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THE WILDERNESS 
 
 A BATTLE PICTURE 
 
 BY 
 
 GEORGE H. DE LA VERGNE 
 
 tZDfte &m'ctterbocfter $re** 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 1921 
 
TS J So 7 
 
 Copyright, 102 1 
 
 by 
 
 G. H. De La Vergne 
 
 Made in the United States of America 
 
 rtS 
 
 DCT2b ^2 
 
 ©C1A686473 
 
DEDICATED 
 
 TO MY FATHER 
 
 GEORGE DE LA VERGNE 
 
 Lieut.- Col. 8th Tennessee Volunteers 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Affirmation 3 
 
 Prologue 6 
 
 The Wilderness 14 
 
 Earthquake 136 
 
 v] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 [i] 
 
RELATIVE POSITIONS IN THE WILDERNESS, MAY 6. 
 
AFFIRMATION 
 
 Where stand I in this welter of the world? 
 With Thee O Christ, who speak I for? for 
 
 Thee 
 Naught else is possible, Thou hast the words 
 Of eternal life, and thru the weakness of 
 My flesh Thy word runs keen in cleansing 
 
 power 
 And by Thy blood my sinful soul is pure. 
 Whilst thru the Holy Spirit, centered deep, 
 The body radiates an influence mild, 
 Pervasive so unlike in nature, and 
 In power from force electric, vibrations 
 Coarse, and the soul illumines; thru its light 
 The corporate atoms are inflused with life 
 Tranquilizing blood in arteries and veins 
 And the last sensitive filament of nerves, 
 Thus human flesh is freed from foul obsessions, 
 In texture like unto a child's again. 
 And by the Spirit man's unhampered soul 
 
 [3] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Becomes attuned to higher harmonies. 
 Throughout this world thy sacrifice, O Christ, 
 Is ever present and Thy triumph too, 
 For Thou art God; Thou walkest thru 
 
 reality ; 
 Thy steps I follow up that narrow path, 
 Solid beneath my feet, it never sinks 
 In sand, not seeming solid like to those 
 That fool the feet, Thy path divides the 
 
 world, 
 And leads not to a palace but a fold 
 For sheep, strange beasts without, O God, how 
 
 they 
 Devour, how strange these symbols mild and 
 
 poor, 
 Good Shepherd, sheep and lambs, in such a 
 
 world. 
 Amidst a moiling pack of savage beasts 
 What chance have we? Thou knowest, yet 
 
 in fact 
 These symbols are but half the truth, 
 
 behold 
 Thy spirit conquered from the cross, from 
 
 whence 
 Thine affirmation, love and truth o'er came 
 And is triumphant, drawn from sources deep, 
 Aye deeper, than our access, whilst like yeast 
 [4] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Thy life hath levitated with its power 
 The weight and stubborn substance of our 
 world. 
 
 Now thru the choking murk when ends the 
 
 evil 
 Of this world, straight we hold our steadfast 
 
 way 
 With hands that grip the rope of Faith, and 
 
 then 
 In sudden beauty, what was vision once 
 Is changed to reality, and what was real 
 Becomes a dream that lies upon the far 
 Horizon like a cloud, once ominous 
 That after storm robbed of its menace, 
 
 shines 
 In roll of white and silver, then is gone. 
 
 [5] 
 
PROLOGUE 
 
 LEE'S Signal Mountain gave a far flung 
 view, 
 North West Virginia stretched before his 
 
 sight; 
 Mid afternoon it was in brilliant glow 
 Of early Spring, a glamorous circle cut, 
 Fair, far horizons, varied foothills formed 
 Below the Blue Ridge, rising as a dream 
 Of cloudy grandeur, thence the circle swept 
 The low green levels of Manassas Plain ; 
 The reaches of the upper Rappahannock; 
 Then past the misty heights of Fredericks- 
 burg, 
 And next the country channeled by the 
 
 streams, 
 The Mat-Po-Ny, North Anna and the South 
 Her sister, then the circle curved complete 
 South of Gordonsville, thence the rugged 
 range 
 
 [6] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Of hills tapered towards the River, all 
 
 This section, peaceful, dreaming in the 
 
 light 
 That spoke of coming harvests, not the 
 
 kind 
 Of War's black reaping; on that tender 
 
 breast 
 Of fair Virginia were the talon marks 
 Of former battles, Fredericksburg, the curse 
 Of Chancellors ville, and westward on the 
 
 plain, 
 Manassas, now a brood of bitterer battles 
 Was being hatched. The Confederate chief- 
 tain 
 Paid but scant heed to all this beauty 
 
 spread 
 Beneath his gaze, — the Rapidan a glaze 
 Of glittering silver wound thru woods and 
 
 hills, 
 Lee scanned with searching glass, a scene 
 
 beyond 
 The River, where, upon the plain around 
 Culpeper Court House was a vast armed 
 
 camp, 
 Long miles of tents in order, and huge 
 
 parks 
 Of packed artillery, a camp aside 
 [7] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Thousands of horses, — there it was in power, 
 
 The Army of the Potomac, and like 
 
 A giant stretched its limbs from winter 
 
 sleep, 
 Fast rousing, Lee made note of all these 
 
 signs 
 With eye long practiced, then he stood deep 
 
 mersed 
 In thought, a figure poised in perfect power 
 Devoid of pose, in garb of fitting gray, 
 Three stars of gold on collar close about 
 The throat, a head whose high perfection 
 
 glowed 
 Serene, in radiation of sub-conscious power, 
 No impressment, coordination both 
 Of body, soul and mind, a Prince of God, 
 A Christian man, who felt the present force, 
 And motion of the Spirit, very source 
 Of poise and power and peace, conjoined with 
 
 love; 
 Yet human, moved by winds of scorching 
 
 wrath, 
 And there he stood the great American, 
 In breadth of mind and spirit unap- 
 
 proached, 
 In all our History ; from distance drew 
 His glance to scan that dark terrain below 
 [8] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 To the westward, where wound the River's 
 
 course. 
 Then Lee spoke to his staff "Gentleman, 
 
 Grant 
 Will cross the fords of the Rapidan 
 To interpose between this army and 
 Richmond," some there, dissented, but Lee 
 
 held 
 His opinion, for a moment gazed in thought 
 Toward that dark blotch of woods which 
 
 never takes 
 The light, but always sullen, History terms 
 The Wilderness, — south from the River's 
 
 ford 
 A region black with pines, enmeshed in 
 
 brush, 
 Rived with ravines, and pocked with ugly pits 
 Of iron excavations, red with rust. 
 As Lee observed this scene, a shade sar- 
 donic 
 Darkened his eyes, brown, luminous, not 
 
 soft, 
 He saw the enemy come stumbling to his 
 
 doom, 
 In that deep jungle reinforcing with 
 Its aid, and worth an army corps, and more 
 To his depleted force. 
 
