NOTES.
Reading edition
THE BOYS. The members of the Harvard College class of 1829 referred to in this poem are: "Doctor," Francis Thomas; "Judge," G. T. Bigelow, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Massachusetts; "O Speaker," Hon. Francis B. Crowninshield, Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives; "Mr. Mayor," G. W. Richardson, of Worcester,Mass.; "Member of Congress," Hon. George T. Davis; "Reverend," James Freeman Clarke; "boy with the grave mathematical look," Benjamin Peirce; "boy with a three-decker brain," Judge Benjamin R. Curtis, of the Supreme Court of the United States; "nice youngster of excellent pith," S. F. Smith, author of "My Country, 't is of Thee."
"That lovely, bright-eyed boy." William Sturgis.
"Who faced the storm so long." Francis B. Crowninshield.
"Our many featured friend." George T. Davis.
"The close-clinging dulcamara." The "bitter-sweet" of New England is the Celastrus scandens, "bourreau des arbres" of the Canadian French.
"All armed with picks and spades." The captured slaves were at this time organized as pioneers.