Alexandria Daily Gazette, Commercial & Political

FRANKFORT, (Ken.) Feb. 7.

To the Editor of the American Republic.

SIR,

Having lately seen a very elegant original Latin poem, composed by the Revd. Mr. Brdin, to the memory of the late Colonel Joseph Hamilton Davies—I offer the following as a free translation of it. Conscious, however, of the very great distance between the beautiful original and my feeble attempt at rendering it into English. I offer it with diffidence: And should you upon perusing it, think it unworthy of the public eye, you may throw it aside, among the waste paper of your office.

WOODFORDENSIS.

Sd February, 1812.

EPICEDIUM.

On the glorious death of Joseph Hamilton Davies, Commander of the Horse, who fell a victim to his love of country, in the late battle on the Wabash, the 7th Nov. 1811.

Dedicated to JOHN ROWAN Esq.

'Twas late in autumn, and the thrifty swain
In spacious barns secur'd the golden grain;
November's chilly mornings breath'd full keen;
No leafy honors crown'd the sylvan scene.

When Fame with those sad tidings quickly flew
Throughout our land; (her tale, alas! too true.)

The savage Indian, our perfidious foe,
Pretending peace with hypocritic show,
Surpris'd Our legions in the dead of night
' And urg'd with lead and steel the mortal fight ;
Our valiant warriors strew th' ensanguin'd plain,
Ev'n our great captain of the horse is slain
' With triple wound !!! At length the foe retires,
With loss ; and leaves his town to our avenging fires.'

Portentious of these fates !--the earth, in throes
Repeated labors ; rueful Wabash flows
With slower current, stain'd with mingling blood !
The Dryads fill with plaints the echoing wood!

Nought can console him, nought can yield relief.
In woful silence sits the muse: train'd slaughter

And Friendship mourns her fav'rite hero slain
The funeral crape, vain badge of grief ! st
Upon her head, her arm the emblem bears,
Her sorrowing mind no moderation knows,
Admits no measure to her boundless woes.

Fate still now this fight's anguish bear
Ah what avails the vain expense of tears?

The direful cause the attentive Goddess hears
Therefore to Themis They come to crave a more benign award.

' Let Davies still in semblance grace my halls,
her record bears. And soon this just decree :
Let his bright portraiture adorn my wall ;
The civic oak his sacred brows entwine,
And vict'ry to the wreath his laurel join,
Let Legislative acts of mourning show
The voted ensigns of the public woe;

In the silent spot.
The fierce encounter, when great Daviess
And be the fatal spot with cypress shade o'erbled,
In the rich urn, and friendship's hand commlis noble heart let Hymen's care enclose
spread;
His other relics in the marble tomb.
pose
Then let the ages present and to come
A hero, sit a nation's pow'r to wield,
Let honor'd Daviess gild the page of fame,
Just praises render to his glorious name;
In council wise, and mighty in the field.
Those generous souls, who shed their noble
blood
But glory with unbounded lustre shines.
His mortal life a narrow space confines,
Who to their country's welfare freely give
A willing off'ring to the public good,
The sacrifice of life, forever live
As bright examples to the unborn brave,
To shew how virtue rescues from the grave.
The nobiest act the patriot's fame can tell,
Is that he bravely for his country fell.
Thus sung the missionary bard and paid,
This mournful tribute to the mighty dead.
:O: