PS .F41 SIEGE OF MONTEREY:! % 5?iJi$m< BY W. C. FALKNEE. -< ■^•^ » CINCINNATI: PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR. 1851. Tnstpa.d of wear'.ng petticoats, a XIX. He knew that where blood deepest flowed That there he must carry his dauntless load; He had learned his master's camp to share, 'Twas his desire to go when danger rested there. To his master's bidding a willing face he gave. And the master's courage made the courser brave; Bravei-y from man to brute is contagious, An(i the way cowardice is too is outrageous. SiEGE OF MON'TEREr. 21 XX. A brave ■warrior makes his courser so, A coward jnakes the brave tiee the foe Like one wave that drives another on the shore, And swelling billows in succession pour, Dashing each otlier against the sandy banks. So the coward breaks the solid phalanx And tolls the brave warrior from the fi,^ht And makes him in confusion take to flight. XXI. In two mighty arrays both armies stand While clouds of dust blacken all the land; On tlie left proud Mississippi stood lU^ady to drink a tide of Spanish blood. Guarded on the right by Jeff., the bold. And on the left by Bradford, the hero of old, "Who to meet his foes it always filled with joy, As brave was he as great Ajax of Troy; XXII. Known is he as the bravest of the brave, "WIio fears not death, blood, or grave, "VVho at Ocachohee. bravely fought, Instead of shrinking always danger sought, And when he met it lie firmly stood, Ko matter hoAV thick the foe or deep the blood; Xo chattering jaws ever filled his mouth. Firmly doth he stand to the sunny south. XXIII. Xo trembling limbs ever bore him away, Let all else run he'll always stay, "When on Buena Vista's bloody field lie rode And blood in torrents around him flowed. To retreat a short space Davis gave the word, But the order Bradford never heard; He looked and saw his heroes had fled, "Hell and furies," he cried, "shoot me dead; 22 SIEOE OF MONTEREY. XXIY. "To live any longer a desire have I none, I wish to die since Mississippi run. Oh! my friend, I'll give my horse if you Will take your gun and shoot me through; Dost thou not see Mississippi running While Kentucky's yonder bravely gunning? And why should I wish to live "when they Have lied from the field of glory XXV. "Death and damnation to tliem," he cries, As he pulls his liair and tears his eyes; "Oh, would to God that some friend His load at my breast would send. And let me in the arms of honor die While Mississippi did basely fly." Despair was depicted on tlie hero's face When he thought of his country's disgrace; XXVI. But when Mississippi renewed tlie fight His face witli joy became exceeding bright. He soon learned with joy sweet That it was a well-timed retreat, Which his brave breast with joy filled And made liim glad he was not killed; He rejoined his returning ranks again And rode where bullets thickest rain. XXVII. In the center of the phalanx stern McClung, With a heavy buckler o'er liis shoulder flung. From his face revenge and fury blazed. As like a lion on his prey he gazed; As a lion from his den eyes his prey, Or as the wolf eyes the sheep a/ound him play. Anxious with his blood to fill his maw So soon as he gets him in his iron claw; SIEGE OF MONTEREY. 23 XXVIII. So immortal McClimg gazes on liis foes. Whose eye like fieiy serpent's glows; He scans his yellow foes one by one. Anxious that the war should be begun; A sash hangs by his side in waving folds, A heavy saber in his right hand he holds. Undaunted courage on his cheek appears, No danger he dreads, no foes he fears. XXIX. Thick around old Rough and Ready stand, A cloud of warriors who blacken all the land. From post to post each warrior flies, Shouts on shouts of glory rise. "To thee, General Worth," Old Buena Vista cried, "The storming of Bishop's hight I confide;" Never did a matron give birtli To a braver hero than General Worth. XXX. He mounts his steed and thus begun: "The Palace is ours ere the day is done; The Palace shall our motto be. An honored grave Ave '11 have or victory. Gladly do I undertake the important charge; My band is small, tiieir souls are large." Thus saying he bowed to his brother heroes And swift toward tlie Palace he goes. XXXI. "We'll have the Palace or lose our breath And close our eyes in the sable shades of death; And oh! ye gods, who rule the skies. At whose command nations fall and rise. At whose bidding Phcebus runs her round. Whose awful word shakes the solid ground. At whose bidding awful thunders roll And broad earth shakes from pole to pole: 24 SIEGE OF MONTEREY. XXXII. "Thou, wlio made us of mortal dust , In thy care to-day we put all our trust; Let us eitlier conquer to-day or bravely die; If death meets us take us to the quiet sky; "With courage let every breast be steeled, And let no coward basely leave the field, If he does, let hiin find a seat in purfjatory Known to shame, but a stranger rank to gloiy." XXXIII. Thus he prays to the great God above. As swift toward the Palace liis heroes move; 'Tis not the