 [91 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Let us turn to that other army stretched 
 For miles around Culpeper Court House, yet 
 'Tis not its power I sing, nor of its pomp ; 
 In all that vast army I see one tent 
 Scarce different from the others wherein 
 
 sits 
 Sideways to a camp table stretched with 
 
 maps 
 A man, with figure slightly slouched, brown 
 
 beard, 
 Cigar tight clipped in wide slit mouth, the 
 
 man 
 Ulysses Grant, three stars of silver shine 
 On narrow velvet of his shoulder straps ; 
 A commander fit in temperament and mind, 
 For service in the war of nations, where 
 War was a business deprived of fuss 
 And feathers, science joined to will, and cold 
 To all emotion, this impassive one 
 Seemed neither young nor old, unkindled, 
 
 gray 
 In tone, he drew on sources deep, sub- 
 merged, 
 Of which he was in part not conscious, as, 
 An iceberg shows one-tenth its size above 
 The sweep and chop of restless seas, this 
 
 man 
 
 [10] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Likewise gave scarce a hint of depths below. 
 In brilliant background shone victorious 
 
 names, 
 Fort Henry, Donelson, Vicksburg, then back 
 To Tennessee, and Chattanooga's field. 
 He pondered now the way to meet this Lee, 
 Who had so often smacked defeat against 
 This army that Grant was sent to chaperone 
 Against marauders bold, to Richmond town. 
 Three plans of action placed upon the map 
 Clearly defined, to meet the General's 
 
 choice : 
 The first to transfer his great army down 
 The large waterways straight to Richmond's 
 
 gates, 
 This was McClellan's method, promised 
 
 much; 
 The second plan to march by the right 
 
 flank 
 Beyond Lee's Signal Mountain, sectors 
 
 marked 
 By open country, where the larger force 
 Could spread with wide manoeuvres to its 
 
 end; 
 The middle course to march across the 
 
 fords 
 Of Rapidan into the deep wilderness, 
 [111 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 With hope to get Lee on the hip and keep 
 Between his army and his Richmond base. 
 Grant's balanced choice might well be said 
 
 to hide, 
 In one of three carved caskets, silver, gold 
 Or brutal lead, Will Shakespeare worked 
 
 this scheme, 
 As you remember, now in one there sleeps 
 Our Lady of Victory, bright in pictured 
 
 mold. 
 This suitor was not gay nor touched with 
 
 fire 
 Of fierce impatience, calmly brooded, then 
 Short nodded to his servant Fate to ope' 
 The leaden casket, turned and briefly wrote 
 An order for the army, straight to march 
 By fords across the Rapidan and through 
 The wilderness, instructing Gen. Meade, 
 "Lee's Army is your objective, where he 
 
 goes, 
 You go," signed U. S. Grant, Lieutenant- 
 
 General. 
 This done, he turned to take a jug, 
 
 supposed 
 To be within his trunk, not there, he stood 
 Emotionless, then turned and lifted the flap 
 
 and strode 
 
 [121 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Outside, hand in pocket, cigar clipped 
 Atilt in corner of his thin-lipped mouth, 
 He never even said "damn that Rawlins," 
 His aide and old-time friend from Illinois, 
 Who strove with all his strength, and as a 
 
 friend, 
 To hold Grant back from drink, his only 
 
 vice, 
 The little rum black imp that dogged his 
 
 steps ; 
 His nature seemed inert, an idol blank 
 Of monolythic stone, unless aroused, 
 By stimulus of battle or of rum ; 
 This spoils the picture but it speaks the 
 
 truth. 
 
 13 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 CLOSE on the Ides of March, black marked 
 of old 
 With blood of Caesar, doomed to sudden 
 
 death ! 
 Two armies, Grant's and Lee's, were stretched 
 
 at length, 
 One north, one south, of the wide Rapidan ; 
 And as the weeks of Spring did broaden 
 
 down 
 Toward the Summer, these great armies 
 
 took 
 Real semblance, Grant's became an Eagle, 
 
 wings 
 Slow rising, pulsed with fury, and the 
 
 threat 
 Of coming battle, northward stretched, the 
 
 tail 
 Along the railroad towards the junction 
 
 point, 
 
 [141 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Manassas, southward in that jungle called, 
 The Wilderness, crouched low a tiger lean 
 With lashing tail that stirred the dust 
 
 around 
 The white of Orange Court House where 
 
 appeared 
 Its master, ready to cut the leash that 
 
 held 
 The Army of Northern Virginia, what 
 A formal name for such a beast, inflamed 
 With furious hunger waiting for its kill. 
 You scarce discern it as it wends along 
 Or stops within the jungle, camouflaged 
 By sun and shadow, then it crouches, comes 
 The noise of crashing brush, then lurches 
 
 thru 
 The bush, a huge blue elephant with trunk 
 Trumpeting the winds of Wrath, a Mahout 
 
 small 
 Rides on the massive neck, nor deigns to 
 
 beat 
 The swaying head, his weapon but a stick 
 Whittled to smallness, can this little man 
 Ride out the storm? That tale must soon 
 
 be told. 
 Released the tiger springs, a catapult 
 Of hate, missing the head he tears the flank 
 [15] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 To shreds of crimson, rends the other side, 
 The creature sways, now shall it fall to lie 
 Inert upon the jungle? no, for look! 
 That idol of a man is roused, he speaks, 
 Few gutteral words to those great ears and 
 
 strikes 
 That gray round boulder of a head, thus 
 
 stung 
 It clears, whilst thru its body runs, renewed, 
 A force galvanic from that man who gave 
 No outward sign of power, ungestured, 
 
 grim, 
 But with a will to Victory; roused the beast 
 Shakes off the tiger, crushing down, one leg, 
 Beneath its ponderous tread, trumpets in 
 
 rage 
 And lumbers thru the forest with intent 
 To get between the tiger and his lair; 
 That creature licks his wounds, just for a 
 
 moment, 
 Then moves in swiftness parallel to course 
 Of its opponent, soon these two will meet 
 At Spottsylvania, there we can not go 
 The Wilderness our meat, and then 'tis 
 
 known 
 (That papers scarce and publishers are 
 
 too, 
 
 [16] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Alas ! they like not power, unheralded, 
 Since all afflatus must be caused to blow 
 Thru standard tubes of penny whistles made 
 By them to toot some tinny tunes, at least 
 So seems Farewell, oh Persiflage, 'tis time) 
 To take our line of March, come muse, lead 
 
 on 
 I follow, so must you, on dit, let's go, 
 Near drew the time decisive, yet it seemed 
 All Nature was attuned to pleasant peace, 
 Impossible that acrid smoke like fumes from 
 
 hell 
 Should choke the air, and raucous yells of 
 
 hate, 
 Unhuman cries of anguish, soon would 
 
 stab, 
 White scar, intensely burn the gentle waves 
 Of ether musical, whereon the sun 
 Ripples its harmonies to hearts attuned ; 
 Air tinctured with fragrance of coming 
 
 Spring 
 Caused soon to stink with sulphur and the 
 
 smell 
 Of sourish blood, once salted with the glow 
 Of human life, impossible and yet 
 The hours were gliding smoothly towards 
 
 the dawns 
 
 [17] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Of days so terrible, that thru after years 
 Brave men and seasoned in the arts of war 
 Averted thoughts and memories from that 
 
 sound, 
 "The Wilderness." Upon an evening mild, 
 Near fourth of May, when verged the mid- 
 night hour, 
 Two columns garbed in uniform of blue, 
 Some miles in length and several miles 
 
 apart 
 Were set toward the fords of the Rapidan 
 Awaiting the signal! Meade's command to 
 
 cross 
 At Germanna Ford nearest to Lee, there- 
 fore 
 To southward, this composed of Warren's 
 
 Fifth, 
 And Sedgwick's Sixth corps and cavalry and 
 
 guns 
 In true proportion, Hancock's second corps 
 To cross at Ely's Ford five miles below. 
 Half way between these two another Ford, 
 Culpeper Mine, reserved for wagon trains, 
 That trundled by like fat old women, heads 
 Encased in poke-bonnets white and new, 
 Soon grimed with smoke and dust of harsh 
 campaigns. 
 
