Unknown [Poem praising John Augustine Washington]
High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.
Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02953.02 Author/Creator: Unknown Place Written: s.l. Type: Printed document Date: circa 1861 Pagination: 1 p. ; 25 x 16.7 cm. Order a Copy
Written in praise of Washington, who died 13 September 1861. States "No soldier of fortune, no seeker or pelf, No lover of glory and fame; But simply a man who was true to himself, The home where he'd dwelt and his name..."
John Augustine Washington was the great-grandnephew of George Washington. He owned Mount Vernon until 1858, when the Mount Vernon Ladies Association purchased the estate. During the Civil War, Washington served as aide-de-camp to General Robert E. Lee.
[Draft Created by Crowdsourcing]
John Augustine Washington
of
MOUNT VERNON
LT.-COL. AND AIDE-DE-CAMP TO
GENERAL ROBERT EDWARD LEE
C. S. A.
KILLED, VALLEY MOUNTAIN, SEPT. 13, 1861
No soldier of fortune, no seeker of pelf,
No lover of glory and fame;
But simply a man who was true to himself,
The home where he'd dwelt and his name.
He rode far away at the call of the land,
Unmindful of peril and fate;
A smile on his face and wave of his hand,
For children who stood at the gate.
He rode by the side of the kingliest knight,
And deemed it a guerdon to share
His tent and the march, or the danger and fight-
To kneel by his chieftain in prayer.
He lay where he fell, with the light on his face,
Untouched by dishonor and shame,
Defeated-yet true to the pride of his race,
The home where he'd dwelt and his name.
The tears were like dew in the eyes of the chief,
Who gazed on the form of his friend,
And thought of the children at home and their grief,
The blossom of life and its end!
He sent, all entwined with his pity and love,
The flowers that grew where he fell-
And angels, who walked on the ramparts above,
Repeated their call, "It is well."
'Tis well, tho' for years he has slept 'neath the sod,
Uncrowned by the laurels of fame,
And simply a man who was true to his God,
The home where he'd dwelt and his name!
Citation Guidelines for Online Resources
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.