coward who bends the humble knee. To bow to God should our duty ever be; 'Tis the brave who put their trust in heaven high, And always find a welcome when they die — "No mark at all is it of base cowardice To ask for a seat in heavenly paradise. XXXIV. Why should we refuse to bow to God, Did he not make us from the sod? Then, since from the dust we were built, Why not kneel on it and confess oi;r guilt? Surely God is great and supremely good To turn dust into such flesh and blood; When he made man he didn't stop there, He made a being his woes to share, XXXV. He made her of beauty's form divine. As sweet and juicy as the liquid vine. He made them to make us feel good every day. And hap]>y when we on the downy pillow lay — • And recollect that little variation. The greatest blessing e'er met a nation. Why still refuse to humbly bend our knees When blest with such heavenly things as these? SIEGE OF MONTEREY. 25 XXXVI, Fo, reader, let me here say that I, for one, "Will always bow the knee to the throne From whence all these good things came. And many things which becomes me not to name. Things which are bought without price, And you too had better take my advice, For in due time I give you friendly warning You had better pray every night and morning. XXXVII. Davis stood by Rough and Ready's side, "Take the mud fort, Jeff.," the warrior cried; "Put thy trust in the ruler of the sky, Take the fort or let every hero die, Level those ponderous walls to the sand And let not a live foeman stand. And recollect the cause in which we fight. Go ahead, for heaven says we're right." XXXVIII. "Gladly those commands do I now obey, We'll have the fort ere the close of day; Let every hero his courage keep. Take the fort or close in endless sleep." Then he tlie old hero thus addressed: "Before yonder sun shall sink to rest. Or before proud Cynthia mounts the skies. The fort is ours, or Jeff. Davis dies." XXXIX. Thus saying, lie seized the bridle thong And rode slowly toward the foes along. Proudly he sits on a well-trained steed, Of pitchy black and of imported breed, Whose giant head towers toward the sky, On the Spanish ranks he casts his eye. And full well too the courser knows That they are his master's foes. 26 SIEGE OF MON'TEKEY. XL. In his right hand the heavy saber took. Then eyes his foes with complacent look. Up and down before his band he rode, And bid them prepare the deadly load: "Be cool, my boys, and take your time, Sec that eveiy pan is full of prime, Be certain that all is right before yoti go. Then let every crack bring a foe." XLI. As he spoke, big drops rolled from his eyes. And his heroes greet him with thundering cries, To his command an attentive ear they give — "The fort is ours or we shall no longer live." Now toward his foes doth the warrior ride. With the immortal Bradford by his side, "Who, like Hector, sits on his pitchy horse And bids defiance to all the opposing force. XLII. In his left hand he holds the shining reins, A ponderous saber his right hand detains. Fastened was the hilt with a golden screw. Ivory hilt inlaid with gold imbrue. The steel with gilded dogs inlaid, Who appear chasing a fox along the blade. And mimic battles in victory won Shine like phosphorus in the morning sun. XLIII. With vengeance dire the gallant heroes frown, On his gallant brow sits a three-cornered crown. From which a snowy plume proudly flies In mazy waves along the skies; A crimson scarf entwijies the hero's waist, Flowing down his side •'.•/ith beauteous taste, A golden stripe on each thigh appears. And on his heels shine golden spears. SIEGE OF MONTEREY. 27 XLIV. His ponderous saber glistens in his hand As the hero approaches the Spanish band; In one solid phalanx the foes appear With gorgeous dress and nplifted spear, Like myriads of locusts the heroes crowd, Wrapping themselves in one dusty cloud; Now, within fifty paces of the foe, Did Jeff.'s immortal warriors go; XLV. Then they stop and come to a sudden stand. Then Jeff, seizes his bugle in his hand. Put it to his lips and blew a thundering sound. Which shook the towering hills around, Echoed against the hills, once again, Then dashes on the breeze along the plain; The last echo ceased and the sound was done, With hellish fury now the war begun. XLVI. Hand to hand doth every hero engage. Hell they deal with mutual rage; The liostile guns like distant thunders roar. While torrents of blood begin to pour, And swelling torrents dash along the plain. Dyeing the flowers with a crimson stain; Slippery become the hills with human gore, Broad earth trembles from shore to shore. XLYII. Now on the rampart three heroes sprung, 'Twas Bradford, Bell, and McClung; First Bradford and McClung, then Bell, And sent the Mexicans bleeding down to hell; Each warrior engages a deadly foe And into a dedthly struggle dire they go; Each army first forward then backward reeled. And doubt hung like a pall across the field. as SIEGE OF MOXTEREY. XLVIII. The Spaniards now retreat, then again advance, At McClung's head