Amador ledger., 1905-04-21
Jessie Brown at Lucknow.

aud Children, were smut up in the
Residency from July l to Nov. II,
surrounded by 100, 900 sepoys, we'll
armed with all modern implements
of warfare. HaveIock had cut his
way into the fort, but his force was
too feeble to resist the hordes of
mutlneers, and he too was beseiged.
Sir Colin Campbell, with feeble
army, started from Cawnpore to raise
the siege. After losing one third of
his force, defeating armies three times
larger than his own, he had to return
to Cawnpore to await reinforcements.
The garrison was decimated with sick
ness and war, but held out hoping
against hope. Jessie Brown, long be-
fore the rest of the garrison, heard
the sound of the bagpipes of the
Highlanders, and so announced to the
heroic garrison. They believed it was
a delusion, born of deranged mind,
until the joyful sound was borne to
them by the nearer approach of Camp
bells army marching to their relief.
Oh, that last day in Lucknow fort
We knew it would be the last;
For the enemy's mines crept slowly in,
And the end was coming fast.
To yield to that foe meant worse than
death,
So the men and we all worked on;
Twas one day more of smoke and roar,
And then it would all be done.
There was one of us-a corporal S
wife
A trail, wee, gentle thing;
Wasted by fever in that long seige,
Her mind was wandering.
She lay Oh the ground in her Scottish
plaid,
And l took her head on my knee;
When my father comes home from
the plow," she said,
"Ah, please, then waken me-
She was away to her Scottish moor,
Where childhood scenes we're laid,
And the watch dog sprawled by the
half open door,
And the widows wheel is stayed.
l sank to sleep and l had my dream,
Of English village and lane,
And garden and wall, when a sudden
scream
Brought me back to the rear again.
There Jessie stood a listening,
And then broad gladness broke
All over her face, and she took my
hand,
And drew me near and spoke
"The Highlanders ah, dinna ye hear
Their slogan far AVA?
The McGregors All, L ken it we'll
The grandest of them a.
Along the battery line, her cry
Had fallen among the men.
They listened-for they we're there to
die
Was life SO near them, then.
They listened for life, but the rattle
afar,
Was all, and the far off roar:
And the general sadly shook his head,
And they turned to their guns once
more.
Then Jessie said, "The slogans done,
But dinna ye hear it moo
The Campbells are coming, its nae
dream;
Our succor has broken through.
"God bless the bonnie Highlanders
We're saved! we're saved!' she
cried;
And fell on her knees, and thanks to
God
Poured forth like full flood tide.
We heard the roar of the strife afar,
But the pipers we could not hear;
So we piled our task of hopeless war,
And knew that the end was near.
But twas not long ere that sound
must be heard
A thrilling, piercing sound
1t was not the noise of the strife afar,
Nor the sappers underground.
1t was the pipes of the HighIanders,
And now they played "Auld lang
1t came to our men like the voice of
God,
And they shouted along the line.
And we wept and kissed each others
hands,
And the women sobbed in a crowd,
And then we sank on the ground
where we stood,
And we all thanked God aloud.
On that happy day that we welcomed
them in,
The men put Jessie first;
And the general took her hand, and
cheers
From the men like volIey burst.
And theFpipers, with ribbons and tar
tans streamed,
Marched round and round our line;
And our cheerful cheers we're mingled
with tears,
And the pipers played "Auld lang
synne."