 [18] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 The columns guarding their maternal forms 
 Filled with supplies and fodder for the 
 
 troops. 
 'Twas fit precaution since that, gallant 
 
 Stewart 
 Might be hovering near to thrust his gay 
 Attentions on these ladies huge, abduct 
 Them for his men in whirlwind fashion, 
 
 such 
 His ways ! a fence enclosed their rendezvous 
 Of spikes, sabres of Sheridan's and points 
 Of bayonets, detailed from other corps — , 
 Queen bees they were unique in value, when 
 Attacked quite helpless, so were guarded 
 
 close. 
 The fighting columns were two lances 
 
 tipped, 
 Sharp points of cavalry, with infantry 
 As fibred shaft and balanced at the end 
 With batteries of the guns, then duly poised 
 And hurled, with hope, perchance, to pierce 
 
 and pin 
 The swift elusive tiger of Lee's force. 
 What thought these thousands as they stood 
 
 at rest 
 Awaiting the order that would unlock 
 The gates of Hazard, opening on a world 
 [191 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Alien in aspect to the world of peace — , 
 High Victory and certain anguish, some 
 There were who felt a premonition cold 
 Like chilling lead, alas to be realized, 
 A feeling not to be explained, from air 
 That seems a vacancy, but is alive 
 With forces that our eyes can ne'er behold. 
 These soldiers were in fact mere boys, who 
 
 gave 
 No heed, and little thought, to coming fate, 
 Though just a step ahead, above the lines. 
 Low stretched a yellow fog, of bawdy speech 
 Concerning women, this low mist was lit 
 With curses common as the air they 
 
 breathed. 
 "Say Bill, you 'member that fat nigger 
 
 wench 
 "Jake had in Washington, he likes 'em 
 
 black." 
 "Oh Hell," says Jake, "she was to bring me 
 
 luck." 
 So ran the talk, but different were the 
 
 thoughts 
 Of others, underneath this scale and scurf 
 Of common talk the average of that man's 
 Army was straight; a clean backbone that 
 
 naught 
 
 [201 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Could bend; how else was the Republic 
 
 saved ? 
 But as happens often, the rotten few 
 Stunk up the air, for other men to breathe. 
 In justice must we note that in this war 
 There was no carnival of rape as mars 
 With black iniquity, the horrid trail 
 Of conquering armies, officers and men 
 Were set against such outrage, Grant though 
 
 calm 
 And patient, struck this crime with savage 
 
 force, 
 A man who raped a woman got short shift 
 At his command, in this the spirit showed 
 Of all his armies, so much for preface. 
 Upon the touch of twelve there snapped the 
 
 brief 
 Command, that roused those columns though 
 
 apart 
 To jointed action, a rhythmic python seems, 
 Stretching, interminable, its movement 
 
 wrapt 
 In sheltering darkness which is ever tinged 
 With mystery and the lure of the unseen, 
 From dimmed horizons; on these columns 
 
 moved 
 Toward the Fords that split the Rapidan, 
 [211 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 And dawn revealed these marching hosts, 
 
 dust hazed; 
 First jaunty cavalry with men and horse 
 Clean limbed, alert, the leaders cloaked in 
 
 blue, 
 The troops by guidons marked, a brilliant 
 
 show 
 To cause Mars' brutal front to light with 
 
 pride, 
 Next miles of infantry loose jointed with 
 The clanking batteries, thus a River formed 
 Of steel and flowing on with steady, strong 
 Propulsion from the distance down across 
 The dark pontoons, and there the wilderness 
 Received and swallowed; looking back one 
 
 saw 
 A constant sheen of light, in keenness flung 
 From bayonets bent slight in perfect tilt 
 Above a marching army, to the eye 
 As piercing as the notes of bugles blown 
 Unto the ear, the peak of martial thrill. 
 Lee's mounted scouts, trig-shaped, alert, 
 
 keen scanned 
 Thru glasses set, then moving on, and yon, 
 The Army of the Potomac, their watch 
 Was from a knoll half sheltered by the 
 
 green 
 
 [22] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Of graceful trees, then as the iron hoofs 
 
 Of Sheridan's first chargers struck the 
 
 stream, 
 In glittering fans that splashed their 
 
 tarnished chests, 
 Lee's scouts gray garbed, remembering well 
 
 this foe, 
 In high good humor whirled their eager 
 
 mounts, 
 With sneering comments on this western 
 
 Grant, 
 Who like some others dared to beard their 
 
 chief, 
 The master in his own terrain, then up 
 The turnpike dimmed with tender shade, 
 
 galloped 
 Towards Headquarters. Lee was holding 
 
 back 
 His hounds of war, his was the master hand, 
 Until the Wilderness should trip and sprawl. 
 His cumbrous foe and when entangled, then 
 Those gaunt gray beasts of his would tear 
 
 and rend 
 As on the haunted field of Chancellors ville. 
 South of the River was his chosen ground, 
 Prestige was Lee's, a mind sagacious, strong, 
 Serenely glowing thru his splendid frame, 
 [231 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 A unity of purpose joined with power, 
 A nature finely tempered for its ends, 
 With martial character of fibered strength, 
 Long trained in bitter battles where he took 
 The measure of the Northern chieftains 
 
 save 
 Only Meade, now opposed by Grant, a man 
 Unemphasized in manner and in mind, 
 Unwarlike, mild, whose neutral tint con- 
 cealed 
 A will to Victory, such, no furnace heat 
 Of battle could e'er melt as fluid to 
 Some other mold than his set purpose, — 
 
 this, 
 The United States, his country one and not 
 Divided by this rending treason, this his 
 
 will 
 Attained despite long weeks of horror, 
 
 whilst 
 His hand unshaken guided straight the 
 
 plow 
 Whose share of steel with cutting slowness 
 
 turned 
 One long black furrow filled, with dead men's 
 
 bones. 
 Throughout that fourth of May, two lines of 
 
 blue 
 
 [24] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Poured into the engulfing wilderness, 
 Midway between them passed the rumbling 
 
 trains, 
 Of snug trimmed wagons, sometimes over- 
 turned, 
 Their road a wood trail so they rocked from 
 
 stumps, 
 To ruts, their tops as sails on heavy seas. 
 Before the reader's mind must clear be set 
 The region and the plan of battle, else 
 We are lost within a jungle and dismayed. 
 A map's a skeleton with roads for bones, 
 Full streams for arteries and the branching 
 
 veins 
 Of rivulets and runs, back bone of hills, 
 The brown of hairy woods and all endowed 
 With meaning, and by imagination clothed. 
 Most conflicts have their tell-tale marks and 
 
 brands, 
 Vicksburg, the river, Gettysburg, its hills. 
 The Wilderness the battle of the roads. 
 From Lee's Headquarters twenty miles 
 
 away, 
 There branched two highways, one was 
 
 called 
 The Orange Court House Pike; its course 
 
 did run 
 
 [25] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Nearest the River, whilst its brother named 
 The Orange Plank of marked plebeian tread 
 To carry wagons through soft swampy 
 
 ground, 
 Ran roughly parallel unto the Pike, 
 Both pierced the wilderness and were one 
 
 mile, 
 Then two apart ; south from Germanna Ford 
 A Turnpike skirted the northern fringe 
 Of battle and the wilderness, it cut 
 The Orange Turnpike near the Wilderness 
 Tavern but crossed, the Orange Court House 
 
 Plank 
 Outside of bounds as one might say, its 
 
 sphere 
 Important, the chief feeder of the fight, 
 Mark well the final highway called the 
 
