E
672.
075-
THE LIBRARY
OF
THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA
PRESENTED BY
PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND
MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID
IN MEMORIAM.
GEN. U. S. GRANT.
PVlRS. AZALIA E.vOSGOOD
ERRATA.
Page 9, line 1, no should be omitted.
" 9, " 25, implse should read impulse.
11, " 4, should read upon the valiant.
" 13, " 17, tiding should read tidings.
u 16, " 3, to should read unto.
" 17, " 17, assign should read assigns.
44 35, 14, him should read Grant.
" 36, " 8, scrol should read scroll.
u 39, " 21, sremed should read seems.
" 39, 23, explicit should read implicit.
" 40, " 2, a should read on.
" 40, " 17, lighning should read lightning.
" 40, " 21, should read which waxelh like unto.
CORRECTED BY THE AUTHOR.
Page 9, line 1, should read
Now paid his last respects nor could do more,
Page 9, line 25, should read
With sudden impulse to partake it more,
Page 11, line 4, should read
For charge is made upon the valiant row
Page 13, line 17, should read
While all our land with joyous tidings teems
Canto II., line 6, should read
Is by the force of circumstance affected ;
Page 15, line 3, should read
Like merest drudge he turns unto wood-hauling,
Page 17, line 3, should read
Wait no instructions from the better versed,
Page 17, line 17, should read
To gallant soldier he assigns command
Canto IV., line 13, should read
And drowsy conscience, so great was their number,
Canto V., line 1, should read
The scroll seems welked to a battered chart
Canto V"., line 12, should read
The shaft of critic may ne er disarm ;
Page 35, line 14, should read
By lifting Grant to station high.
Canto VIII., line 8, should read
(Athwart the lightened scroll,)
Canto IX., line 21, should read
At juncture when to fail seems greivous wrong,
Canto IX., line 23, should read
Thus proving strength of their implicit trust ;
Page 40, line 2, should read
Tis done! Each failure causeth new resolve
Page 40, line 17, should read
In twain by lightning of Atlanta s fray.
Page 40, line 21, should read
Which waxeth like unto a sheet of flame
Page 40, line 23, should read
Lo ! In chimeric fashion it doth fade
Page 53, line 2o, should read
Do thus renew their elsewise flagging power
Page 53, line 27, should read
Doth quaintly span the zenith, is inscribed
IN MEMORIAM.
GEN. U. S. GRANT.
MRS. AZALIA E. OSGOOD.
PORTLAND, OREGON:
PRESS OF GEO. H. HIMES, 169-171 SECOND ST
1886.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY THE AUTHOR.
INDEX
Introduction
Ulysses S. Grant 3
Vision on the Mount 5
Bock of Ages 41
Requiem 42
The Last Tribute 43
A Voice from Afar ._ 50
O
INTRODUCTION.
Not " mightier than the sword " which once refused,
Yet found its way unto the Nation s heart,
And proved itself to be so wisely used
That it became, in time, a vital part
Of earth s vast magnet is this trembling u pen " ;
Nay, nor so mighty w r ill it e er become.
A little while t will struggle on, and then
Its trace of utmost effort will succumb
To learn-ed phrase of sage philosophy.
Which hath so little part in woman s life,
That all her paths seem blocked by sophistry,
Her eveiy action with emotion rife.
Yet, t is with all a woman s yearning trust,
I proffer what my woman s heart impelled,
Till, forth from desert waste of mortal dust,
A spring of " sentiment " hath purely welled.
O, may its " little drops " swell crystal fount,
So swiftly forming in the Nation s soul;
Its gathered gems add lustre to amount,
That rears a monument from perfect goal.
AZALIA E. OSGOOD.
ASTORIA, OREGON, Feb. 1, 1886.
ULYSSES S- GRANT.
Born April 27, 1822.
Died July 23, 1885.
Lo ! all the world is in monrning to-day;
Nature herself seemeth sad-faced and tender;
Even the song-bird has silenced its lay,
As if, by instinct, mute tribute to render.
No one will wonder that silence doth reign;
No one will ask that the hush shall be broken;
Each heart accepteth its portion of pain;
Sorrow so vast hath no need to be spoken.
From the deep soul of the Nation evolves
Grief so profound, so unique, so o erpowering,
Round which the world s " common sorrow" revolves,
E en till u the birds of the air " nestle cowering.
Flags at half-mast on the land and the sea;
City and hamlet and broad-breasted ocean,
Family circles in homes of the free,
With one accord now evince their devotion
To the brave Hero just passed to his rest.
Dead unto men, yet supremely immortal;
Name, deeds, and birth-place, futurity -blest,
From History s page unto Heaven s own portal.
