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Captain John Thomas Howe
The book was loaned to the
Friends and Descendants of Johnson's Island Civil War Prison
by Captain Howe's Great Grandson. We will be
posting images from this book as well as transcriptions with
discussion of the significance of his entries. We hope
you enjoy this personal trip through the past.
3/20/2006-We received the
book today. It arrived without problems. The
book contains writings as well as autographs. It will
be interesting to figure out all that is contained in this
book. Here is a picture of the cover.
11/16/06-This
is the first entry of the transcription of this book.
It doesn't usually take this long, we have just been busy
with many things. This transcription was done over the
summer by one of the summer field school students.
However, below is a transcription of the first four pages of
this book, entitled "Southern Cross"
First, here
are the pages if you care to look at them.
Southern Cross
To arms! Ye noble patriot
brave,
In farm array your bands,
March on! March on! Polluted
blood,
Shall drench our native land,
Ye children of a country
loved,
She calls you to the strife.
Tyrants and slaves, with
Gothic war,
Assail your nations life,
Chorus
Unfurl our banner! The Sothern
[Southern] Cross!
Shout loud the battle cry,
Of freeman’s clear and loud
huzza,
For death or victory
II
We fight in Keoly Freeman’s
cause,
For homes and after fires;
For sacred fanes and equal
laws,
The gift of honored sires,
For freedoms birthright won
for us,
Sealed with the blood of war,
[Top of next page]
By men resolved on battle
field,
To win or perish there,
III
Our ranks are formed we hear
the word,
“Charge! Charge! The hated
foe!”
As mountain torrents sweep the
vale,
Our columns onward go,
What! What is life or death to
us?
We only feel and see,
That freedom must be struggled
for,
By those who would be free,
IV
Our loud huzza’s exulting
swell,
Our banners proudly sweep,
And those who live are heroes
now,
And martyrs those who sleep,
The bayonets flash along the
lines,
While thousands bleed or die,
The boasting foe now wavers,
breaks!
And flies! huzza for victory!
Chorus
[Top of next page]
V
We hear the wail of woman now;
In agony it comes;
With mingled tears and anguish
cries,
From distant States and homes:
And those who in the deadly
strife,
A fame or memory seek
Now feel the hot tear of
manhood,
Steal glistening down the
check,
VI
They weep not for a comrade
fallen,
A father – brother dear!
But the memories of childhood
home,
Looms with a burning tear,
And they who in the conflict
showed,
Undaunted heart and brow,
At thought of home, that
touches them,
Can weep like children now.
Chorus
[Top of the next page]
The brave proud heart is
noblest
When touches VII with womans
pain
The brave, proud heart is
noblest
When touched with woman’s
pains
The eye is saddest, coldest,
That never weeps again;
The tear that falls for
woman’s grief;
Is hallowed by her sorrows,
As dew that falls upon the
leaf,
A purer luster borrows,
A purer luster borrows,
Chorus,
Then rally round
the Southern cross,
Suppress all tears
of sorrow,
Sad thoughts away!
For those at home,
We may fight again
to-morrow,
Sad thoughts away for those at home
Johnson’s Island
April 7th
1864
Johnsons Island th
1864
Johnsons Island [This line has
been erased]
April 7th
1864
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