To My Uncle
LEVI L. GOWDY,
Walden, NY

In memory of his sun Lieut. Henry Gowdy who fell while
bravely fighting for The Old Flag at the Battle of Anteitam.

[NOTE: i.e. at Antietam Creek]

"The Sword That My Brave Boy Wore"
[Deposited May 19th, 1864;
Recorded Vol. 39, Page 342; No. 278;
23-813; M 1640.C;
Copyright Library 21 July 1864]
Composed by
JAMES G[OWDY]. CLARK[, 1830-1897]
Author of
"The Old Rover's Grave"
"Meet Me by the Running Brook"
"Mountains of Life" &c.
And sung by him with great success at his SOCIABLES.

Boston: Oliver Ditson & Co., 277 Washington St.
Cincinnati: John Church Jr.
New York: Willaim A. Pond & Co.
Boston: J. C. Haynes & Co.
Philadelphia: J. E. Gould
Engraver: M. J. Cramer [sp?]
Plate No. 22240
[Source: 1864-200000406@LoC/CWM]

1. They have sent me the sword that my brave boy wore 
On the field of his young renown; 
On the last red field where his faith was sealed, 
And the sun of his days went down; 
Away with tears that are blinding me so; 
There is joy in his years tho his young head below, 
And I’ll gaze with a solemn delight evermore 
On the sword, the sword that my brave boy wore.

2. Twas for freedom and home that I gave him away, 
Like the sons of his race of old; 
And tho’ aged and gray I am mourning today 
He is dearer a thousand fold; 
There’s a glory above him to hallow his name, 
And a land  that will love him who died for its fame; 
And a solace will shine, when my old heart is sore, 
Round the sword, the sword that my brave boy wore.

3. All so noble, so true how they stood how they fell, 
In battle, in plague, and the cold; 
O! as bravely and well as e’er stoty could tell 
Of the flow’rs of the famed! of old; 
And my brave boy’s sword in that fearful attack, 
Tho’ bright ere the battle comes so bloodily back 
And foremost among them his colors he bore, 
And here is the sword that my brave boy wore.

4. It was kind of his comrades, ye know not how kind, 
It is more than the Indies to me; 
Ye know not how kind, and how steadfast of mind 
The soldier to grief can be; 
They knew well how lonely how grieveously wrung 
Is the heart  that it’s only love loses so young, 
And they closed his dark eyes when the battle was o’er, 
And sent his old father the sword that he wore.