Lines drawn by star spangled refrains
With civil war between the states
Heroic blood ran in their veins
As they enlisted to their fates
Letters written of times so dire
From Captain Morgan’s journal
Deaf as a stone from cannon fire
Like drumbeats of death eternal
He wrote in a journal each night
Before laying down his head
Not knowing of his brothers’ plight
His letters often filled with dread
Fields strewn with wounded and dying
Dozens of horses laying prone
Young soldiers shamelessly crying
At sight of musket shattered bone
One brother caught a musket ball
North of Atlanta near war’s end
Watching the southern colors fall
There was nothing left to defend
Atlanta was afire and blazing
Most of the town already gone
As the soldiers' eyes were glazing
General Sherman’s troups pressed on
The other died at Natchez Trace
Report stating intestinal flu
No kisses for his dying face
After all the turmoil was through
War robs a man of dignity
Wounds nearly deep enough to kill
Then dying from dysentery
And the destruction of their will
He was trying to get back home
To children and his chosen one
Buried ‘neath Mississippi loam
Which left just one surviving son
The journals of gore and glory
Wars of brother against brother
It’s a never~ending story
Of one war after another
Author notes
This poem based on family history and old newspaper reports printed in the 1930's
In a list
A contest entry
- Poems on the Civil War by ourgirlFriday.
600 points, ended April 24, 2008, 9 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
1 - 8 of 8
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May I add you to my AP family....I just have this special feeling for you, even before this piece, but we have that historical soul in common i think, and also the piece you wrote on a past life, from my contest, was simply amazing and i did love it so, we think a like on many things I imagine. And here I am just going on and on
sending you my love and light, always...dixie
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GOODNESS DEAR FRIEND, THIS IS WONDERFUL, TRULY, IT MADE ME CRY AND GAVE ME GOOSEBUMPS! ITS SO FANTASTIC, TRULY! TO FIND ONE THAT WRITES EVEN AS I DO, WE THINK ALIKE IN THIS AREA AND THIS IS A MOST PERFECT PIECE, HONORING ALL OF THOSE THINGS THEY DID HOLD SPECIAL AND TRUE. I AM HONORED TO HAVE BEEN HERE TO READ THIS AND I DO HOPE YOU DO MORE OF THEM. I AM HONORED FOR YOU FAMILY. THIS IS MY FAVORITE POEM OF EVER.....THANK YOU SO!!!!
LOVE, DIXIE
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captain morgan, that the name of a bottle of rum too lol - ah yes, war robs a man of dignity, i see it all the time on the enws how soldiers become battle weary. a good poem.
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This one honestly left my eyes welling...
The Civil War in my estimate was truly the
most brutal to date. When you consider it
actually was brother against brother, hand
to hand combat for the most part, and the
collateral damage of homes, slaves, and
families; the brutality of it all just crawls
inside me. To think we went through this and
never learned, advancing on in our warfare
and finding more trifle reasons to wage it
than equating the lifes of all peoples. Blue
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I am always honored by your visits to my writing, thank you so much for the heartfelt comment.
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outstanding poem, i am a history freak. I enjoyed this so much. I have done my research on my family i had alot of relatives that were in this war. Good luck in the contest
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Excellent!!!
An excellent, well-written composition with perfect flow and unforced rhyme!! an abundance of imagery!
Excellent in all ways!
Well Done & Best of luck in the contest!
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Very Moving
I like the use of personal history for theme. You did an excellent job! Good luck in the contest!
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