The Columbiad

17 June 1775

Battle of Bunker Hill

Argument.

Vision confined to North America. Progress of the colonies. Troubles
with the natives. Settlement of Canada. Spirit of the English and
French colonies compared. Hostilities between France and England
extended to America. Braddock's defeat. Washington saves the re
of the English army. Actions of Abercrombie, Amherst, Wolfe. Peace.
Darkness overspreads the continent. Apprehensions of Columbus from that
appearance. Cause explained. Cloud bursts away in the centre.
of congress, and of the different regions from which its members are
delegated. Their endeavors to arrest the violence of England compared
with those of the Genius of Rome to dissuade Cesar from passing the
Rubicon. The demon War stalking over the ocean and leading on the
English invasion. Conflagration of towns from Falmouth to Norfolk.
Battle of Bunker Hill seen thro the smoke. Death of Warren. American
army assembles. Review of its chiefs. Speech of Washington. Actions and
death of Montgomery. Loss of Newyork.

Columbus hail'd them with a father's smile,
Fruits of his cares and children of his toil;
While still his eyes, thro tears of joy, descried
Their course adventurous on the distant tide.
Thus, when o'er deluged earth her Numen stood,
The tost ark bounding on the shoreless flood,
The sacred treasure fixt his guardian view,
While climes unnoticed in the wave withdrew.

19 September and 7 October 1777

Battles of Saratoga

I cannot expect that every reader, nor even every republican reader, will
join me in opinion with respect to the future progress of society and the
civilization of states; but there are two sentiments in which I think
all men will agree: that the event is desirable, and that to believe it
practicable is one step towards rendering it so. This being the case, they
ought to pardon a writer, if not applaud him, for endeavoring to inculcate
this belief.

I have taken the liberty, notwithstanding the recency of the events,
to make some changes in the order of several of the principal battles
described in this poem. I have associated the actions of Starke, Herkimer,
Brown and Francis in the battle of Saratoga, tho they happened at some
distance from that battle, both as to time and place. A like circumstance
will be noticed with respect to Sumter, Jackson of Georgia and some others
in the battle of Eutaw. I have supposed a citadel mined and blown up in
the siege of York, and two ships of war grappled and blown up in the naval
battle of Degrasse and Graves. It is presumed that these circumstances
require no apology; as in the two latter cases the events are incidental to
such situations, and they here serve the principal purpose, being meant to
increase our natural horror for the havoc and miseries of war in general.
And with regard to the two former cases we ought to consider that, in the
epic field, the interest to be excited by the action cannot be sustained
by following the gazette, as Lucan has done. The desultory parts of the
historical action must be brought together and be made to elevate and
strengthen each other, so as to press upon the mind with the full force of
their symmetry and unity. Where the events are recent and the actors known,
the only duty imposed by that circumstance on the poet is to do them
historical justice, and not ascribe to one hero the actions of another. But
the scales of justice in this case are not necessarily accompanied by the
calendar and the map.

Argument.

British cruelty to American prisoners. Prison Ship. Retreat of
Washington with the relics of his army, pursued by Howe. Washington
recrossing the Delaware in the night, to surprise the British van, is
opposed by uncommon obstacles. His success in this audacious enterprise
lays the foundation of the American empire. A monument to be ere
on the bank of the Delaware. Approach of Burgoyne, sailing up the St.
Laurence with an army of Britons and various other nations. Indignant
energy of the colonies, compared to that of Greece in opposing the
invasion of Xerxes. Formation of an army of citizens, under the command
of Gates. Review of the American and British armies, and of the savage
tribes who join the British standard. Battle of Saratoga. Story of
Lucinda. Second battle, and capture of Burgoyne and his army.

But of all tales that war's black annals hold,
The darkest, foulest still remains untold;
New modes of torture wait the shameful strife,
And Britain wantons in the waste of life.

Where Saratoga show'd her champaign side,
That Hudson bathed with still untainted tide,
The opposing pickets push'd their scouting files,
Wheel'd skirmisht, halted, practised all their wiles;
Each to mislead, insnare, exhaust their foes,
And court the conquest ere the armies close.

Now roll like winged storms the solid lines,
The clarion thunders and the battle joins,
Thick flames in vollied flashes load the air,
And echoing mountains give the noise of war;
Sulphureous clouds rise reddening round the height,
And veil the skies, and wrap the sounding fight.
Soon from the skirts of smoke, where thousands toil,
Ranks roll away and into light recoil;
Starke pours upon them in a storm of lead;
His hosted swains bestrew the field with dead,
Pierce with strong bayonets the German reins,
Whelm two battalions in their captive chains,
Bid Baum, with wounds enfeebled, quit the field,
And Breyman next his gushing lifeblood yield.

