The boy's book of battle-lyrics a collection of verses illustrating some notable events in the history of the United States of America, from the Colonial period to the outbreak of the Sectional War |
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 | The boy's book of battle-lyrics |  |
24
THE FIGHT OF JOHN LEWIS.
THE LEWISES.
The Lewis family seem to have occupied a position as prominent, and to have been as much identified with the local history of the Colony of Virginia, as the Schuyler family with New York and New Jersey. The John Lewis who is the hero of the ballad, though less known than Andrew, who overcame Cornstalk at Point Pleasant, and who was thought of before Washington for command of the Continental army, was nevertheless a remarkable man. He was of that Scotch-Irish race which settled the western part of Pennsylvania and Virginia, and spread into North Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee, making a people distinct in dialect and character, and preserving a number of North of Ireland customs to this day. John was a famous Indian fighter in his youth. At the time of the defence described in the ballad he had grown quite old. His wife, who came of a fighting family, aided him to drive off the enemy, who would have endured almost any loss to have secured him as a prisoner. They hated him intensely, and with just cause. When red clover was introduced in that section, the savages believed that it was the white clover, dyed in the blood of the Indians killed by the Lewises.
I.
To be captain and host in the fortress,
To keep his assailants at bay,
To battle a hundred of Mingos,
A score of the foemen to slay—
John Lewis did so in Augusta,
In days that have long gone away.
To keep his assailants at bay,
To battle a hundred of Mingos,
A score of the foemen to slay—
John Lewis did so in Augusta,
In days that have long gone away.
And I will maintain on my honor,
That never by poet was told
A fight half so worthy of mention,
Since those which the annals of old
Record as the wonderful doings
Of knights and of Paladins bold—
That never by poet was told
A fight half so worthy of mention,
Since those which the annals of old
Record as the wonderful doings
Of knights and of Paladins bold—
Ay, though about Richards or Rolands,
Or any such terrible dogs,
Who were covered with riveted armor
Of the pattern of Magog's and Gog's,
While Lewis wore brown linsey-woolsey,
And lived in a cabin of logs.
Or any such terrible dogs,
Who were covered with riveted armor
Of the pattern of Magog's and Gog's,
While Lewis wore brown linsey-woolsey,
And lived in a cabin of logs.
25
II.
They had started in arms from Fort Lewis,
One morn, in pursuit of the foe;
They had gone at the hour before dawning,
Over hills and through valleys below,
Leaving there, with the children and women,
John Lewis, unfitted to go.
One morn, in pursuit of the foe;
They had gone at the hour before dawning,
Over hills and through valleys below,
Leaving there, with the children and women,
John Lewis, unfitted to go.
Too weak for the toil of the travel,
Too old in the fight to have part,
Too feeble to stalk through the forest,
Yet fierce as a storm in his heart—
He chafed that without him his neighbors
Should thus to the battle-field start.
Too old in the fight to have part,
Too feeble to stalk through the forest,
Yet fierce as a storm in his heart—
He chafed that without him his neighbors
Should thus to the battle-field start.
“How well,” he exclaimed, “I remember,
When over my threshold there came
A proud and an arrogant noble
To proffer me outrage and shame,
To bring to my household dishonor,
And offer my roof to the flame—
When over my threshold there came
A proud and an arrogant noble
To proffer me outrage and shame,
To bring to my household dishonor,
And offer my roof to the flame—
“I rose up erect in my manhood,
The sword of my fathers I drew;
In spite of his many retainers,
That arrogant noble I slew,
And then, with revenge fully sated,
Bade home and my country adieu.
The sword of my fathers I drew;
In spite of his many retainers,
That arrogant noble I slew,
And then, with revenge fully sated,
Bade home and my country adieu.
“Ah, were I but stronger and younger,
How eager and ready, to-day,
I would move with the bravest and boldest,
As first in the perilous fray;
But now, while the rest do the fighting,
A laggard, with women I stay.”
How eager and ready, to-day,
I would move with the bravest and boldest,
As first in the perilous fray;
But now, while the rest do the fighting,
A laggard, with women I stay.”
The women they laughed when they heard him,
But one answered kindly, and said,
“Uncle John, though the days have departed
When our chiefest your orders obeyed,
Yet still, at the name of John Lewis,
The Mingos grow weak and afraid.
But one answered kindly, and said,
“Uncle John, though the days have departed
When our chiefest your orders obeyed,
Yet still, at the name of John Lewis,
The Mingos grow weak and afraid.
26
“Yon block-house were weak as a shelter,
Were blood-thirsty savages near,
Yet while you are at hand to defend us,
Not one of us women would fear,
But laugh at their malice and anger,
Though hundreds of foemen were here.”