 Brock, 
 Its common color changed to one of blood, 
 It wanders up from Spottsylvania, marked 
 By Todd's old Tavern, intersected here 
 By the Catharpin Road, by Hancock used 
 Upon the morrow, on it goes three miles, 
 Entering the jungle, later cuts the Plank 
 Then on a mile it cuts the feeder road, 
 The Germanna Turnpike, forming thus 
 A tendon, twixt these two, thus have I placed 
 [26 1 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 These rude stringers on which to build the 
 
 fight; 
 But better yet compared to crosses set, 
 One crosspiece formed for both, the northern 
 
 road 
 Germanna, roughly two uprights are nailed 
 Against it, one the Plank, the other known 
 The Pike, here on the morrow two armies 
 
 nailed 
 In crucifixion, dying for the Right 
 In fierce sincerity. There yet remains 
 One way, that lurks half hidden thru the 
 
 fringe 
 Of this terrain, with strange importance 
 
 marked, 
 Poor second cousin of the battle roads, 
 The bed of a half finished railroad, mark ! 
 It ran as proper, thru the farm of one 
 Miss Billion, more Mr. Billions have been 
 
 made 
 In railroads, too half finished, here is hid 
 A fossil tale, I give ingredients, mix 
 It for yourself, Bright Prospectus framed 
 By Colonel Sellers, in the wilderness 
 Shall bloom the Iron Mines of richest ore, 
 Great vulcan what a dream of wealth right 
 
 here 
 
 [27] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Unfolds, — a railroad built shall carry ore 
 Down to the River, the River to the sea, 
 
 Alas 
 Never to be, that road an outcast lurked 
 A villain in the brush whom Longstreet used 
 Upon the second day to thrust a knife 
 Into the Federal side, it shirks along 
 Its hidden way a quarter of a mile 
 Below, and parallel unto the Plank 
 Until it neared the Brock, then scooted 
 
 wide, 
 Southeast towards the farm of Stephen 
 
 Triggs. 
 Look out! old Stephen or you'll lose some 
 
 chicks, 
 This fellow, sure a villain mighty sly. 
 The foci of the battle must be marked ; 
 Working together, let us place a few 
 Red buoys to show above the jungle waves 
 The channels of conflict ; first is set, 
 The Wilderness Tavern near junction 
 
 formed 
 Of the Orange Turnpike and Germanna 
 
 Road 
 This buoy indicates the northwest sector; 
 
 Grant's 
 Headquarters, let us mark with smaller buoy 
 [28] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 What color? blue? your choice my friend, — 
 
 its place 
 Above a sparse pine knoll on Lacy's farm, 
 Just south of the Germanna, to the west, 
 The Orange Turnpike; East a mile the 
 
 Brock, 
 Due north a half a mile the Tavern stood ; 
 Two miles southeast across the tangled 
 
 woods, 
 The heart of the grim wilderness where more 
 Than one Federal unit was to trip and fall, 
 Let's mark Lee's station, gray with golden 
 
 stars, 
 The Widow Tapp's just west from off the 
 
 Plank, 
 A mile from where this road adjoins the 
 
 Brock ; 
 Two miles along the Plank to south we 
 
 reach 
 The place called Parker's store, here float a 
 
 buoy 
 To mark the furthest limit of the south 
 Sector, the north a Tavern and the south a 
 
 store 
 Reversing symbols, for this fight correct, 
 Lee's short resources made him quick and 
 
 keen 
 
 [29] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 To strike a bargain, Grant was forced to 
 
 use 
 Strong stimulants of reinforcing troops 
 To boost his fading line; this Parker's store 
 A name to conjure with throughout those 
 
 days, 
 To rouse to high endeavor those who 
 
 sought 
 Its proud possession, just a country store 
 Of weather boards, unpainted since the 
 
 days 
 Of President Polk, behind its dusty panes 
 Were sample goods, and calicos, and toys, 
 Outside a hitching rail deep gnawed, and 
 
 holes 
 Dug out by stamping horses, plagued with 
 
 flies 
 Swarming specks gauze fluttering in the 
 
 sun, 
 It was from Parker's ebbed the first advance 
 Of Union troops, thereafter it remained 
 Beyond the Federal grasp as though a 
 
 chasm 
 Intervened, so their eyes denied a glimpse 
 Of that emporium, there stood in brush 
 Twixt Plank and Pike the varying units, 
 
 and 
 
 [301 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 With lifted muzzles bayed towards Parker's 
 
 store ; 
 First Crawford, Wadsworth next, then last 
 
 and least 
 Ambrosial Burnside, these in turn would rise 
 And point towards Parker's, snuff the tainted 
 
 breeze 
 Then take direction marked as exit, save 
 Wadsworth, although mauled and mangled, 
 
 fearless fought, 
 He reaped a soldier's death, a living name. 
 Now friend, you've rested while I talked, 'tis 
 
 time 
 To finish up our task; from Parker's store 
 Retrace our steps two miles, past Widow 
 
 Tapp's 
 A name of humor fit for Shakespeare's 
 
 muse, 
 One mile beyond we mark the junction 
 
 formed 
 Of Plank and Brock, with buoy of flaming 
 
 red 
 Symbolic, here the waves of battle rose 
 To surges maddened by the roaring rush 
 Of fierce cross currents, forming whirlpools 
 
 black 
 Above the crossing of the roads, — your task 
 [31] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 My friend is done, but mine continues, 
 
 when 
 The battle joins stick close upon my heels, 
 Your guide, who megaphones each passing 
 
 phase. 
 How strange and weird is war's impressment, 
 
 takes 
 The petty name of some poor hamlet, farm, 
 Some tavern dinged for paint, obscure 
 
 crossroads 
 And holds them in its flame, then brands the 
 
 minds 
 Of men forever with black lettered names. 
 Great battles flashing out with sudden 
 
 glare 
 Of green-white brilliance from oblivion 
 
 bring 
 A hill, or mountain, tavern, or a store; 
 One vividness of light, then darkness dazed 
 From contrast but, upon the eye is stamped 
 The image of these objects for all time. 
 This is the emphasis of war that makes 
 True values, naught, the valueless to shine. 
 How stood the armies on this fourth of 
 
 May— 
 The day of movement, then the grapple 
 
 grim. 
 
 [32] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 For first review, the column nearest Lee, 
 The one that crossed Germanna Ford, 
 
 composed 
 Of Warren's Fifth, the Sixth, Sedgwick's 
 
 command, 
 Two powerful corps equipped for war's 
 
 demands ; 
 At two P. M. Warren was up, his front 
 Beyond the Tavern and in position, next, 
 The Sixth, was clear across the Ford by 
 
 six, 
 Its advance near the position, this corps 
 Was forced to take, when Lee launched his 
 
 attack. 
 As we review these columns stretching 
 
 back 
 For miles with clanking batteries at the 
 
 end, 
 Like rattles on a snake that whirr and 
 
 warn, 
 Apprehend here a living entity, 
 Morale, its spirit, from united will 
 And common purpose, thus the atoms formed 
 Of individual soldiers cohesive, sent 
 A force electric through the mass, thus 
 
 raised 
 To highest voltage, every man became, 
 
 3 [331 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 More than himself, endowed with strength to 
 
 stand 
 The unendurable, through communicable 
 And added power, not so in these last days, 
 For instance, that huge war miscalled the 
 
