly, slowly;
Treat it gently-it is holy
For IL droops above the dead;
Touch il not; unfold IL, never:
Let IL droop there, furled forever,
For its peoples hopes are dead"
LEFT THEM ON THE TABLE.
when / had written this went to bed.
leaving the lines upon this table. The next
morning the regiment was ordered away.
and | thought no more of the lines writ
ten i'm such sorrow and desolation Of spirit
on that fateful night. What was my as
constituent a few weeks later to see them
appear ahove my name I'm Louisville pa