Were blood-thirsty savages near,
Yet while you are at hand to defend us,
Not one of us women would fear,
But laugh at their malice and anger,
Though hundreds of foemen were here.”
Away to their work went the women—
Some drove off the cattle to browse;
Some swept from the hearth the cold embers;
Some started to milking the cows;
While Lewis went into the block-house,
And said unto Maggie, his spouse,
Some drove off the cattle to browse;
Some swept from the hearth the cold embers;
Some started to milking the cows;
While Lewis went into the block-house,
And said unto Maggie, his spouse,
“Ah, would they but come to besiege me,
They'd find, though no more on the trail
I may move as in earlier manhood—
Though thus, in my weakness, I rail—
That to handle the death-dealing rifle,
These fingers of mine would not fail.”
They'd find, though no more on the trail
I may move as in earlier manhood—
Though thus, in my weakness, I rail—
That to handle the death-dealing rifle,
These fingers of mine would not fail.”
III.
John Lewis, thy vaunt shall be tested,
John Lewis, thy boast shall be tried;
Two maidens are with thee for shelter,
The wife of thy youth by thy side;
And thy foemen pour down like a river
When spring-rains have swollen its tide.
John Lewis, thy boast shall be tried;
Two maidens are with thee for shelter,
The wife of thy youth by thy side;
And thy foemen pour down like a river
When spring-rains have swollen its tide.
They come from the depths of the forest,
They scatter in rage through the dell,
Five score, led by young Kiskepila,
And leap to their work with a yell,
Like the shrieks of an army of demons
Let loose from their prison in hell.
They scatter in rage through the dell,
Five score, led by young Kiskepila,
And leap to their work with a yell,
Like the shrieks of an army of demons
Let loose from their prison in hell.
Oh, then there were shrieking and wailing,
And praying for mercy in vain;
Through the skulls of the hapless and helpless
The hatchet sank in to the brain;
And the slayers tore, fastly and fiercely,
The scalps from the heads of the slain.
And praying for mercy in vain;
Through the skulls of the hapless and helpless
The hatchet sank in to the brain;
And the slayers tore, fastly and fiercely,
The scalps from the heads of the slain.
27
By the ruthless and blood-thirsty Mingos
Encompassed on every side,
Cut off from escape to the block-house,
No way from pursuers to hide,
With a prayer to the Father Almighty,
Unresisting, the innocents died.
Encompassed on every side,
Cut off from escape to the block-house,
No way from pursuers to hide,
With a prayer to the Father Almighty,
Unresisting, the innocents died.
John Lewis, in torture of spirit,
Beheld them ply hatchet and knife,
And said, “Were I younger and stronger,
And fit as of yore for the strife!
Oh, had I from now until sunset
The vigor of earlier life!”
Beheld them ply hatchet and knife,
And said, “Were I younger and stronger,
And fit as of yore for the strife!
Oh, had I from now until sunset
The vigor of earlier life!”
IV.
Unsated with horror and carnage,
Their arms all bedabbled with gore,
The foemen, with purpose determined,
Assembled the block-house before,
And their leader exclaimed, “Ho! John Lewis!
The Mingos are here at the door.
Their arms all bedabbled with gore,
The foemen, with purpose determined,
Assembled the block-house before,
And their leader exclaimed, “Ho! John Lewis!
The Mingos are here at the door.
“The mystery-men of our nation
Declare that the blood you have shed
Has fallen so fastly and freely
The white clover flowers have grown red;
And that never will safety be with us
Till you are a prisoner or dead.
Declare that the blood you have shed
Has fallen so fastly and freely
The white clover flowers have grown red;
And that never will safety be with us
Till you are a prisoner or dead.
“So keep us not waiting, old panther;
Come forth from your log-bounded lair!
If in quiet you choose to surrender,
Your life at the least we will spare;
But refuse, and the scalping-knife bloody
Shall circle ere long in your hair.”
Come forth from your log-bounded lair!
If in quiet you choose to surrender,
Your life at the least we will spare;
But refuse, and the scalping-knife bloody
Shall circle ere long in your hair.”
“Cowards all,” answered Lewis; “now mark me.
Beside me are good rifles three;
I can sight on the bead true as ever,
My wife she can load, do you see?
You may war upon children and women,
Beware how you war upon me.”
Beside me are good rifles three;
I can sight on the bead true as ever,
My wife she can load, do you see?
You may war upon children and women,
Beware how you war upon me.”
28
They rushed on the block-house in anger;
They rushed on the block-house in vain;
Swift sped the round ball from the rifle—
The foremost invader was slain;
And ere they could bear back the fallen,
The dead of the foemen were twain.
They rushed on the block-house in vain;
Swift sped the round ball from the rifle—
The foremost invader was slain;
And ere they could bear back the fallen,
The dead of the foemen were twain.