For as time winnows with mellowing hand,
Hearts will yield even more tender emotion
Unto the valor-fraught deeds of the land;
Unto the winner of highest promotion,
TTLYSSP:S s. GRANT.
Tnto the victor, the hero, the man;
I nto the cause he so nobly defended;
Lending such marvelous zeal to the van,
That, like a shock, through the ranks it extended.
Words are as naught of his courage to tell;
Grant, " the exalted " still much more remaineth
Warrior and chieftain? peacemaker as well;
He who but now crowning victory gaineth.
Strains that are martial, soul-stirring, sublime;
Music that e er will in memory linger;
Notes that will echo full solemn with time;
Chords that bear touching with reverent finger:
These are the sounds which should fall on the ear,
Thrilling with awe while in harmony blending
With sighing sob, nay, with each manly tear
As the vast concourse ol people is wending,
With muffled tread to the beat of the drum,
On toward the spot which all men will remember,
There the soul s temple to sadly succumb,
There the remains of the great to surrender.
Thence to turn homeward with pondering mind,
Dwelling in awe o er omnipotent wonders;
Seeking the key which none ever may find,
Till cleaving soul from its mortal clay sunders.
Ah, let us hope that as many may meet
Eound u the white throne "-Patriarchal and vernal
As have strewn roses beneath the tired feet
Of the world-hero where rest is eternal.
VISION ON THE MOUNT,
CANTO I.
Like swarthy statue wrought of tawny bronze,
He stood in dark attire upon the mount;
A human form, with bowed uncovered head,
From which flowed backward waves of raven hair
His attitude was that of rapt despair.
He mourned the loss ot noble friend late dead,
Nor lifted piercing eyes, as fain to count
The spangled stars which queenly evening dons;
Nor queried if the vast array comprised
A gleam that made the pulse of Heaven quicken,
Like meteor that hath lately been baptized
In lurid furnace where death-shadows thicken.
He deemed lie shared the multitude s deep grief-
Save that more poignant had his own become,
Since isolated through indulged desire
To stand alone on Mt. McGregor s brow,
And dwell in thought on sufPring over now,
Which had been bathed in Heroism s lire,
In that its victim bore in anguish dumb
The wage of war, till death had brought relief;
Nor turned his gaze rebellionsly to-ward
The elements along the line extending.
But strove tor human and divine accord
When he foresaw the weary struggle ending.
8 VISION ON THE MOUNT.
J T were this thought, chiefly, which had held firm place
In mind of this lone mortal when he came,
By night, to pay a lingering farewell
To hallowed spot, where interchange were made
Of weakened force, and glory ne er to fade;
Where soul were wakened by shrill trumpet knell,
To sense of bliss, and to far greater fame
Than any won in life s prodigious race.
With but to draw exhilarating breath,
And in bright lieu of deadly sabres gleaming,
Forevermore dispelled the thought of death,
By guidons of the saintly hosts outstreaming.
He wist not as in solitude he stood,
Of aspect grave and venerative mood,
That ere another hour should have been told
A strange event into his life would come,
Most mighty in its comprehensive sum ;
That like a map of wonder would unfold
The substance for mature reflection s food,
Which all men would, in time, acknowledge good,
And visit on his modest head unsought,
A shower of timely plaudits, reinstating
What, through clear lens, to vital life were brought,
When in the world s great mart t were fast abating.
He did not ken that aught was now in store,
Save a depressed, unbroken train of thought,
From which, when rallied, he, with solemn stride,
Would take his place among the horde of men
He counted friends return to duty, when
Sweet satisfaction would, perchance, abide
Within his breast, since he had, as he ought,
VISION ON THE MOUNT. 9
Now paid his last respects, nor could do no more.
E en though the promptings of a loyal heart
Would bid him rank himself continuous debtor,
He yet believed that he had done his part,
And hoped, through buried grief, to be made better.
While thus he stood in meditation deep,
Lo! there appeared within his downcast view,
A weird, attractive, and peculiar light,
Whose semblance he could liken unto naught
Save to a glowing camp-fire which had caught
The silver reflex of approaching night,
When crescent moon presides and stars are few;
When Nature floods the earth with one vast sweep
Of tintless glory, ere she landscape flanks
With blentings which no human eye may measure,
Nor waits the coming of a vote of thanks,
Ere yielding up to night her short-lived treasure.
T were of a truth such light as ne er before
His mortal vision keen had feasted on,
And yet for him no terrors it possessed,
For, like a magic beacon, did it seem,
An unlooked-for, but more than welcome beam,
Which all his soul with valor did invest,
And prompted introspection, till anon,
With sudden implse to partake it more,
He stepped within its close converging lines
And sat him down amid Etruscan billows
Whose flaming pile, fantastic garland twines
Around the massive jet black head it pillows.
