The Washington herald., 1914-02-28
HISTORY BUILDERS.
A Tribute to an Almost Forsotten
Poet.
(written expressly for The Herald.)
BY DR. Il. q. EDWARDS.

written expressly for The Herald.)
BY DIR. Il. ,. EDWARDS.
TN the long life of Col. Edward J. Allen.
OF Pittsburgh. full of adventure as 10
= was In his early years. he met many
/ In the civil war, as authors. and as men
of great affairs. Col. Allen. when only
| twenty-one years OF age. was the leader
OF the party which blazed path from the
Missouri River to the Pacific. and he was
| one Of those who under the sponsorship
of Capt. George Brinton Mcclellan. built
| a difficult highway in the heart Of what Is
now the State of Washington. As colonel
| of Pennsylvania regiment he partici-
pated in many battles and was at last
, grievously wounded at Gettysburg. Now
in his eighty-fourth year he is the only
surviving colonel or any of the regiments
which went from Pennsylvania to the
front In civil war days
Col. Allen was one OF the fortunate men
who had personal and intimate acclaint-
ance with that man OF rare poetic genius,
Richard Realf 'I became intimate with
Realf," said Col. Allen. land In that In
timacy i discovered the qualities Of .
most lovable man. He had the genuine
poetic attitude. I wish he were mors
widely known and better appreciated, for
Il
in our hurry we miss the worth and deli
icacy of many fine souls. have learned
that poems go by vogue to a great ex-
tent. Few remember how Gen. Lytie'a
poem. which begins: I am dying. Egypt.
dying which was written just before he
was killed in battle.
'ReaIf told me once that he knew Gen.
Lytle and was a comrade In arms with
him. How well / remember Realfs guile
lessness His face was full Of radiance
and enthusiasm Illuminated his counten<
ance.
''Realf was OF English birth and par<
entage. and he came to this country willis
a lad. knew but little OF his early life.
He became one Of the associates Of John
Brown whom ReaIf regarded as a sort of
inspired prophet But he was not with
John Brown at the Harpers Ferry raid
When the civil war began. Realf enlisted.
and he was a soldier both in action and
in spirit. but. curiously enough. the war
did not inspire him to any work that will
live. However. il did not inspire any OF
the poets in that way except Mrs. Howe,
when she wrote The Battle Hymn Of the
Republic Whittier. LongfeIlow, and
James Russell Lowell.
Il found Realf a companion of such
vivid and rare appreciation that his i'm
pressions. peculiar quality of voice. and
his rapt interest in his subject, come be-
fore me clearly now. He was a most
companionable guest. but a very sensi-
tive man. Many an evening before taking
up the burden of his leader writing-he
wrote editorials for the Pittsburgh Com
mercial. whose successor is the Gazette
Trmes-he used to talk over with me the
incidents of his life.
1T was one which had been full OF
tumult, great hopes. sorrows, agony. and
some spiritual exultation. An after-din-
ner talk with him. at my home, was
great pleasure to me.
Poor fellow. his was not the kind of
temperament that could endure the bur-
dens of life / was in San Francisco
when 1 learned of his death. l wish I
could have been with him in his last hour.
for the touch of a friends hand and the
encouraging words from a kindly spirit
might have meant much to him. His last
poem was the epitome of desolation in
words, Nil Nisi Bonum De Mortuis EST
IT ended thus: Plant daisies at his head
and at his feet Others had done this
when I went to his grave, and ], too,
planted mine there"
tCoTsright, l9l)