The Washington herald., 1911-07-09


Turned aside from glory's ray,
| His who drunk with thy caresses,
Madly flung a world away.
Gen. William Haines Lytle, who fel
mortally wounded and died on the fielC
at Chickamagua on September 20, 1853
was a man of rare accomplishments. His
poem Antony and Cleopatra"-moreg gen
orally known as Il am Dying. Egypt
Dying"-is one OF the gems among the
shorter poems composed by an American
and will help always to keep his name
in memory when his gallant deeds on the
field Of battle will have been forgotten.
Lytle inherited his martial spirit from
soldier ancestry, his grandfather having
taken part in the Indian wars in Ohio,
and his great-grandfather was a soldier
Of the French and Indian wars. He him
self served with distinction during the
Mexican war, and during the civil war,
up to the time Of his death. From child
hood William Haines Lytle was fond of
literature, and wrote poetry. much of
which was credible and sufficient 10
I'LL large volume, but these poems have
never been collected in book form, and
none of them have become familiar, with
the exception OF his Antony and Cleo
patra."
Lytle has taken an interesting subject
for his poem, the love borne by Mark
Antony for the "Sorceress of the Nile. "
Cleopatra-the love that caused him to
forsake his Octavia, to disobey his EN-
peror, TO turn his back on his country,
to drown every ambition-and ambition
he possessed to an unusually marked de-
gree. 1t was a love that changed the
map of the world. Antony might easily
have replaced Caesar as Roman Emperor
but for the love of the Egyptian. In
the Nile" had betrayed him. he inflicted
upon himself a mortal wound, and died
later in Cleopatras arms.
1t is the dying words of Antony TO
Egypt" (Cleopatra) which are so beau
tifully expressed in the Lytle poem. This
poem was written in 1851, and attained
little prominence until after the poets
death. 1t had been printed in a number
of papers at the time of its writing, but
when word came Of the death OF Gen.
Lytle at Chickamauga, with the sketch
of his life appeared the poem in most of
the papers, since which time it has been
printed and reprinted all over the coun-
try. 1t has also become a considerable
favorite among English compilers of pop
ular books OF poetry.
When Lytles body was picked up on
the field OF battle it contained a manu-
script copy of the poem, and for some
time it was printed as having been writ
ten during the exciting period of the
war, by way OF diversion in camp, by
the general. Later this was found to be
untrue, and his having it in his posses
sion at the time was explained in the fact
that he had been relating to an army
friend of his having written the poem,
and recited II to him. The friend asked
him for a copy. At his leisure. just be-
fore the battle, he wrote 1t out one even
ing in camp, expecting to give it to his
when they next met, but his
death came before he was able to carry
out his promise.
The place where the poet-warrior fell
at Chickamauga has since his death been
called "LytIe's HILL" The regiment Col.
Of young Irishmep. and when they left
FOR the front the Irish admirers of the
gallant colonel presented him with a mag
1iicent black horse of noble breed and
bearing the Irish name 'Faugh-a-Bal-
augh," or Clear the Way" The regi-
nent was also presented with a set OF
,olors, the patriotic offering Of the ladies |
II Cincinnati. The flags were presented |
by Hon. Bellamy storer, and in accept |
ng them Col. Lytle said, among other |
hings:
"Sir, tell the ladies there is not a man |
n the ranks who will not shed his hearts |
blood like water beneath these colors. |
When the war is over we will bring them |
,ack to the Queen City of the West with
,ut spot or blemish. You see around you |
thousand men who to-day say good-by |
o their sweethearts and their friends.
We make no promises, but when it comes
o the clash of steel, remember the
Zenith"
This was In 1861. His regiment was
rst brought into action on September 10.
S61. 1t received a crimson baptism and
vas forever afterward known as THE
Bloody Tenth" During several engage
1ents Lytle was severely wounded, but
he final scene Of his great career is thus
escribed in the manuscript journal of
apt. Alfred Pirtle, who was an aid-de-
amp on Gen. Lytle's stan:
''The Eighty-elghth Illinois, led by Gen.
.ytle. charged the enemy and took up
osition on gentle slope. A few mo-
lents after the Thirty-sixth Illinois
oined them and then the Twenty fourth
Wisconsin moved up to the support OF
he Thirty-sixth Illinois. Our other regi-
lent, the Twenty-first Michigan. was
BON engaged, and a section OF the
Eleventh Indiana battery pushed up the
III by hand. The general was sitting on
is horse at this time. facing south, his
1T toward the enemy. the reins Of his
orse held in his left hand; his sword
rawn, the blade. sloping upward, rested
pom the reins. Upon the generals face
as an indescribable expression, caused
y what is called the battle fre'-a spirit
{ enthusiasm. brought on by the tre-
lendous excitement OF the occasion.
hich irradlated every feature. sparkIed
ON his eyes. marked with sharp out
mes the curves OF the mouth. and seemed
lady TO leap forth in words from his
arted lips.
He leaned toward me apd bent to
itch his words, while he calmly said, i