So, firmly and sternly he fought them,
And steadily, six hours and more;
And often they rushed to the combat,
And often in terror forbore;
But never they wounded John Lewis,
Who slew of their number a score.
And steadily, six hours and more;
And often they rushed to the combat,
And often in terror forbore;
But never they wounded John Lewis,
Who slew of their number a score.
Ah, woe to your white hair, old hunter,
When powder and bullet be done;
You shall die by the slowest of tortures
When these shall the battle have won.
Look then to your Maker for mercy,
The Mingo will surely have none.
When powder and bullet be done;
You shall die by the slowest of tortures
When these shall the battle have won.
Look then to your Maker for mercy,
The Mingo will surely have none.
V.
A shout! 'tis the neighbors returning!
Now, Mingos, in terror fall back!
It is well that your sinews are lusty,
And well that no vigor ye lack;
He is best who in motion is fleetest
When the white man is out on his track.
Now, Mingos, in terror fall back!
It is well that your sinews are lusty,
And well that no vigor ye lack;
He is best who in motion is fleetest
When the white man is out on his track.
Oh, then fell around them a terror;
Oh, then how the enemy ran;
For each hunter, in chosen position,
With coolness of vengeance began
To take a good aim with his rifle,
And send a sure shot to his man.
Oh, then how the enemy ran;
For each hunter, in chosen position,
With coolness of vengeance began
To take a good aim with his rifle,
And send a sure shot to his man.
Oh, then there was racing and chasing,
And fastly they hurried away;
They feared at those husbands and fathers,
And dared not stand boldly at bay;
And in front of his men, Kiskepila
Ran slightly the fastest they say.
And fastly they hurried away;
They feared at those husbands and fathers,
And dared not stand boldly at bay;
And in front of his men, Kiskepila
Ran slightly the fastest they say.
29
And well for the lives of the wretches
They fly from the brunt of the fight;
And well for their lives that around them
Are falling the shadows of night;
For life is in distance and darkness,
And death in the nearness and light.
They fly from the brunt of the fight;
And well for their lives that around them
Are falling the shadows of night;
For life is in distance and darkness,
And death in the nearness and light.
But deep was the woe of the hunters,
And dark was the cloud o'er their life;
For some had been riven of children,
And some of both children and wife;
And woe to the barbarous Mingo,
If either should meet him in strife.
And dark was the cloud o'er their life;
For some had been riven of children,
And some of both children and wife;
And woe to the barbarous Mingo,
If either should meet him in strife.
John Lewis said, calmly and coldly,
When gazing that eve on the slain—
“We will bury our dead on the morrow,
But let these red rascals remain;
And the wandering wolves and the buzzards
Will not of our kindness complain.”
When gazing that eve on the slain—
“We will bury our dead on the morrow,
But let these red rascals remain;
And the wandering wolves and the buzzards
Will not of our kindness complain.”
Years after, when men called John Lewis
As brave as a brave man could be,
He lit him his pipe made of corn-cob,
And drawing a draught long and free—
“The red rascals kept me quite busy
With pulling the trigger,” said he.
As brave as a brave man could be,
He lit him his pipe made of corn-cob,
And drawing a draught long and free—
“The red rascals kept me quite busy
With pulling the trigger,” said he.
“And though I got slightly the better
Of insolent foes in the strife,
I may as well own that my triumph
Was due unto Maggie, my wife;
For had she not loaded expertly,
The Mingos had reft us of life.
Of insolent foes in the strife,
I may as well own that my triumph
Was due unto Maggie, my wife;
For had she not loaded expertly,
The Mingos had reft us of life.
“And through all that terrible combat
She never was scared at the din;
But carefully loaded each rifle,
And prophesied that we would win—
Yet why should she tremble? her fathers
Were the terrible lords of Loch Linn.”
She never was scared at the din;
But carefully loaded each rifle,
And prophesied that we would win—
Yet why should she tremble? her fathers
Were the terrible lords of Loch Linn.”
30
John Lewis commanded the fortress;
John Lewis was army as well;
John Lewis was master of ordnance;
John Lewis he fought as I tell;
And, gathered long since to his fathers,
John Lewis lies low in the dell.
John Lewis was army as well;
John Lewis was master of ordnance;
John Lewis he fought as I tell;
And, gathered long since to his fathers,
John Lewis lies low in the dell.
But a braver old man, or a better,
Was never yet known to exist;
Not even in olden Augusta,
Where good men who died were not missed,
For the very particular reason—
Good men then were plenty, I wist.
Was never yet known to exist;
Not even in olden Augusta,
Where good men who died were not missed,
For the very particular reason—
Good men then were plenty, I wist.
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