 great 
 Which tore a gap in Time and blew the 
 
 years 
 To dust, or might we say, that then Mar's 
 
 fist 
 Knocked four big teeth straight down the 
 
 throat of time. 
 This martial period lost the kindred touch 
 Of moving armies, with their unit cells 
 Of companies, regiments, congeries of 
 Brigades and ganglia of various corps, 
 A living organism, was thus upbuilt. 
 In this last war so skilled something was 
 
 lost, 
 The troops perforce were moved, in darkened 
 
 trains 
 And huge lorries roared down the roads of 
 
 France, 
 With separate loads of coal to feed the fires 
 Of Hell whose steady heat that must not lag. 
 Some miles to north the second corps had 
 
 made 
 
 [34] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Its halt, near Chancellorsville ready to 
 
 march 
 Upon the morrow round the left and caused 
 Lee to conjecture where the blow might 
 
 fall. 
 The Federal cavalry had swept ahead 
 In all directions, feeling for Lee's force. 
 It was the army's eyes, but still how blind 
 Compared with aeroplanes, omniscient eyes 
 To read the whole terrain of battle, like 
 An open page, but in the Civil War, 
 The General must forecast his foe's intent 
 Behind a wall of hills past forest deep ; 
 Testing their wisdom, Lee with height of 
 
 skill 
 Would oft foretell the purpose of his foe, 
 Meade too adept at times, in this high 
 
 test 
 Of generalship, but Grant, aggressive, 
 
 thought 
 Less of his opponent, more what he would 
 
 do. 
 His was the offensive that oft compelled 
 His foe to match his lead, his inner self 
 In action like a dynamo that whirrs 
 So swift it seems half silent, Grant's inmost 
 Nature set to the aggressive, encased 
 [351 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 In form and manner like to metal cold, 
 Enclosing thus the incandescent flame ; 
 Not like his countrymen to whom the man 
 Is king who swaggers, swears and beats his 
 
 way 
 With bluff, in boyhood Grant was deemed a 
 
 fool 
 Because he was so silent midst the brag 
 Of others ; not articulate he said 
 It with flowers placed on tender graves of 
 
 those 
 Who challenged, not his ambition, but 
 
 opposed 
 The cause for which he waged continuous 
 
 fight; 
 His continence of speech and nature fed 
 With unctuous flame his deep aggressive 
 
 will 
 That guided the Republic through a war 
 To final peace. Now let us turn to Lee — 
 The morning of the fourth was time for him to 
 
 loose 
 His legions, for into the wilderness 
 Was pouring fast the hosts of Meade and 
 
 Grant. 
 E well's corps was the first released and 
 
 took 
 
 [36] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 The upper road nearest the river, called 
 The Orange Turnpike, later Hill and Heth 
 Leaped down the lower road, the Orange 
 
 Plank, 
 Roads roughly parallel as we recall, 
 Splitting the wilderness a mile to two 
 Apart, these columns launched intent to 
 
 pierce, 
 The Federal army stretched for miles along 
 The Germanna Road, thus speared to hold it 
 
 high 
 Like to a wriggling eel above the waves 
 Of that thick jungle, but the rebels lacked 
 The concentrated strength to strike this 
 
 blow. 
 Therefore Lee's new intention was to hold 
 Grant's army till his widely scattered troops 
 Longstreet's and Pickett's should have time 
 
 to join 
 Their strength to his attack, this was Lee's 
 
 plan 
 Of battle on the fifth ; outnumbered three 
 To one, he backed the wilderness to aid, 
 Concealing his real strength and slowing up 
 All movement of the enemy enmeshed 
 Within the jungle, Grant had planned to 
 
 reach 
 
 [37] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 More open ground, in moving by the left 
 Outflanking Lee, who strove to put two 
 
 spokes 
 To stop that ponderous wheel, from turning 
 
 fast, 
 If once it got momentum ! now both schemes 
 Tipped in the balance. Ewell was some 
 
 hours 
 Ahead of Hill and halted till he could 
 Draw even on the lower road, the Plank. 
 In early afternoon there came first flash 
 Of quick electric contact where there met 
 Opposing outposts both on Plank and Pike ; 
 Thus Lee succeeded in his tactics, aimed 
 To stabilize fluid events, to shape 
 Of battle, having held Grant's stronger 
 
 force 
 The crisis panted keen to hold against 
 Superior numbers, till Longstreet arrived, 
 This effort doomed to last one bitter day. 
 Right here war's drama takes its highest 
 
 pitch 
 Sustained suspense, the coming of reserves, 
 Napoleon's future balanced on the aid 
 Of Grouchy, Blucher brought the Allies 
 
 help 
 And Waterloo was lost, Field Marshal Foch 
 [38] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Held his reserves, then at the proper time 
 Hurled them like thunderbolts against the 
 
 Boche 
 In blasting ruin thus upon the brink 
 Of battle Lee sent for Longstreet, to start 
 His march in haste from Gordonsville, 
 
 distant 
 Some thirty miles, whilst Grant dispatched 
 
 the word 
 To Burnside, march at once, he too 
 Was thirty miles away, his camp towards 
 Manassas Junction ; let us now compare 
 The two contestants in this crucial race, 
 Physically they were like two strong full 
 
 backs 
 In the game which mimics the art of war, 
 Their function was to back the crumbling 
 
 line, 
 Longstreet the Georgian was of stature tall, 
 Of powerful frame, strong bearded, slow 
 Oft sluggish but when by crisis roused 
 No longer "le noir faineant" as told 
 By Scott in Ivanhoe, from indifference 
 Changed to overwhelming fury, with a rush 
 Brought Victory, Burnside was also large 
 Of frame and wore a beard that bore his 
 
 name, 
 
 [391 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Adorning either side his pink comeliness 
 Of face, but all unlike the Confederate, 
 The difference typified in shape of beards, 
 In Longstreet's rippling flow appeared real 
 
 strength, 
 In Burnside's vanity, yet amiable, 
 His fine presence combined with genial 
 
 ways 
 Kept him through years of blunder black 
 
 with blood, 
 Until the Crater, then he too was fired, 
 Always his was the wheel that stuck in mud 
 Of sluggish action, held the army back ; 
 In this campaign Burnside and Butler like 
 Two end men kept the ball of black defeat 
 Tossed back and forth above the struggling 
 
 host, 
 The Army of the Potomac, destroyed 
 Grant's plan of action, yet he shares the 
 
 blame 
 In last analysis, his the command, 
 But lacked the moral force to fire them 
 
 both, 
 Until these two had wrought their futile 
 
 worst, 
 Forcing the war to stretch another year. 
 At what a cost ! so runs the tale of men 
 [401 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 'Twas ever thus, as History long hath 
 
 shown, 
 Our page the blackest, England's none too 
 
 white, 
 Whilst Germany with perfect wisdom 
 
 wrought 
 The damnedest folly of the whole damn 
 
 bunch. 
 As postscript to Burnside's career I add 
 That Lincoln had a weakness for this man ; 
 Because agreeable and honest, gave 
 To Lincoln's mind a restful cushion, tired 
 Of young Napoleons and official fools. 
 Upon this day of preparation, May 
 The Fourth, I too must follow suit and set 
 Before the reader's mind details of size, 
 And characteristics of these two foes ; 
 The Army of Northern Virginia claims 
 As first, the eye of our analysis. 
 Drawn from all portions of the South, salute 
 The Carolinians, fired with fine elan, 
 Virginians fierce to free their common- 
 wealth 
 From foul invasion, tall, gaunt Georgians 
 The men of Alabama, all alert 
 With martial spirit, mild Floridians, 
 The Texans lean as leather and as wild 
 [411 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 As prairie wolves, all southern army, pure 
 American, e'en to the names derived 
 From English stock, with temper of that type. 
 No such army will we behold again 
 Of natural fighters, unified in blood, 
 Straight native dram unmixed, like liquid 
 