10 VISION ON THE MOUNT.
And now those search ing eves are gently raised,
As if the boat <>J bmtflictiort brought
Sweet reassurance mid still sweeter hope
Of some glad wonder soon to he revealed [healed
Through which deep wound of sorrow may he
And swathed, betimes, in Balm of Gilead cope,
Till such complete diversion hath been wrought
That all the ways of wisdom shall be praised
When banished every gloomy thought of death,
Which, lost to view behind recorded glory
The mind at pace w r ith swift, enraptured breath,
Must concentrate its force upon the story.
T were come ! Already magic scroll of light
Is half unfurled before his yearning view,
And scenic outlines sw r iftly taking shape,
Which promise give of thrilling acts in store,
Of which he hath not seen the like before ;
But which cognizance yet do not escape
For full accounts in books to life quite true
He hath perused with vivid mental sight,
Since later dramas brought into relief,
The wondrous valor of strategic actor
In life s great conflict, till a patriot chief,
He rightly ranked the Nation s own prime factor.
The figures Eighteen Forty-Seven flash
With iridescent sparkle, while beneath,
In ruby flame, September Eighth appears
On the expansive and illumined scroll,
Which still before his; vision doth unroll.
Till presently he din of battle hears
And likewise notes an aureolus wreath
VISION ON THE MOUNT. 1
In contrast to the smoke which follows crash
Of firearms, as, advancing on the foe,
The battle of Molino del Iley rages
For charge is made upon valiant row
As fierce as e.Vr were told on History s pages.
And foremost mid that storm of iron hail
One form advances with undaunted will,
With eye whose gleam betrays intrepid light
And features blanched through other cause than fear
His deeds inspire his followers with cheer-
While on they press into the thick of fight.
Despite the volley from the rugged hill;
Still on, till breastworks prove of small avail
A Hero, yet a stranger unto men.
Save to the few who view with admiration
His tranquil mien and nobie bearing, when
Their words of praise bring joy, but not elation.
T were past. The smoke of battle now doth roll
Far upward till no vestige there remains,
And from the scene of action have withdrawn
The hosts which did in deadly combat meet;
But, soon again, the drum doth loudly beat!
Nay, scarcely is the date of battle gone,
Ere warfare all its certainty regains.
For now, upon the panoramic scroll,
The name Chapultepec, mid salient fire,
Leaps into view, ablaze with pendant jewels.
Like constellation decking ardent lyre
With breath ^Eolian, choked by scorching fuels.
12 VISION ON TIIK .MOl XT.
And now, again, the Hero leads the way
In stolid inarch unto the castle walls,
As if unconscious of his whereabout,
Or, that his deeds than others are more brave,
But takes the part of battle s humblest slave,
While charging on the enemy s redoubt;
Nor heeds the import of the whizzing balls
Which, every moment, noble comrades slay,
Till it would seem his turn of need were next.
Yet does not fail betimes his troops to rally,
Who fight till flees the enemy perplexed,
When welkin echoes storm the woody valley.
T is done! Again the smoke has cleared away,
Yet not for long soon follow shifting scenes,
In each of which the Hero holds his own
For noble daring and for brave command,
For clear, calm head, and for unswerving hand,
For self-reliance firm as e er were shown,
And for obedience to the will that means
Through his performance, in each fresh affray,
To add another to the victories won,
And lessen bloodshed through swift termination
Of confidence, till every foernan sgun
Shall tremble with the force of consternation.
Scene follows scene in quick succession now,
And ever bright upon the magic scroll,
The name Ulysses hath a look sublime-
Fringed with broad halo of a changeful line.
Like morning sun inf US-CM! with morning dew,
And breathed upon by grand Homeric rhyme,
VISION ON THE MOUNT. 1
A name that swells the list on Honor s roll,
Like brilliant token ol recorded vow,
Till Mexico forgets to longer boast,
But hushed by all the powers of trepidation,
Allows the Stars and Stripes to drink a toast
O er head bowed low in deep humiliation.
The last grand scene of foreign series fades,
Till scarcely naught is left upon the scroll,
Save porcelain bumpers, which were late supplied
With nectar, rich as Cleopatra s wine,
In which full lustre of the pearl did shine;
A draught reflecting wisdom s star to guide.
The lion-hearted, e en from pole to pole,
In hours of peril, through the deepest shades,
But whose sole mission for the present seems
The ensign of the brave to be immersing,
AVhile all our land with joyous tiding teems
Of ended war and regiments dispersing.
