John C. Smith Poem, undated
Office of the
Grand Scribe,
Grand Encampment of the State of Illinois
of the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
John C. Smith
Grand Scribe.
The Chief of Staff,
Over his war worn face has come
The still, white sign that he new so well,
Hushing afar the rolling drum,
Stilling the noise of shot and shell,
The holy sign that wiped the stain
Of blood from the faces of the slain.
A strenous soul, deep-built within,
The years were few from the coal-pits flame
To beleagured Richmond's dying din
And the glory that settled on his name;
But not of years was his strength of deed:
The man was based on a full-grown creed.
Out from the dusk of common fate
He stepped when the cry was loud for men;
Measure him, dead, by his chair of state;
Is his stature greater now than then?
Did he get or give by his country's trust?
Behold what shrunken form of dust. /
He stood where few had strength to stand
In the wild fore-front of a giant time,
With the great commander, hand in hand.
Doing humanity's work sublime;
Nor even in triumph put it by,
But under it laid him down to die.
No more for him is the hurried day,
Blind with threads of the tangled fight;
His, now, the eternal lines that lay
Drawn out when the battle closed at night;
Their orders are deep in brow and breast,
And the weary Chief of Staff may rest.
Born February 13th, 1831.
Died September 6th, 1870.
Born in Jo Daviess Co. Ills.
Died in Washington D.C.
DATABASE CONTENT
| (11968) | DL1749.031 | 184 | Other |
Tags: Death (Military), Poetry, Religion
People - Records: 1
- (4341) [associated with] ~ Smith, John Corson
SOURCES
John C. Smith Poem, undated, DL1749.031, Nau Collection