28 June 1778

Battle of Monmouth

surable shade;
At last the central darkness burst away,
And rising regions opened on the day.
Once more bright Delaware's commercial stream
And Penn's throng'd city cast a cheerful gleam;
The dome of state, as conscious of his eye,
Now seem'd to silver in a loftier sky,
Unfolding fair its gates; when lo, within
The assembled states in solemn Congress shine.

The sires elect from every province came,
Where wide Columbia bore the British name,
Where Freedom's sons their highborn lineage trace,
And homebred bravery still exalts the race:
Her sons who plant each various vast domain
That Chesapeak's uncounted currents drain;
The race who Roanoke's clear stream bestride,
Who fell the pine on Apalachia's side,
To Albemarle's wide wave who trust their store,
Who dike proud Pamlico's unstable shore.
Whose groaning barks o'erload the long Santee,
Wind thro the realms and labor to the sea,
(Their cumbrous cargoes, to the sail consign'd,
Seek distant worlds, and feed and clothe mankind;)
The race whose rice-fields suck Savanna's urn,
Whose verdant vines Oconee's bank adorn;
Who freight the Delaware with golden grain,
Who tame their steeds on Monmouth's flowery plain,
From huge Toconnok hills who drag their ore,
And sledge their corn to Hudson's quay-built shore.
Who keel Connecticut's long meadowy tide,
With patient plough his fallow plains divide,
Spread their white flocks o'er Narraganset's vale,
Or chase to each chill pole the monstrous whale;
Whose venturous prows have borne their fame afar,
Tamed all the seas and steer'd by every star,
Dispensed to earth's whole habitants their store,
And with their biting flukes have harrow'd every shore.

The virtuous delegates behold with pain
The hostile Britons hovering o'er the main,
Lament the strife that bids two worlds engage,
And blot their annals with fraternal rage;
Two worlds in one broad state! whose bounds bestride,
Like heaven's blue arch, the vast Atlantic tide,
By language, laws and liberty combined,
Great nurse of thought, example to mankind.
Columbia rears her warning voice in vain,
Brothers to brothers call across the main;
Britannia's patriots lend a listening ear,
But kings and courtiers push their mad career;
Dissension raves, the sheathless falchions glare,
And earth and ocean tremble at the war.

Argument.

Coast of France rises in vision. Louis, to humble the British power,
forms an alliance with the American states. This brings France, Spain
and Holland into the war, and rouses Hyder Ally to attack the English
in India. The vision returns to America, where the military operations
continue with various success. Battle of Monmouth. Storming of
Stonypoint by Wayne. Actions of Lincoln, and surrender of Charleston.
Movements of Cornwallis. Actions of Greene, and battle of Eutaw. French
army arrives, and joins the American. They march to besiege the English
army of Cornwallis in York and Gloster. Naval battle of Degrasse and
Graves. Two of their ships grappled and blown up. Progress of the
siege. A citadel mined and blown up. Capture of Cornwallis and his
army. Their banners furled and muskets piled on the field of battle.

Thus view'd the Pair; when lo, in eastern skies,
From glooms unfolding, Gallia's coasts arise.
Bright o'er the scenes of state a golden throne,
Instarr'd with gems and hung with purple, shone;
Young Bourbon there in royal splendor sat,
And fleets and moving armies round him wait.
For now the contest, with increased alarms,
Fill'd every court and roused the world to arms;
As Hesper's hand, that light from darkness brings,
And good to nations from the scourge of kings,
In this dread hour bade broader beams unfold,
And the new world illuminate the old.

But where green Monmouth lifts his grassy height,
They halt, they face, they dare the coming fight.
Howe's proud successor, Clinton, hosting there,
To tempt once more the desperate chance of war,
Towers at their head, in hopes to work relief,
And mend the errors of his former chief.
Here shines his day; and here with loud acclaim
Begins and ends his little task of fame.
He vaults before them with his balanced blade,
Wheels the bright van, and forms the long parade;
Where Britons, Hessians crowd the glittering field,
And all their powers for ready combat wield.
As the dim sun, beneath the skirts of even,
Crimsons the clouds that sail the western heaven;
So, in red wavy rows, where spread the train
Of men and standards, shone the fateful plain.