Thus closeth first degree of mental view;
Our glorious banner, faded though it be,
Hath left its imprint on the wondrous scroll,
As ever proudly waving, to and fro,
It came in contact with the fiery glow
Which sipped the moisture late from flowing bowl,
That had imbued the flag renownedly free,
With triumph s nectar clear as crystal dew,
Till standard rose against the blanking space,
On background where resplendent tints were vieing,
Peace is the welcome word his dark eyes trace
Neath Victory s steadfast signal calmly flying.
CANTO II.
Ere long the scroll assumes a steady brightness,
As pledge of peace enshrined in radiant whiteness,
Where dove of snowy plumage lightly flutters,
Nor dreameth that a distant war-cloud mutters.
The Hero by the world unrecollected,
Is, by force of circumstance, affected;
And now behold him at his post of duty,
Despite the claims of wifely love and beauty.
New scenes! In Golden land aw hile he tarries,
Then to remote frontier his sword he carries,
In meek submission to his avocation,
And to the will commanding change of station.
Behold, a conflict in his breast now rages
Which every faculty of mind engages;
Shall he resign his soldierly position,
Or leave a wife in widow-like condition?
Tis o er his resignation he hath tendered,
His young ambition quietly surrendered ;
And now upon a farm behold him settled,
With self so curbed that none would deem him mettled.
VISION ON THE MOUNT. 15
But yet, withal, to prosper he is eager,
And as his income from the farm is meagre,
Like merest drudge, he turns to wood-hauling,
Nor murmurs once that he has missed his calling.
But, though the scroll, like a translucent curtain,
Appears to make his checkered fate uncertain;
Yet, glimpses of the inner man reflected)
A light which past and future scenes connected).
As flash of lightning in the cloudless heavens,
Doth bring to mind the power above that leavens
Those glimpses now suggest a silent wafter
Of mighty changes soon to follow after.
Y^et, all unflecked, the scene that next appeareth,
With courage which the bond of duty cheereth,
The Hero, loving still the starry banner,
Doth rank among his fellow-men, a tanner.
The scene upon the scroll is swiftly flading,
While thunder-clouds the air are fast pervading;
Now, warlike symbols, whose dread name is legion
Lo! white-winged Peace hath flown to other region.
CANTO III.
A crimson tide is surging o er the scroll
With marked significance; anon is formed
The opening scene in Belmont s bloody fray,
Soon deadly missile mounted steed doth slay.
On foot the Hero leads till camp is stormed,
Nor pauses, save his brave troops to extol ;
While the opponents flee in wild dismay.
When final scene he views with aspect calm,
Till smouldering heap late tents and baggage lay,
Fired by the torch which served as victor s palm.
An intervening space, and now the scene
Is one of wild confusion ; and the name
Fort Donelson gleams far above the place
Where pallid men are running Terror s race;
Each for himself, forgetful now of fame
For love of life doth love of country wean
While Duty s bond a fragile myth becomes
In scores of minds that hitherto saw not,
With naked vision, war which sense benumbs;
Hence, reft of courage, field and road they dot,
Like flocks of blue-jays startled at sunrise,
By sharp reports, to find their numbers less;
To witness in their very midst grim Death
And blood-shed wrought as t were by lightning s
breath ;
VISION ON THE MOUNT.
Too scared to soar, nor instinct may repress;
As fledglings, taken thus by harsh surprise,
Wait no instruction from the better versed.
Swift panting breasts, denoting fear profound,
In anxious flight, each striving to be first
None can do more than lightly skim the ground.
On to the rescue ! Hero now doth speed,
Nor deigns to rally panic-stricken men.
But turns he calmly toward the noble braves,
Who will, if need be, sleep in soldier graves;
Nor hesitate a single instant, when
His practiced eye di covereth their need,
And his firm tone commandeth, once for all,
That tierce assault be made without delay,
Which shall appearance of defeat recall,
And with God s help, insure victorious day.
To gallant soldier he assign command
Of two brigades, which take the double-quick,
And hurry forward, eager for the fray ;
While he to dauntless warrior speeds away,
And bids him three brave regiments to pick,
And for the onset hold them well in hand.
T is done ! The mighty column now is formed !
Their fearless leader hastens to the front,
And with that zeal which every heart hath warmed,
Lifts cap upon his sword, and takes the brunt
Of warfare in the undismayed advance
Of towering column, surging up the heights,
Unto the bulwarks, whence wide ridge of tire
Might well suggest a kindled funeral pyre;
18 VISION ON THE MOUNT.
Yet which, withal, no whit their courage blights.