 fire 
 To cause Mar's eyes to water, yet this brew 
 Not to be swallowed at a gulp, ask Grant, 
 By slow attrition sipped unto the last. 
 To change the image, like a piece of cloth 
 So woven and so firm, refused to rot, 
 But torn and worn, it frazzled to its end, 
 Leaving the south bereft through coming 
 
 years. 
 This southern army was too finely drawn 
 But bore no fat of gross incompetence 
 By skilful officers its lively frame 
 Was supple sinewed, and behind each blow 
 Was every ounce of weight, co-ordinate 
 The muscles to defense, offense, in size 
 This Army of Northern Virginia had 
 All told seventy thousand of all arms. 
 The Army of the Potomac had size, 
 Equipment, many veteran units and thus 
 Their knowledge joined, to aid the fresh 
 
 recruits, 
 
 [42] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 But its natural speed was slowed by some 
 
 defects 
 Of organization and of units ; 
 There was the awkward joint command of 
 
 Meade 
 And Grant, the necessity was here, since 
 
 Meade 
 Though skilful, never had the punch to 
 
 bring 
 Lee down, this Gettysburg had proved, so 
 
 Grant's 
 Tenacity enforced Meade's will and freed 
 His shoulders from the weight of hard 
 
 decisions ; 
 Meade did the work, detail and drudgery, 
 
 war's 
 Fierce continuous strain, made taut his 
 
 temper, but 
 No soldier of the Union deserved more 
 Praise than he, forced to meet the hardest 
 
 test 
 That ever soldier had, to do the work 
 And see another man receive the praise. 
 Well-nigh unscathed, he fought his way 
 
 through fire 
 Of scorching envy, loyal to the end; 
 Severer test than trial by battle, Grant 
 [43] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Too has his meed of praise, his self control, 
 Freedom from vanity, singleness of aim 
 Made possible what rarely hath been done. 
 Another cause for this relation was 
 That Grant stood as nonconductor between 
 Currents of influence sent from Washington 
 That had heretofore oft disturbed the 
 
 course 
 Of armies, malignant poisonous power, 
 None got by Grant to reach to General 
 
 Meade, 
 Hard driven and high strung, yet power was 
 
 lost 
 By dual control inevitably. 
 The night before the battle settled down 
 In beauty with dim darkness interfused 
 And loveliness of early May whose warmth 
 Laid tender cheek against the wilderness, 
 Yet War brewed poison for the morrow's 
 
 dawn, 
 Tincture of lead and sulphur, treacle mixed 
 Of thoughts of country, martial dreams of 
 
 fame. 
 Counter to nature were the plans of men, 
 With all his forces set himself to kill, 
 And deserts made of breadths of fertile 
 
 land; 
 
 [44] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 ' A nightmare world derived from bitter bile, 
 And looking backward seems an evil dream 
 When wakes the sleeper, but remember this 
 These soldiers were not pawns of hell, but 
 
 fought 
 Sustained by deep convictions, cast in mold, 
 Worthy of honor, there's the riddle read 
 It as you will, I've other fish to fry. 
 Absorbed in routine duties, soldiers gave 
 But little thought of what the day would 
 
 bring ; 
 By campfires ate their suppers, laughed and 
 
 joked ; 
 Along the miles of dusky roads their arms 
 Were stacked to wait the call of battle 
 
 dawns. 
 Sleep well, O soldiers! Long and rough the 
 
 way, 
 A whole round year with just its circle dipt. 
 Parked back of each brigade, in open glades, 
 The trains of wagons filled with all supplies 
 Of food and ammunition, the scene alive 
 With hearty moving of rations to feed 
 The miles of soldiers camped along the 
 
 roads ; 
 There were long lines of tethered mules with 
 
 heels 
 
 [451 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Of slender quickness, switching tails that' 
 
 marked 
 Danger, then through the darkness shone the 
 
 gleams 
 Of moving lanterns; round the campfires' 
 
 glow 
 The teamsters sat guffawing at the jests 
 Told by their joker ; a hard bitten crew 
 Tough as the mules they drove with curses 
 
 loud. 
 Then silence came and thru the darkness 
 
 loomed 
 Like herds of elephants the wagons huge. 
 Feeling the issue brooding o'er that night 
 There comes a question pressing on the 
 
 mind; 
 Did this impending avalanche of force 
 Make no impress upon the world unseen? 
 In presence just another night prepared 
 In softness for the growth of corn and grass; 
 But for a morrow, filled with strange 
 
 import, 
 A vacancy, a void, that aches and aches 
 With black futility ; and was there made 
 No preparation for the souls of men 
 Coming by thousands, streaming through 
 
 the Gate 
 
 [461 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Wrenched from its hinges, spirits, torn 
 
 aghast, 
 Convulsed with horror, streaked with livid 
 
 hate, 
 Like countless leaves blown from the trees of 
 
 life 
 Through vacancy of space to lie at last 
 Winnowed against the wall of outer dark- 
 ness? 
 Not so, there is a force, kindred in thought 
 Unto ourselves, the world, the drama 
 
 formed 
 Of His objective mind, the source unseen, 
 Of comfort, punishment, and power, we 
 
 walk 
 The trail of his long foresight; back, far 
 
 back, 
 Before this battle pending to its doom, 
 Beneath His regard there grew a common 
 
 man 
 To bear in future weight of armies, watched 
 His patience grow, thru unillumined years, 
 Of dullest labor, saw his will ground smooth 
 As polished granite by the sands of coarse 
 Attrition, thus it rose a pillar formed 
 To bear War's burdens which had crushed to 
 
 earth 
 
 [47] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 More brilliant men, whose natures were 
 
 betrayed 
 By hidden cleavage, vanity, the lust 
 Of coarse desires, and fear of War's 
 
 demands. 
 In man's destiny naught is certain, comes 
 At times a power that makes adjustment, 
 
 else 
 Our world had fallen to certain ruin ; 
 We note a presence far from God's left 
 
 hand, 
 A shape, called Fortune whom men often 
 
 greet 
 With laughter or with stoic faces set 
 Accept her action, oft her alien thread 
 Draws taut along the hem of human life, 
 Or History's robe, that else might ravel 
 
 out. 
 I saw this form of influences slowly draw 
 Toward this field, intention but not haste 
 Throughout her mien and motion; soon the 
 
 stars 
 Faded from splendor to pure points of light 
 Then disappeared, the bugles blew to life 
 The sleeping army, roads that long had 
 
 dreamed, 
 Within the wilderness, suddenly awoke, 
 [481 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 More thronged than crowded streets, yet not 
 
 confused, 
 Through all the motion ran an order, swift 
 Precision, then cohesion, thus was wrought 
 A force from particles to power. The sound 
 Of bugles had not only roused the troops 
 Of Warren's and of Sedgewick's corps but 
 
 stirred 
 Hancock's command, encamped five miles 
 
 away 
 In northerly direction on the edge 
 Of Chancellorsville where Joe Hooker lost 
 To Lee; his was the Furnace road, well 
 
 named 
 To bring his troops to such a battle, this 
 Transects the Brock near Tavern named for 
 
 Todd, 
 Thus Hancock's powerful corps, would move 
 
 below 
 The Wilderness, a threat and menace, this 
 That caused the compass needle of Lee's 
 
 plans 
 To tremble, to deviate towards this mass 
 But with changing direction soon did point 
 Straight down the Plank, by fierce attraction 
 
 drawn, 
 As will appear. Grant's movement had begun 
 
 4 [491 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 In early morning, whilst the whitish mist 
 Hung heavy, thru the woods, breath of the 
 
 swamps 
 That chilled the dubious air and beaded 
 
 drops 
 Of moisture gathered on the guns and 
 
 gemmed 
 The soldiers' beards; beyond the river, 
 
 dust 
 Of Burnside's march rose on the distant 
 
 plain. 
 The cavalry, like mobile fingers searched, 
 Thru forest, down the roads, to feel the 
 
 first 
 Approach, and hold the enemy's advance, 
 Creeping like mist of gray along the roads. 
 Wilson's troopers in part to Parker's store 
 Upon the lower stringer called the Plank 
 Nailed to the Brock three miles towards the 
 
 north ; 
 More of his brigades swept the Catharpin 
 
 road, 
 At Craig's Meeting House joined in hot 
 
 debate, 
 Just like disgruntled brethren, with the 
 
 men 
 Of Tolbert's troop, besides this scouting task, 
 [50] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 The cavalry had guard of wagon trains, 
 Herded in corrals spiked with gleaming 
 
 swords. 
 The infantry in this conflict was submerged 
 In suffocating seas of heated woods, 
 The cavalry alone was free to breathe, 
 Sweeping in wide adventures far afield ; 
 The huge world war no dash of color showed 
 From this mobile arm, but by tense pressure 
 Of need, the cavalry was changed to forms 
 Which rose in air, as scouting steeds they 
 
 wore 
 Gay trappings, squadrons galloping on high 
 Sabering the air, in silver flashes 'gainst the 
 
 blue. 
 Our sole recourse when dazed with blood and 
 
 sweat, 
 In this sub-forest battle is to take 
 To horse and ride with Sheridan afield. 
 The impending struggle holds us to our task, 
 We know that General Lee had opened 
 
 wide 
 The sluices for his forces on the Fourth 
 And down the bed of the twin roads, the 
 
 Plank, 
 And Orange Turnpike flowed two streams of 
 
 death, 
 
 [51] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Gray volumes with the height and crested 
 
 sheen 
 Of sinister steel, these rivers ran too thin, 
 More body must be added to their strength, 
 Now where was lumbering Longstreet ? Miles 
 
 away, 
 On the horizon near to Corbin's Bridge, 
 Faint sounds of battle just could reach his 
 
 ears, 
 Pulled out of drawing by Hancock's 
 
 approach, 
 So on the fifth of May, outnumbered, Lee 
 Was in his opponent's hand could it be closed. 
 But he carried the fight with such a rush 
 To Grant that he could not enforce his grip. 
 But now the time has come to fight it out, 
 Weigh in, Gentlemen, weigh in, there's the 
 
 gong, 
 The robe of waiting thrown aside we see 
 The Army of Northern Virginia stripped, 
 For action, lean, and sinewy, in heft 
 A light-heavy of lankey reach, and punch 
 Of paralyzing power, the other called 
 The Army of the Potomac, in size 
 A giant heavy weight with muscles huge 
 On back and knotted arms, not there the 
 
 speed, 
 
 [52] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 The other had, some fat around the waist, 
 Burnside the sluggish made this extra 
 
 weight. 
 Let's go, by God, a clever shot, quick work, 
 They're mixing now, look out big fellow, 
 
 blood 
 First blood, the Southerner feints with rapid 
 
 lefts 
 As strikes a darting snake, let's go his right, 
 In flash the blows that cut with gashing 
 
 clefts, 
 The giant weakens, staggers, on the blink, 
 But reinforced he presses in despite 
 Harsh punishment and lands some jarring 
 
 blows, 
 The round has gone half distance, breathing 
 
 hard, 
 He clinches, striving with superior weight, 
 To tire his lighter foe, and as the day's 
 Fierce round proceeds, the Southerner 
 
 became 
 Distressed, blinded with blood, but hid his 
 
 hurt 
 Behind a front of highstrung courage, yet 
 The thudding fists blackened with blood beat 
 
 hard 
 Against, a barbed defense, anon the head 
 [531 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Would snap against the spine from frightful 
 
 blows, 
 But the lean legs, unshaken held him up, 
 The Confederate chief in iron wrath that 
 
 surged, 
 To break the barrier of his self-control, 
 Suppressing anger spoke with added force : 
 ' ' Come man, quit dozing, wake up, use your 
 
 left." 
 Responsive to a power that made its will 
 To rouse the dead, the Southerner accessed 
 To sudden fury, smothered back the blows, 
 Renewed attack, eight seconds to the end, 
 Sheer courage scarcely could maintain the 
 
 front 
 Of his offensive, dazed he guarded, blocked, 
 His knees were slowly sagging, whilst the 
 
 blow 
 Was poised to end the fight, it never struck, 
 A pause 'twas fatal, came the call of 
 
 "Time"; 
 The warning night descending shoved the 
 
 two 
 Apart, "I'll see yo'uns tomorrow," spoke 
 The Southerner, spitting emphatic blood, 
 "Marse Robert just been fooling with you 
 Yanks." 
 
 [54] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Badly beaten but unbowed he crawled out- 
 side 
 The ropes, and all that night his seconds 
 
 work 
 With frenzied skill, to bind his gaping 
 
 wounds, 
 With courage planned upon the morrow, first 
 To stall, then strike, to bluff, then down the 
 
 foe; 
 Whilst in the Federal camp they saw their 
 
 chance, 
 And on the early morning planned to launch 
 The final blow, scarce was it light when 
 
 rushed 
 The Northerner against his Southern foe, 
 No feint, no swings, straight blow succeeding 
 
 blow, 
 Old wounds were open, weak with loss of 
 
 blood 
 The champion of the South fought fiercely 
 
 back, 
 His goose was cooked, three seconds more and 
 
 done, 
 The Federal shifted for the final jolt, 
 Then suddenly appeared a giant form, 
 Longstreet had come, his presence gave new 
 
 strength, 
 
 [55] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 In furious rallies the Confederate drove 
 The giant to the ropes and for a time 
 Threatened to knock him clear beyond the 
 
 ring, 
 But his reserves of strength and courage 
 
 saved 
 His bacon, back he threw defeat's black cup 
 Straight in the victor's face, who slipped one 
 
 blow, 
 Past guard of his opponent with his left 
 Till then unused, then came the battle's end. 
 Wearied to weakness both refused to yield, 
 And so they stood, past human semblance, 
 
 black 
 With blood; from throats of partisans there 
 
 rose 
 The yell, " We've won," a silence, the 
 
 referee 
 Advanced, threw up both hands and cried, 
 
 "A draw" 
 Then bedlam broke, from all directions, 
 
 yells 
 Of "robber," "you big piece of cheese," "back 
 To the farm" the Northern side declaimed, 
 