Bustaniente threw his lance, It flew around his liead and missed its aim, And in fragments to the earth it came And lay like a serpent hid in dust; Tlien with his saber at his breast made a thrust; But McClung knocked his hand apart And plunged his steel through Bustamente's heart. XLIX. Quick back to the earth did he reel, On whose breast McClung placed his heel And wrenched the steel from his heart as he lay; He gave a dying shriek and his soul fled away; And as his life-blood oozed through the hole. To an unknown world fled the hero's soul, There to receive its final doom, you know. Of eternal bliss, or sink to hell below. Then on the breeze the deadly messenger flew And pierced McClung's noble body through, Tearing three fingers from his noble liand. Stretching the warrior bleeding on the sand; Down to the earth was the hero prone, Gave vent to his agony with a painful groan. Spouting came the blood through the wound, Standing in crimson pools along the ground. LI. "On, on to glory," the gallant hero cries, As stretched on the sand the bleeding warrior lies, " 'Tis an easy task thus to yield my breath, And in the very arras of glory meet my death; I fear' no death, I feel no pangs of pain, Though my life-blood flows like falling rain; I feel haj)py thus my spirit up to yield And die in glory on this victorious field." SIEGE OF MONTEREY. 29 LII. But let Mississippi's praise to God resound. For McClung's did prove no mortal wound; 'Tis true his blood drenched a foreign plain, Let heaven be praised for McClung lives again; And long may he live to enjoy his well-earned fame. And blessed be all who inherit the hero's name; To him let kin^s and tyrants bow, For Mississippi's laurels hang on his brow. LIII. There let them hang, he earned them well. He bravely fought and nobly fell; In freedom's cause he spilled his gore, "Which did from his loins in torrents pour; Homage to him should the nation pay. For he deserved it well on that glorious day; Let the harp of joy your fingers touch. And bow to him, for he deserves it much. LIV. Now, immortal Bradford and Gonzales meet, Bradford stretched him bleeding at his feet; At Bradford's breast his lance he threw. But Bradford hacked the shaft in two. Which dropped in fragments from his hand And fell in pieces along the land; Then each o'er his head his saber whirled, At each other a glance of defiance hurled; LV. Then like enraged tigers at each other go, Dealing stroke for stroke and blow for blow; He struck at Bradford's head, but missed. Then the earth he involuntarily kissed. Through the breast received a mortal wounds Off goes his head and rolls along the ground Sounding like the brook's murmuring song, Leaving a bloody trail as it rolls along. 30 SIEGE OF MONTEEEY. LVI. Many yards down the liill did it roll. While through his neck escaped his soul, And swift through fields of space it goes, And ancliors at the gates of — God only knows — There, like Bustamente, his doom to Jbear, In heaven to live or in hell to steer; If his sins were forgiven, which I hope was true, A home he found beyond the vaulted olue; LVII. But, if they were not, you certainly know. He winged his way to the gates of woe. In those dark abodes to forever dwell And expiate in the burning flames of hell. Swift from his dying foe Bradford turns, "While with vengeance his feature burns; Again amid the reeling ranks he flew And dashed his saber Christo's belly through, -■. LVIII. Who with a dying groan grasped the sod. While he gave up the ghost with a dying nod, The last life-drop oozed from his veins And ran in streaming rills along tlie plains — A convulsive struggle, he breathes his last, Death's dusky valley is now forever passed, Christo hath fallen to rise no more, His country's soil hath drank his gore. LIX. He paid the debt, that we all must pay, - And gone to live in woe or endless day; Of Christo's guilt, or of Christo's crimes, I have no more to say in these my rhymes. Whether he went to heaven above or hell below, I don't profess at all to know; Neither is it any business at all of mine — li'either is it, reader, any affair of thine. SIEGE OF MONTEREY. 31 LX. Again Bradford meets his deadly foes Aiul mows them down as on he goes; His saber and hand wet with Imman gore. Which in torrents from his saber pour. Striking them dead every now and then. Marking his way with dying men, Who continue in ponderous heaps to rise In bloody mounds toward the skies. LXI. Then, like those Grecian gods of old, Came thundering down JefF., the bold. With his left hand holding the sliining reins, And dashing, like Ajax, across the plains, High o'er his head his heavy saber whirled. As swift he rode along the bloody world; On his breast a star of honor shined, A golded plume waved his hat behind, LXII. Floating proudly in the morning breeze. Like a snowy sail in the briny seas, Like a lion concealed in his hiding-place Watching the prey that shall before him face. Breathing destruction at every ferocious breath, From whose eye flashes the blaze of death. So death blazed from the warrior's eyes. As, "On to victory, ye braves," he cries. LXIII. Right and left goes his bloody blade, A foe bit the dust at every stroke he made; Some on their backs, others on their faces, fell. And went in crowds to the dark abodes of hell; Some with their abdomens pierced with holes. Through which to eternity had fled their souls; Others with their arms all torn away, Their intestines stretched around them lay. 32 SIEGE OF MONTEREY. LXIV. From which waves of hot smoke arise, "Waving in mazy columns to the skies; Some lying in heaps, others side by side, Wlio had in an* equal struggle died "With their hands clenched in the other's hair, Gazing in each other's face with a deathly stare. Tluis they had died in each other's embrace. With breast to breast and face to face; LXV. Like lords, they seem embracing their wives. Not as if they had taken each other's lives; Or like a lady on her lover's breast, In eacli other's arms do they sweetly rest, Though foes in life they are friendly now, i For death's relentless dart hath struck them low, , Making them forget the hate they bore, As friends now they sleep forevermore. LXVI. Fate in life had made them foes, But they in death as friends repose; In tlie arms of death we lose our hate And meet as friends at heaven's gate, "" For no discord can ever enter there; That so we all shall meet, is my earnest prayer; And in harmony and peace forever dwell — Anywhere but in a burning hell. LXVII. Now into ranks Tennessee bravely wheeled. And dashed in a solid phalanx o'er the field, ^ Shouting, "Victory or death," as she goes. While black clouds of dust around them arose. Wrapping the gallant band from mortal view. While heavy guns they fire and mortars too. Causing the earth to be in human gore drowned. And making them by platoons bite the ground. SIEGE OF MONTEEEY. 33 LXVIII. And all around in dire destruction spread. Marking their way "with large heaps of dead; The blood-stained banner proudly flies Like an eagle through the liquid skies; I^ow here, now yonder, the battle waves, Like a lion of vengeance every hero raves; Doubt hangs on one, then the other side, While by whole brigades the Mexicans died. LXIX. Filled was Mexico with deep despair. For death reigned thick around her there; Each Spanish foe was with terror struck, Thev begin to yield and curse their luck, With disgust dash their guns against the dirt And leave the field wholly unhurt; Behind the stones many cowards squat, And in sink-holes many others got, LXX. Whose love of life and the awful sight Prompted them to flee the bloody fight; They ran over eiich other helter-skelter Anxious to find some safe retreat or slielter To shield their bacon from the Avhizzing balls. Which like a storm of hail around them falls. I'll pledge you my word 'twould plague you To tell whether it was alarm or bilious ague, LXXI. Or a congestive chill which they had taken. Which made them run to save their bacon. Bragg mounts his chariot and seizes the reins. And dashes like a god across the plains; He kills the wounded as o'er them he rolls, Stops the breath and crushes out their souls; Smoking entrails wrap his wheels around And drag in smoking ropes along the ground, 34 SIEGE OF MONTEREY. LXXII. Dyeing liis -wheels in floods of smoking gore. Which in torrents along his axles pour. Dashing human blood high in the air. Which falls like rain on his horses there. Dotting their sno-wy backs ^s-ith red, While before them the Spaniards fled. He stops — his guns into battery now he wheeled And sent his destructive pills o'er the field, LXXIII. Which like Jove's awful thunder explode, And dying foes start on a hellward road; Heels upward they fall on every side. Some groaned, while others in silence died; Filled is the air with mournful groans, And covered is tlie earth with broken bones; Some ciy for water, others cry for breath, Then close their eyes in the dusky shades of death. Lxxir. Grim deatli is with bloody vengeance rife, V While hellish fury stirs the blood v strife; : Every ditch with smoking gore fills. Dashing in crimson torrents down the hills Changing Juan's sparkling waters red With the blood of gallant heros dead; Dying foes still increase the swelling flood t With human brains and streaming blood. d LXXV. Hell itself to its utmost center shook, And heaven did with wonder intent look To behold the earth deluged in gore. And dire vengeance, still shedding more. Filled heaven with awe, liell with wonder, And stretched the jaws of death asunder And fed him on blood till he was filled, And on human life, which detestation spilled. SIEGE OF MONTEREY. 