MURRAY COUNTY POETRYPoems by Murray Poets and Poems About Murray County North Georgia Scouts Maurice Thompson I rode a horse, a dappled bay. Coal black his mane and tail- A horse that never needed spur. Nor curb, nor martingale. And by my side three others rode, Sun-tanned, long-haired and grim, Wild men led on by Edmondson, Tom Polk, you 've heard of him. Behind us galloped, four by four A swarthy, mottled band Of reckless fellows, chosen from The bravest in the land. Whether away on that fair day? Oh, just a dash of fun. To speed our horses and keep up With Tom Polk Edmondson. Behind our backs we left the hills; We crossed the Salliquoy: My right-hand Comrade smiled and said: "I fished here when a boy. " Then from the rise at Hogan 's house, I saw as in a dream Red-fringed and silver-blue and deep. The Coosawatte gleam. A shot rang out! A bullet split The air so close to me, I felt the keen hot puff, and then A roar of musketry. A leader wind blew from the wood; We met it at a run; We sped so fast along the lane The worn fence panels spun. A horse went down, a dying face Scowled darkly at the sky; A bullet clipped my Comrade's hat. And lopped the brim awry. "Come boys; Come on "our leader cried. Pell mell we struck the line. My Comrade's pistol spat its balls. And likewise so did mine. A swirl of smoke with rifts of fire Enveloped friend and foe; Death, so embarrassed, hardly knew Which way his strokes must go. The fight closed in on every side. And tore one spot of ground; There was not room to swing an arm Or turn your horse around. A moment thus and there we broke The circle of our foes. Old Hogan, in his doorway, heard The crunching of our blows. Then, while we used our pistol butts. As swords on many a head; And yet, and yet, down in that wood We left our leader, dead So, now you know just how it was We had our little fun, Speeding our horses to keep up With Tom Polk Edmondson. Published in Century Magazine, 1905. Murray County Poetry
Murray County Poetry