Fraternity-Testvériség, 1941 (19. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1941-10-01 / 10. szám

TESTVÉRISÉG

7

CHARGE OF FREMONT’S Y-GGARD

— A Fremont testőrök rohama —

Eddig csak egy angol nyelvű költeményt ismertünk a hires Zágonyi-féle springfieldi, Mo. “halálrohamról”, amely 1861 október 25-én történt s igy most van 80 éves évfordulója. Ezt a költeményt, amelyet Geo.

Henry Boker irt, “Lincoln Magyar Hősei” c. könyvemben közöltem.

Azóta egy másik, hosz- szabb költeményre is rábukkantam, amelyet H.

L. Gordon irt s amely “The Feast of the Virgins” cimü kötetében,

1891-ben jelent meg Chicagóban, Laird and Lee kiadásában. H. L. Gordon, aki könyve megjelenésekor Minnepolisban élt, ügyvéd volt, de betegeskedése miatt abban- hagyta az ügyvédi gyakorlatot és írni kezdett.

Sok évet töltött a Dakota (Sioux) lés Ojibway (Chippewa) indiánok között, akikről sokat irt.

Költeményét, amelyet valószínűleg egyetlen magyar sem olvasott, most a 80 esztendős évforduló alkalmával közöljük. Érdekes, hogy Gordon két másik magyartárgyu verset is irt. Vasváry Ödön.

On they ride — on they ride —

Only three hundred, —

Ride the brave Body-Guard,

From the “Prairie Scouts” sundered:

Two thousand riflemen,

Ambushed on either side,

The signal of slaughter bide:

Ho! has the farmer-guide Led them astray and lied?

How can they pass the wood?

On they ride — on they ride —

Fearlessly, readily,

Silently, steadily Ride the brave Body-Guard Led by Zagonyi.

Up leap the Southrons there;

Loud breaks the battle-blare,

Now swings his hat in air,

Flashes his saber bare:

“DRAW SABERS, — FOLLOW ME!" Shouts the brave Captain.

“UNION AND LIBERTY!”

Thunders the Captain.

Three hundred sabers flash,

So far we have known only one poem written about the immortal charge of Col. Charles Zágonyi and his horsemen at Springfield, Mo., on Oct. 25, 1861, the one written by George Henry Boker of

Philadelphia, Pa. I published this poem in my volume: “Lincoln’s Hungarian Heroes.” Since then I have found another, longer poem about the same memorable event, in a volume of poems written by H. L. Gordon of Minneapolis, Minn., entitled: “The Feast of the Virgins and other poems”, and published in Chicago, 1891, by Laird and Lee. H. L. Gordon was a lawyer, who because of his failing health abandoned the practice of law, and started to write poetry. He spent many years among the Dakota (Sioux) and Ojibway (Chippewa) Indians, and wrote much about them. Probably no Hungarians ever saw this poem, which is now re-published in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the famous charge. Edmund Vasvary.

Three hundred Guardsmen dash On to the fierce attack:

Into the CUL-DE-SAC

Plunge the Three Hundred.

Yell the mad ambushed pack —

Two thousand rifles crack At the Three Hundred.

Dire is the death they deal,

Gleams the steel — volleys peal —

Horses plunge-riders reel,

Sabers and bayonets clash,

Guns in their faces flash,

Blue coats are spattered red —

Fifty brave Guards are dead —*

Zagonyi is still ahead,

Swinging his hat in air,

Flashing his saber:

“Steady men, — steady there, Forward-Battalion!”

On they plunge—on they dash Thro’the dead gantlet, eath gurgles in the gash Of furious — dealt saber — slash,