35 STORMING OF BISHOP'S PALACE. CANTO III. I. Now with hellisli fury Worth stomis the hight. And hand to hand the gallant heroes fight; With ponderous ladders they scale the wall. Together fight and together fall, And smoking gore begins to flow — Filled is the air with shrieks of dying woe. Hark! how they with hellish fury scream, O'er the walls the bloody banners stream. II. On the ramparts yoimg Bibo spi'img, A thundering voice spoke his gallant tongue, And while death flashed from his eyes, "Death hell, and destruction," he cries; "How dare ye, my countrymen," he said, "To fly thus and leave your brothers dead? See ye in each breast a gaping wound? See thy country's blood running on the ground? III. "Behold them yonder," as he bravely falls, "Behold the Anglos in our sacred walls; How can ye stand and see them die. With no pangs of woe, no tearful eye? Have ye all friendly feeling lost? Behold the saber through thy brother tossed, See him die, and hear him loudly groan. Swear to avenge his death or meet thine own." 36 SIEGE OF MONTEREY. IV. Thus yoimg Bibo ceased his word, In his right hand grasped his sword; Beauty and vengeance shone in his face As on the walls the youth took his place; Big streams of woe trickled down his cheek, Misfortune hath played him an awful freak This was to have been his wedding day, But his guests around him in gore lay. V. But, alas! Bibo's hopes are forever fled, ■' Tlie close of day perhaps shall see him dead; And, Oh! where is his intended Isabel, She whom Bibo always loved so well? Ah! that house was to be her bridal hall. Perhaps it shall be the damsel's mourning pall; ; That night which with joy was to sweetly wave, That night perhaps shall see her lover's grave. VI. She was young Bibo's intended bride, No happiness she knew only by his side; Oft hath she sat, in days of yore. By Bibo's side, on Juan's flowery shore; There had they passed many a happy hour 'Neath the fragrant folds of "Cristee's bower, Long hath sat 'neath the orange grove And listened to Bibo's tales of love. VII. There had she often knelt and swore To be his, and only his, forevermore; She felt the throb of bliss as it came. And Bibo dearly loved the beauteous darae. Bibo hath sought and won her love, And sworn by all the powers of God above That he would love none but Isabel — 'Twas a sacred oath, he kept it well. SIEGE OF MONTEREY. 37 VIII. And, instead of young Bibo's wedding day. Took place the great siege of Monterey. Invitations had been sent around To see Bibo and Isabel's joy crowned; But, alas! he must from Isabel go And bravely meet his country'sfoe; He must leave Isabel's beauteous charms, And exchange kisses for fire-arms. IX. When he lieard the hostile cannon roar, He seized his sword and thought of love no more, But swift to the Bishop's Palace he goes, There to drink the blood of his deadly foes; Cowardice was a feeling he never knew, Braver men than he were very few; He was beautiful, generous, and kind. He possessed a tender heart and witty mind, X. A good head, full of generous knowledge. Well cultivated at a Spanish college; Features fair and smooth, figure neat, Roman nose, blue eyes, and little feet — The only son of Don Zebboneezer — A. heart as brave as .lulius Csesar; ^kiu as white as polished alabaster — Tust such as young ladies sigh after. XI. can swear, by the most holy truth, That he was a most lovely youth; )f every quality was the lad possessed, Vliich makes a soul and generous breast, sabel was Don Pedro's only daughter, Vho had in the paths of virtue taught her, ^nd she had never been known, as yet, ler prudent carriage to forget; 38 SIEGE OF MONTEREf . XII. And that, is a thing which, you know, If committed, will certainly show — The stream once muddied clears not again. Death can only wipe out the stain; Honor is hard to keep, but easy lost, And many pangs of woe with the accident cost{ Nothing can so easy seduce the fair, As this vain Avorld's seductive glare. XIII. The damsel's skin was as white as snow. Her eyes like beauteous pebbles show. Which shine beneath the sparkling brook; "J'was heaven itself on her cheek to look — Part of heaven shone in her lovely eye, The balance a short space below them lie; Her beauteous charms and lovely face Were an equal match for the heavenly race.' XIV. On her sweet lip the rosy nectar hung, Heavenly strains spoke her enchanting tongue; Her cheek was as red as the rosy wine, Voluptuous bust and form divine; Her countenance with ethereal beauty glows. On each cheek a pretty dimple glows, Which seems a paradise of earthly bliss — What a heaven such lips as these to kiss! XV. Oh! ambrosial food, sui-passing sweet! Swelling breast full of fervent heat, On which two bubbles like snowy beacons rise, Guiding a vessel to the haven below them lies. Where anchorage sweet is always found — Let serpents hiss and coil around, But there is always found a safe retreat, Anchorage safe and grazing sweet. SIEGE OF MONTEREY. 