Charles Graham Halpine

Charles Graham Halpine Poems

Some tell me 'tis a burnin' shame
To make the naygers fight,
And that the trade of bein' kilt
Belongs but to the white.
...

Three years ago, to-day,
We raised our hands to Heaven,
And, on the rolls of muster,
Our names were thirty-seven;
...

Comrades known in marches many,
Comrades, tried in dangers many,
Comrades, bound by memories many,
...

LAURA

On me he shall ne'er put a ring,
So, mamma, 'tis in vain to take trouble -
...

Three years ago to-day
We raised our hands to heaven,
And on the rolls of muster
Our names were thirty-seven;
...

Good people all, both great and small,
I sing a tale of pity,
My hand I fling across the string,
...

Charles Graham Halpine Biography

Charles Graham Halpine (Halpin) (pseud. Miles O'Reilly) (November 20, 1829 – August 3, 1868) was an Irish journalist and author. Born at Oldcastle, County Meath, he was son of the Rev. Nicholas John Halpin. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, until 1846, was originally intended for the medical profession, but he preferred the law, and in his leisure wrote for the press. The sudden death of his father and his own early marriage compelled him to adopt journalism as a profession. In 1851 he emigrated to America, and took up his residence at Boston, where he became assistant editor of the ‘Boston Post,’ and, with Benjamin P. Shillaber, commenced a humorous journal called ‘The Carpet Bag,’ which was unsuccessful. He afterwards resided at Washington, where he acted as the correspondent of the ‘New York Times.’ Removing to New York he secured employment on the ‘Herald,’ and in a few months established relations with several periodicals. He undertook a great variety of literary work, most of which was entirely ephemeral. He next became associate editor of the ‘New York Times,’ for which paper in 1855 and 1856 he wrote the Nicaragua correspondence at the time of William Walker's filibustering expedition. In 1857 he became principal editor and part proprietor of the New York ‘Leader,’ which under his management rapidly increased in circulation. At the beginning of the civil war in April 1861 he enlisted in the 69th New York infantry, in which he was soon elected a lieutenant, and served during the three months for which he had volunteered. He was then transferred to General David Hunter's staff as assistant-adjutant-general with the rank of major, and soon after went with that officer to Missouri to relieve General John Charles Fremont. He accompanied General Hunter to Hilton Head, and while there wrote a series of burlesque poems in the assumed character of an Irish private. Several of them were contributed to the ‘New York Herald’ in 1862 under the pseudonym of ‘Miles O'Reilly,’ and with additional articles were issued in two volumes entitled ‘Life and Adventures, Songs, Services, and Speeches of Private Miles O'Reilly, 47th Regiment New York Volunteers,’ 1864, and ‘Baked Meats of the Funeral, a Collection of Essays, Poems, Speeches, and Banquets, by Private Miles O'Reilly, late of the 47th Regiment New York Volunteer Infantry, 10th Army Corps. Collected, revised, and edited, with the requisite corrections of punctuation, spelling, and grammar, by an Ex-Colonel of the Adjutant-General's Department, with whom the Private formerly served as Lance-Corporal of Orderlies,’ 1866. Halpine was subsequently assistant-adjutant-general on General Henry W. Halleck's staff with the rank of colonel in 1862, and accompanied General Hunter on his expedition to the Shenandoah valley in the spring of 1864. On his return to New York he resigned his commission in consequence of his bad eyesight, receiving the brevet of brigadier-general of volunteers. He then made New York his home, and resuming his literary work became editor, and later on proprietor of the ‘Citizen,’ a newspaper issued by the citizens' association to advocate reforms in the civil administration of New York city. In 1867 he was elected registrar of the county of New York by a coalition of republicans and democrats. Incessant labour brought on insomnia. He had recourse to opiates, and his death in New York city on 3 August 1868 was caused by an undiluted dose of chloroform.)

The Best Poem Of Charles Graham Halpine

Sambo's Right To Be Kilt

Some tell me 'tis a burnin' shame
To make the naygers fight,
And that the trade of bein' kilt
Belongs but to the white.
But as for me, upon my soul!
So lib'ral are we here,
I'll let Sambo be shot instead of myself
On ev'ry day in the year.

Chorus:

On ev'ry day in the year, boys,
And in ev'ry hour in the day,
The right to be kilt I'll divide wid him,
And devil a word I'll say.

In battle's wild commotion,
I shouldn't at all object,
If Sambo's body should stop a ball
That's coming for me direct;
And the prod of a Southern bagnet
So ginerous are we here,
I'll resign and let Sambo take it
On every day in the year.

Chorus:

On ev'ry day in the year, boys,
And wid none 'iv your nasty pride,
All my right in a Southern bagnet prod
Wid Sambo I'll divide.

The men who object to Sambo
Should take his place and fight;
And it's better to have a nayger's hue
Than a liver that's wake and white.
Though Sambo's black as the ace of spades,
His fingers a trigger can pull,
And his eye runs straight on the barrel sight,
From under his thatch of wool.

Chorus:

On ev'ry day in the year, boys,
Don't think that I'm tippin' you chaff,
The right to be kilt we'll divide with him, boys,
And give him the largest half.

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