The Southern poems of the war

5–7 May 1864

Battle of the Wilderness

OF THE WAR. 339

•LEE TO THE REAR.

The following poetic version of a remarkab'e and well remembered
incident in one of the Wilderness lights, is from the pen of John
R. Thompson, formerly editor of the Southern Literary Messenger,
Richmond, Va. It was Avritten for, and appears in The Crescent
Monthly :

Dawn of a pleasant morning in May
Broke through the Wilderness cool and gray,
While perched in the tallest tree-tops, the birds
Were carolling Mendelssohn's " Songs without words."

OF THE WAR. 341

Turning his bridle, Robert Lee
Rode to the rear. Like the waves of the sea,
Bursting their dikes in their overflow,
Madly his veterans dashed on the foe.

And backward in terror that foe was driven,
Their banners rent and their columns riven,
Wherever the tide of battle rolled
Over the Wilderness, wood and wold.

Sunset out of a crimson sky,

OF THE WAR. 341

The flag that once challenged the gaze of the world ;

But the fame of the Wilderness fight abides ;

And down into* history grandly rides,

WILDERNESS.

GENERAL LEE AT THE BATTLE OF THE

WILDERNESS.

BY TP;NI:LI,A.

30 November 1864

Battle of Franklin (1864)

OH ! NO, HE'LL NOT NEED THEM AGAIN.

To Rev. A. J. Ryan, Knoxviile, Tenn., the following stanzas are
affectionately inscribed by his friend, J. D. Sullivan :

These stanzas are founded upon the following facts, related to me
by a gentleman whose veracity is unquestionable. On the morn
ing of the battle of Franklin, Tenn., Maj.-Gen. Patrick Cleburne,
C. S. A., while riding aloriir the line encouraging his nen, be
held an old friend —a Captain in his command — h s feet bleeding
from cold and other causes. Alighting from his horse, he asked
the Captain to " please " pu'l off his boots. The Captain did so,
when Gen. Ch-burne then told him to try them on ; this the Cap
tain also did. Gen. Cleburne then mounted his ho-se, told the
Captain he was tired of wearing them, and could do very well
without them. He would hear of no remonstrance, and bidding
the Captain good bye, rode awny. In this condition, he was
killed, and in this condition he "was found.

Oh! no, he'll not need them again,