39 XVI. delightful grass and sweet standing clover, ioral liills Avith sweet manna over: 'empests may toss and huge billows roll — 'here the brig may find anchorage hole, /"here it can always in sweet security lie /"hen black tempests o'erspread the sky; shosaphat! or anything that you please, an't compare with such harbors as these. XVII. eaven itself is but very little sweeter — can prove it true by St. Micliael or Peter, 'is ambrosial food for man's delight, nd will make him happy, to use it right; 'was tliat for which fatlier Adam fell ° nd opened to us a burning hell — at we should not our innocent sire blame hen we recollect from whence the temptation came. XVIII. it I must get back the thread of my story, iislike to Avrite of Adam and purgatory; ion't like the devil's hot jurisdiction, 5an write of love without restriction. ike to write of love, war, and so forth, back to the Palace let us go forth, here we left Bibo, as he firmly stood I the ramparts bathed in smoking blood. XIX. iraes of vengeance in his bosom raged, -nd to hand he and Buncli engaged T nch fired his repeater at Bibo'sliead, ound his skull glanced thf> whizzing lead, lich made Bi]x>'s head j^mnrt and burn, len he split Buucli from stem to sterii, the top of the skull he dealt the blow, Jough the otlier extremity did his saber go; 40 SIEGE OF MONTEREY. XX. On each side the rampart part of his body fell, And frightened his soul down to hell; One part fell in the ditch, tlie other under, While all his intestines were cut asunder. Disgorging his machinery of digestion, And putting liim to rest in a dying congestion; With a quick getting out his soul was taken, He died easy where Bibo got his bacon. XXI. Still on the ramparts young Bibo stands With streaming brow and gory hands, As the yeoman mows down his wheat Bibo stretched the heroes bleeding at his feet; And as swift as the briny breakers pour Hurling each otlier against the craggy shore, Or swift as flows the meandering rill Coursing down some stupendous hill, XXII. Carrying everything its own course before, So down the hill daslies the human gore; Still young Bibo fought and bled. While death rains thick around his head; High in air his saber doth he wield, O'ercome, yet refuses to yield the field; Like falling hail the deadly bullets sing — Swift on the ramparts Worth's heroes spring; XXIII. But as fast as they on the ramparts go, So fast young Bibo lays the heroes low All had fled save those who had died, And one youth wlio stood by his side. On whose cheek angelic beauty shone; He seemed to fight for Bibo's life, not his cwn; His eyes were black, and so was his hair. His fingers small, hands divinely fair. SIEGK OF MONTKKEY. 41 XXIV. Such as are unfit a bloody sword to hold, Yet he held it firm and used it bold; His breast was larg^e, his feet were small, Around his shoulders liis flossy tresses fall, Down his cheeks trickled big drops of woe, And in streams from his chin they flow, From thence on his swelling bosom pour. XXV. On Bibo's face the youth rests his eyes, "Retreat and save thy life, Bibo," he cries; "We have fought hard, but fought in vain; Behold our brother warriors slain, Behold the dying men and broken wall, Heaven itself hath doomed our fall; Behold Spanish blood rolling down the plain, And see Mexico bleeding free at every vein. XXVI. " 'Tis useless to contend against earth and sky, To remain longer here we surely die. Dost thou not behold our heroes flying? Dost not hear them groan and see them dying? See how the foes are scaling yonder wall;" j Behold how swift our brother heroes fall. iHark! dost thou not hear them yell Like so many blood hounds from hell?" XXVII. "Wliat will poor Isabel for a lover do, Dear Bibo, if the Anglos slaughter you? Oh! Bibo, recollect thy intended wife. For her sake preserve thy valued life; Recollect how her heart burns for thee — 'Tis not cowardice now to flee, No, our friends have fled, the day is lost, If we remain our life 'twill certainly cost." 43 SIEGE OF MOXTEEET, XXVIII. On his knees tbe youth before him fell, Tore open his breast, "Behold thy Isabel! Behold here thine o\rn intended bride. Who all day hath stood by your side; Behold this heart and see it swell — Dost tliou not recognize thine own Isabel? All day have I fought in this disguise." As thus she spoke tears filled her eyes. XXIX. *'Leave, oh! fly this instant; thou must fly. This is no place for thee, love. Oh! why Hast thou exposed thy life so rashly here?" "I fought to protect tliee, my lover dear; When with thee I dread no deadly foe; When by thy side I no danger know. If thou "diest I certainly sha'n't sui-vive — Thou must not die and leave me alive. XXX. "But by thy side let me meet my death. In thy arms let me yield my breath. This day should have seen us wed. But let the grave be our bridal bed. Howling tempests may yell around, And heaven rock the solid ground, Empires sink and whole nations rise — There no tears of woe shall fill our eyes. XXXI. "There our hearts shall no soitow feel; There we hear no groans and clanking steel; There we behold no briny toirents pour; There we see no big rivers of human gore; But our destiny there bright angels keep, No war shall disturb our unending sleep. But millions of years roll us by — Jn each other's embrace we'll happy lie. SIEGE OF MONTEREY. 