RHEA-L Archives

Archiver > RHEA > 1999-08 > 0933975489


From: Anne Bruce <>
Subject: [RHEA-L] I lost this once
Date: Fri, 06 Aug 1999 16:38:09 -0500


Evanda,
I had this written out yesterday and we had a power outage with no
lightening that I ever heard and
I lost it almost at the end.
I have the poem below( the first part was not the poem by Mrs. L. Virginia
French, just an intro,) I guess: I would enjoy you posting it, but the
credit is hers, not mine. I am also posting it to the RHEA list, too, as
Lt. Matthew Rhea was the great-grandson of Rev. Joseph Rhea.

"Old Mississippi's waters gleamed
As in the golden days of yore,
An autumn's torches glowed and burned
Like sunset's glories, on the shore
On hillside green, and peaceful vale,
On distant dome, and shining spire,
The sun's meridian splendor lay
In waves of glowing living fire.

How tranquill all? NAY! See yon shore
Has banners floating far and wide;
And armaments of gallant men
Are moving to the water's side.
They cross the stream--then sound the trump,
Then rolling drum and thrilling fife,
Till red-browed battle's gorgeous pomp
Is blackening in the desperate strife.

They've met the foe! Their banners wave
On high, above the smoke and gloom
Which hangs its shrouding funeral pall
Where manhood sternly makes his tomb,
Where, with his energies immortal
He makes the road to honor straight
And forces open glory's portal
Though standing face to face with fate.

Behold him there--the gallant Rhea,
As on the battle's bloody merge
He waves his relic sword on high--
Loud cheering on the desperate charge--
To "Victory of Death", lead on;
And glorious was the charge they made;
And in his heart he bore the words
Engraven on his battle blade.

Down close the clouds--anon they rise,
They're swept aside; what do we see,
The leader stricken to the plain
Yet fighting still upon his knees--
"Surrender!" Through the iron shower
Come thundering on the swarming hordes;
"Surrender!" "You're in our power"--
Vain, vain, the menace; list his words--
His head erect, his proud lips curled,
And writhing in its haughty scorn,
"No! Never will I yield this sword
Once by my father's father borne."--

Fallen! fallen! Stricken to his knee,
His right arm raised, his forehead bare,
Oh! Tis a gallant sight to see
That quiet grandeur in his air--
Amid the cannon's thundering blare
It was a stern and pallild face,
Yet grandly glorious to behold
And full of that jamestic grace
That Grecian heroes wore of old.

They've struck him down! A score of foes
Glare, thirsting for his latest breath.
God's rest by thine, on gallant heart,
Who found both victory and death.
The Southland turns her streaming eyes
To where thy blood baptized her sod--
For her thy glorious sacrifice--
For her thy spirit passed to God.

And thou art gone! The brave, the proud,
With eye of fire and arm of might,
Beneath the sable battle cloud
Thy Spirit passed. "God speed the right!"
The language of thy latest breath.
God's peace be thine who nobly sought
The arms of "victory or death."

To hero souls of every clime
The record of thy death remains
Engraven on the shaft, which time
Shall rear upon our history's plains.
This Southern land for thee, today,
Will build of loving hearts a shrine,
And every heart will, weeping, say
"Oh! Gallant dead, God's rest be thine."
( written at the General Bedford Forrest home, November 22, 1881)



Richard and Evanda Sallinger wrote:

> Dear Anne,
>
> I most certainly appreciate your sending me the presentation speech and
> the poem of the sword. My son, Kenneth, who is a career military
> person, found the story most interesting. He has always been a student
> of history, even as a very young child; as we are a retired military
> family, I'm sure a lot of his interest stemmed from living in so many
> interesting places.
>
> I would like to know if it's possible to use the presentation on my
> website? If so, would I use your name as the source of the document?
> My website is: http://members.xoom.com/erhea
> My immediate family, beginning with my grandparents, are 7th generation
> and up.
>
> Thank you again,
> Evanda Rhea Sallinger

This thread: