Dennis Cummings 1844-1920

Dennis Cummings 1844-1920 To my friends of the 41st Infantry! My men, my brave brothers from Wisconsin, are invited! Invited RSVP to my domesticated, but dignified digs On south Milton Street in Whittier town, There, above the tracks of the Southern Pacific There, surrounded by my better half’s tulips and pumpkins There, surrounded by unequivocal respect and love Of my loyal and nagging better half, Ellen, and Of my dutiful and loyal son, Lee Roy. There is a window upstairs facing north, North to the rising green hills of Whittier town, North even to the Stars and Stripes Of my Wisconsin brothers Of my fellow Wisconsin freedom fighters! Nightly there, I light a candle for my friends. My intrepid men, my brave brothers! Those charging advancing storming souls Those rampaging, death-staring warriors of the 41st! Like the fiercely flowing rapids of the Tennessee There in Chattanooga, and thereabouts, My brothers and my friends braved the bullets, Faced the fusillade of fire, the unspeakable violence, and Even found glorious sacrifice, Found glorious death in battle, In the suffocating smoke and sulfur Of fifty thousand muskets. Yes, you are invited my brothers! My friends! Come to my humble home here on South Milton Street And look to the upstairs window. There is a candle burning there for you. Burning with respectful gratitude. Burning with a proud silence For my brave brothers, The storming rampaging men of the 41st.