Its heated breath seems valor to enhance
Rent ranks are closed, unmindful of the, dead;
The wounded moan in agony unheard;
Blood-boltered path they resolutely tread -
Each heaving breast with fatal ire is stirred
As on they rush, despite the rough ascent,
Thick strewn with havoc, clogging toilsome way,
Through oozing and coagulating gore,
Of those whose fate it were to inarch before,
And form the carnage in that brave array ;
On to avenge the sturdy life-blood spent,
By weapons, in the hands of mortal foe,
Whose ravage numbers full two thousand men :
Stung into fury, upward still they go,
Mid leaden fire, till summit s raught. nor ken
How many shall be spared to tell the tale,
Of awful conflict they believe in store,
As every man his musket now doth raise,
And level with unerring aim, one blaze
As if infernal flood had broken o er,
And Stygian waters deluged all the vale
For one brief moment. Ha ! they boldly spring
Upon the ramparts, over them ! and now,
The smoky air with their loud shouts doth ring,
As cheer on cheer ascendeth from the brow
Of the intrenchment, which doth overlook
Discomfiture within the Fort below,
Where bleeding hearts are probed unto the core
At sight of Union standard floating o er
VISION ON THE MOUNT. 1 U
The works they deemed impervious to foe.
They read, as it were written in a book,
The issue of the morrow; and resolve,
Mid gloaming, to make sure of swift escape ?
And to this end they speedily absolve
One and another from command ! Agape
With wonder, flavored well with wrath and scorn,
The doomed subordinates behold them flee;
While bitter rancor rises in eac h breast,
That they are subject still to stern behest
But those of higher rank themselves may free,
Nor share the fate of prisoners forlorn,
To whom no choice is left except to raise
The flag of truce with morning s rising sun,
Which lowly signal greeting Federal gaze
Will tally to their cause, " great victory won"
The night has fled; the keen and wintry air
Is fraught with particles of glistening frost,
As troops assemble at the roll of drum
To well prepare for the contest to come
One thought to take the Fort at any cost
Each soul inspires with will to do and dare;
Lo, even now, impatiently they wait
The order which shall bid them onward move.
Hist what doth now their spirits so elate
That cheers burst forth their joyful state to prove?
Ah, tis the white flag waving o er the works
They had but now intended soon to storm;
What wonder, then, that cheers are brought to bear,
E en though their echoes add to the despair
20 VISION ON THE MOUNT.
Of thousands, who within the fort now swartn
Like bees, whose ruler royal guidance shirks :
In disconcerted clusters they await
Return of messenger but lately sent,
Whose coining will decide their present fate
Alas! of hope, more empty than he went.
He conies and soon doth stoic terms report:
Surrender must be swift and absolute;
Thus sayeth one who hath no ear for quirks;
Who, in brief space, will move upon the works,
If there be further signs of a dispute.
T were over now surrendered is the Fort.
Behold, the light is changing on the scroll
Like molten gold its surface now appears,
While topaz gems the name of Grant extol
Gainst emeralds forming tidal waves of cheers.
CANTO IV.
O er the bright surface, less dazzling but clearer,
Flush of the Iris and Passion Flowers play,
Seen on the scroll, as in amethyst mirror,
Federal army now stretches away,
Like to broad angle of ocean and bay,
Federal army now stretches away.
Waiting approach of the troops drawing nearer,
Which they expect will have joined them to-day
True to the cause that hath hourly grown dearer,
Federal army now stretches away.
Deep lettered name like a vision of slumber.
Fraught with the bygone* of wearisome day,
And drowsy conscience, so great were their number.
That rest was sought without pausing to pray
Even as dreams wield a penitent sway,
That rest was sought without pausing to pray
So quiv ring shadows make tenfold more sombre,
Name and the import those letters portray,
As sleep with nightmare of grief doth encumber,
That rest was sought without pausing to pray
Thus on the scroll e en as pebbles may ruffle
Lake of calm beauty and darken fair stream,
Or as black cloud may a pearly sky muffle,
So doth the fret-work of Shiloh now seem :
Trembling and poising like thoughts in a dream
So doth the fret -work of Shiloh now seem.
*22 VISION ON THE MOUNT.
Changed is the scroll, like to curtain of duffle.
Hidden from view is the amethyst beam,
Misname of rest in continuous shuffle,
So doth the fret-work of Shiloh now seem.
Ah, not for naught is this ill-omened waver,
Tis the foredoom of artillery s roar;
Like the unheard but perceptible quaver
Of panther growl, for its prey held in store:
Each creeping gloam doth partake more and more
Of panther growl, for its prey held in store.
For on the scroll groweth each moment graver,