43 XXXII. "The grave to rae is no fearful or hideous thing. She claims no victory, nor death a sting. Why should we such downy pillows dread, For there we hear not the tyrant's tread. Interrupted there by no tempestuous seas — But it is the downy bed of unending ease; 'Tis no scare-crow from which man should fly, "We should neither hate to live nor fear to die. XXXIII. " Tis a resting bed beneath the flowery sod; 'Tis a blessing for which we should thank our God. I can speak for one, and that is me. To heaven I often bow the suppliant knee; I bow to none but the great God above, Save the consecrated shrine of modest love; I often bow to modest beauty's shrine. For woman's heaven and God are both divine. XXXIV. One makes ns happy while here below. The other when back to God we go; The joys of woman's heaven are inexpressible, And without love are often inaccessible; "Without loving God we see no heaven above — To enjoy life is to possess woman's peerless love. How sweet 'tis on burning cheeks to rest. On a beauteous and sympathetic breast; XXXV. To feel the electric thrill through our heart. To see her sweet lips meet and part — How delicious a sweet kiss from them to steal. Her swelling breasts' fervent heat to feel; Then how sweet to gaze on her sparkling eyes— jBut, oh! the heaven that beneath them lies. Away with your sparkling eye and pouting kiss. But give to rae the paradise of woman's bliss. 44 SIEGE OF MONTEREY. XXXVI. Away, ye tyrants, with your haughty court, But let me "bow to modest beauty's fort. While my thoughts are on topics within, To think of which I'm sure is no sin. Within always lies a sweet hidden gem — My enemies would have me kneel to them. By way of admonition, I'll here say to thee, That I knuckle not to you, Mr. P. XXXVII. I boAV not to thee, nor any other individual — That you attend to your affairs I bid you all. Long have you tried with your hellish schemes To ruin me, but you have failed, it seems; And let me say a word to your assistant clan: Suppose you make me kneel, if you can; You have wrote, slandered, and often lied. And to sink me in shame have often tried; XXXVIII. You have used your slanderous tongues aloud, But, as yet, to you I have never bowed; And if to make me, is the game you play. You are fooling your worthless time away. Then let me advise you to give up tlie game. You are as like as me to sink in shame. If to make me humble your inclination leans. You'd better undertake by persuasive means; XXXIX. For what I say here is very true indeed. That I never work at all in the lead; I'll suffer my vitals from me riven, Ere a single inch I will be driven; I'm very bad in harness at all to jerk. But put me behind and I'll freely work; Or I'll work with thee side by side. But to drive me hath been unsuccessfully tried. SIEGE OF MONTEREY. 45 XL. I cannot say, my enemies, that I hate you. For I often pray heaven to await you; And if my independent course displease you. Just go to the devil and let him squeeze you. Or burn you first, as you should choose ; He'll get you if to pray you refuse. I pray for thee nearly every single night, And my conscience tells me I'm doing right. XLI. My conscience is clear in the eyes of Jesus, And the searching Eye which always sees us. My intentions are good; who says otheruuse I am bound to tell him he certainly lies; If lie be preacher, monk, priest, or friar, I still say he is no less the liar. I'm as independent as a wood-sawyer. Because I'm a littl(^ pettifogging laAvyer, XLII. But I'm not at all pleased with the calling — I like the law but hate so much brawling. Lawyers are becoming so thick, of late. He's called wise who can loudest prate; They are not judged by their worth or wit. Or the number of thieves they can acquit; He's a hero who can use most folly-tricks'^-^ Then he's prepared to enter politics, XLIII. He's the greatest hero, I think, upon the whole. Who can produce the blackest soul; He who can keep his worth revealed. And keep the thoughts of his heart concealed. He may assert then, without hesitation. That Congress Hall is his certain destination; For it takes but few words of instruction To show Congi-ess filled with corruption , 46 SIEGE OF MONTEREY. XLIV. Of the sunny south I am a freeborn native, Her critical situation makes me meditative. Texas kicked up and swore she'd figlit — A persuasive bribe soon brought her right; Ten million dollars and a suspended sword Made her acknowledge her lawful lord — Whether 'twas fear of war or lust of gold, That is a secret which is as yet untold. XLY. 'Tis a secret which time alone shall tell-^ Her heroes fought at San Jacinto well; There her best olood in swelling torrents poured; I can't think she feared the suspended s-word. I'm with the south, be she right or wrong, Die by the south shall be my nightly song. Yes, I'll sing it by day as well as night, To the death, if necessary — our cause is right. XLYI. Something will take place very distressing. If the north don't quit the south oppressing. Do you wish to rob us of our slaves'^ If so, give us our bloody graves; For gory graves we will ever demand Before we yield one foot of land. To use our own as we please is our right. Do so we shall, or we bravely fight. XLYII. Let the consequences forever rest on you If the constitution be broken through; We only demand what our fathers gave us — We'll have it or die, so Heaven save us. And to you, Mr. South Carolina Rhett, We are with you, so don't you fret; Don't be in such a hurry to secede. Perhaps you may soon rue the deed- SIEGE OF MONTEREY. 