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Vermont Artillery
2nd Battery Light Artillery
Poetry
THE FADED COAT OF BLUE
Written by Mrs. Maggie M. Blackmer
for her cousin Miss Mary Blackmer
(Written exactly as written in the letter)My brave lad he sleeps in his
Coat of blue in a lonly grave
Unknown lies the heart that
Beats So true he sunk faint with
Hunger as amonge the famished
Braves and they laid him sad and
Lonely with in his namless graveChorus
No more the bugle calls the weary
One rest noble Spirit in Thy grave
Unknown I will know you and
I will find you a monge the good
And true where the robe of white
Is Given for the faded coat of blue
He cries give me watter and just
A little crumb and mothers She
Will bless you for all the years to
Come and tell my sweet sister so
Gentle good and true that she will
Meet me up in heaven in my
Faded coat of blueChorus
You said my dear comrad could
Not take me home but you will
Mark my grave for my mother so
She will find it when she comes
For I fear she will not know me
A monge the good and true where
The robe of white is given for the
Faded coat of blueChorus
No dear one was nigh him to
Close his sweet blue eyes no Gentle
One was nigh hime to give him
Sweet replies no stone marks the
Grave where my lad so brave and true when
The robe of white is given for the
Faded coat of blueChorus
Mary Blackmer is a daughter of Charles J. Blackmer, a Vermont Civil War veteran. The poem was found by Rose Marie (Oswald) Birdwell, whose grandfather married Lucy Jenny Blackmer, another daughter of Charles J. Blackmer. Mary and Maggie were cousins, but their exact relationship has not been determined.
Contributed by Bob Blackmer,
who has 3 great-granduncles (including Charles)
and 2 granduncles who served in the Civil War