47 XLVIII. Perhaps we may get redress from thezn yet. So hold on, I beseech you, Mr. Rhett. Recollect secession is a serious undertaking. It will set the whole globe to shaking; And what else I am unprepared for knowing But it may set blood in torrents to flowing. Wait awhile, then, the sword unsheath, And then we are with you to the death. XLIX. Then, hear ye the plan, which is mine. To shoulder our coffins, go to Dixon's line And there stop and dig our graves. And defend our wives, babes, and slaves; And let our motto always be, A gory grave we ask or victory. But let us not threat, hum and haw, But have redress by blood or law. L. Excuse me, reader, for trifling with your time — But you are not compelled to read my rhyme; You may ask, why I put this in my canto? My answer is, just because I want to. You are not bound to read it through. You are bound to acknowledge the canto true. But if it hath made you a little sneezy, A dose of ipecac, will make you easy. LI. If this don't, I certainly can assure you I have no idea what will cure you. I must yet acknowledge Uncle Sam my lieg So I'll get back to Worth and his siege. ^'Hasten, Isabel, and leave thy love to fight; If I escape death we'll marry to-night; Send for the priest, kill the fatted calf, And I'll make Isabel my better half. Jjd SIEGE OF MOXTKREY. LII. "Frora goblet to goblet let sweet nectar flow, At our bridal liall let brilliant faces glow." On Isabel's cheek hung a crystal tear, "I will not leave thee alone, Bibo; here On my knees, dear Bibo, at thy feet, My deathly bane, I pray, let me meet." Her glossy tresses floated in the breeze. With her lily arms she embraces his knees, LIII. And bends her lovely features to the skies; Big drops of woe fill her streaming eyes; Balls flew like whizzing hail around, While bursting bombs plowed the ground Huge holes in the solid walls they tore, Through which heroes in myriads pour. Now on the breeze death winged his dart, And pierced Isabel's breast near the heart. LIV. Back to the bloody ground she goes. Her beauteous lashes as in sweet slumber close; Her sweet lips quiver but make no sound. Smoking gore gushes from the gaping wound; Her beauteous breast, covered with veins of blue. Gave a throb, then was silent too; Her little sword lay by her side — She liad stained it with a bloody tide. LV. Her lily hand still the weapon hold, Blade of steel and hilt of yellow gold; Never did a sword grace a hand so fair As that which rested in her fingers there. The left hand caught Bibo's knee as she fell. Who stood gazing on his bleeding Isabel, Who lay as beautiful as when in life She had sworn to be his constant wife. SIEGE OF MONTEREY. 49 LYI. That hand which was soon to be forever his, On which he had often pressed a tender kiss; That breast wliich did with rapture fill. Those lips which did sw^eet nectai* 'still. That heart which once throbbed Avith joy- Beats no more for Bibo, the gallant boy; The rosy tint from her cheek hath ruslied. Her lips are still, her lovely voice hushed. LVII. Her sweet lips are stained with human gore, Which from her heart in torrents pour. Bibo stood transfixed, unable to move. Gazing on the face of his bleeding love; He opes his lips, he tries hard to speak. But his voice dies in a mournful shriek;' He stoops, on his knees he lays her head, "Speak, oh! mine own Isabel, art thou dead?" LVIII. O'er her heart his hand doth Bibo place. His tears wash the blood from her face. Hist, her heart moves! "Thank heaven," he cries; Hark! she moves her lips, now she opes her eyes; "Speak, oh! speak to thy own Bibo, dear; 'Tis his own arms which hold thee here." "Yes! oh, yes, heaven hath heard my prayer, I breathe out my life in these arms so fair." LIX. Thus saying, her head she dropped on his breast, While her hands across his shoulders rest. Now, with a loud scream of bitter pain, Bibo fell bleeding to the plain; Full length on the bloodv sand he fell. In the very arms of his tleeding Isabel A ball had pierced his young shoulder through. From which torrents of" smoking gore flew. 50 SIEGE OF MONTEREY LX. As thus he lay stretched on the earth, He -vras found by the gallant General "Worth, Who was anxious to know the hero's name, "Who fought with glory and died with fame. He gazes on the beautiful youth as he lies, "While big drops of sorrow fill his eyes: "What! hark, as I live here lies a dame; But, oh! she is dead! Oh! heaven, what a shame! LXI. "By the eternal powers of Jove, if I knew The infernal and lieartless traitor who Hath dared to strike this fatal blow. Which hath laid !