 "we had 
 Lee going," "wrong," exclaimed the South, 
 
 "we stopped 
 
 [561 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Old Grant and beat him to the punch," "Oh 
 
 ho!" 
 Yells back the North, "Ulysses taught Bob 
 
 Lee 
 A lesson from that day, he never left 
 Defensive lines, but ducked behind his guns." 
 "Say Yank, maybe Marse Robert didn't 
 
 know 
 That game, remember Cold Harbor, Yank, 
 When Lee made Grant pile up blue chips 
 
 sky-high, 
 Then raked the pile, Cold Harbor that's the 
 
 name 
 To give you Yanks a chill," " Yeah" yells the 
 
 North 
 "Remember, when Ulysses slipt across the 
 
 James 
 His army of one hundred thousand men, 
 Whilst Lee was napping, then he rubbed his 
 
 eyes 
 Gazed skyward wondering where old Grant 
 
 had flown." 
 Friend reader here you have in few, brief 
 
 lines, 
 The gist of the campaign, that grew 
 
 enriched 
 From soil and culture of the Wilderness. 
 [57] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 No longer can I with light steps avoid 
 The clash of Terror but step close and gaze 
 Following the battle as it rose and fell, 
 In rough unequal waves, thru days of storm, 
 That cast upon a shore confused with roar 
 Of thunder, wrecks of men, one moment 
 
 thrilled 
 With wildest exultation, dropped inert 
 Swift change and horrible, the sport of 
 
 Death's 
 Dull tides ; the dash of cavalry had blown 
 As first, fresh breeze, betokening the storm 
 Black muttering to itself, its womb alive 
 With snakes of wriggling fire and filled with 
 
 doom. 
 Grant planned a battle fitted to the fray, 
 Sedgwick's sixth corps upon the Federal 
 
 Right 
 To hold, contain Lee's left, of Ewell's corps 
 Where stamped old Jubal Early, Gordon, 
 
 apt 
 To vex the Ancient's soul, by his gay youth, 
 This flank was formed upon the Orange 
 
 Pike 
 Extending westward towards the Spottswood 
 
 place, 
 Eastward seeking connection with the Plank. 
 [581 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Too bad ! the Federal container was a sieve. 
 According to the plans, so neatly made, 
 Warren's Fifth corps to march to Parker's 
 
 store 
 Extending westward join its right with left 
 Of Sedgwick, Burnside, up to plug the 
 
 center, 
 Hancock to threaten Lee's extremest right. 
 When Grant presented this neat battle plan 
 To General Lee that perfect chieftain rose 
 In anger roused by one possessive phrase 
 Of Parker's store, ' ' 'Tis mine presumptuous 
 
 foe 
 Already have foreclosed, get out," they got. 
 Then whipping from the holster at his side 
 His ready gun with peppery shots he sieved 
 Grant's plan of battle kicked it out of doors 
 A crumpled ruin, Grant imperturbable 
 No artist soul of touchy choler, took 
 Material, made another battle sketch 
 "This will suit Lee better," was all he said 
 Grant knew war's way of crumpling wisest 
 
 plans, 
 No proper balance in this fight appeared ; 
 Center outchested two supporting wings, 
 Then Lee drove in a blow to Grant's short 
 
 ribs 
 
 [59] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 That drew his lines far stretched, in direful 
 
 pain, 
 Knotted, convulsive, Hancock thus was 
 
 drawn 
 To junction of the Orange Plank and Brock 
 And from the right, this left was reinforced, 
 As blood congestive settles on a blow 
 In time this sector was just black and blue. 
 Between the hour of dawn and blazing noon 
 The left of Warren's corps was beaten back 
 By Hill and Heth; as Warren strove, with 
 
 urge 
 To reach Parker's emporium, gray dogs 
 Kept rushing out with loud acclaim to drive 
 Unwelcome visitors thru thickets, down 
 The road, Hancock was ordered up about 
 The hour of nine, his advance then two miles 
 Beyond Todd's Tavern, where the Furnace 
 
 Road 
 Catharpin crossed the Brock, continuing 
 
 south, 
 His leading troops were on this former road, 
 His orders made him to go in reverse 
 Time eating manoeuvre as when a freight 
 Backs from a spur to take the line again; 
 All told the march and countermarch, 
 
 devoured 
 
 [60] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Five hours, before Hancock could reach the 
 
 field. 
 Meanwhile Lee like a skillful Toreador 
 Had flung the cloak of the black wilderness 
 Before blue Taurus rushing forth in rage 
 His shoulders wet with blood from sticking 
 
 darts, 
 Stampeded, he returned with lowered head 
 Nostrils throbbing fire, horns wide curved, 
 
 points keen 
 As polished steel, or this simile — ; a whale, 
 Enmeshed and helpless, so harpooned at will 
 Threshing the sea to waves of bloody froth. 
 Now let us take the path of plain narration. 
 The first access of battle on Grant's right 
 In front of Wilderness Tavern along 
 The Orange Turnpike and involved the right 
 Of Warren's most of Sedgwick's corps in 
 
 fight 
 With Ewell, but this fire of conflict died 
 To smouldering smoke by dull inaction 
 
 quenched, 
 But sparks were carried by a quartering 
 
 wind 
 Into the wilderness, twixt Pike and Plank, 
 Starting a fire that roared and billowed 
 
 towards 
 
 [611 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Parker's Store, driven by a contrary wind, 
 Flamed down the Orange Plank between the 
 
 hours 
 Of eleven and of two; Getty's brigade 
 Of Sedgwick's corps was shuffled from the 
 
 right 
 And stretched at tension, crossways of the 
 
 Plank, 
 Striving to hold Heth's strong division, 
 
 formed 
 Along a slight upslanting of the ground 
 Left flank protected by the Ny, the right 
 By swamps; either thru luck or skill, or 
 
 both 
 The Confederates seemed to have and to 
 
 hold 
 The best positions, likewise their bright 
 
 guns 
 Were placed in clearings near some open 
 
 farm 
 Where they could breathe out loud and bust 
 
 the foe; 
 But Grant's artillery was bound horse and 
 
 foot 
 By jungle thongs of few and narrow roads, 
 A hindrance proved to passage of the 
 
 troops, 
 
 [62] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Late on the second day, Dow's battery- 
 worked 
 To fine advantage, that about was all 
 The artillery had to say upon those days, 
 In iron dumbness not in rising roar. 
 Now Getty's right was not supported, where 
 It pointed westward from the Orange Plank 
 In direction towards the Orange Pike 
 And Warren's left, east of the Pike, likewise 
 In air, if air it could be called, and soon 
 Was caught in jaws of Lee's gaunt tiger, 
 
 there 
 Wadsworth, of the Fifth, whilst struggling 
 
 thru the brush 
 Striving to join with Getty was thrown back 
 Severely mauled; Crawford from Warren's 
 
 corps 
 With his division stood at Chewning's Farm 
 Pointing with twitching nose toward Parker's 
 
 Store, 
 But down the wind there came a scent of 
 
 tiger, 
 With little damage this division backed 
 Towards the Lacy House south of the road, 
 Germanna, where an atmosphere more 
 
 quiet, 
 And vastly more refined awaited it; 
 
 r 63 1 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 And at this point and place, during a lull, 
 Whilst Lee's tired tiger stopped for second 
 
 wind, 
 And waiting Hancock's arrival, — a knoll 
 Attracts our gaze, from here both Grant and 
 
 Meade 
 Observe the course of battle, Grant sits 
 
 calm 
 Whittling a stick, while Meade as eagle 
 
 fierce 
 Marks with high tension, where the burning 
 
 woods 
 Shows the desultory battle on the Pike ; 
 Here Ewell versus Warren, and the corps 
 Of Sedgwick argued back and forth the case, 
 Decision was reserved, and handed down. 
 Then Grant with level glasses gazed across 
 The central foreground where some miles to 
 
 south, 
 Beyond the jungle thickets bathed in light 
 Towards Parker's rose sulphurous vapor, 
 
 then 
 In bluish columns thru the heights of air, 
 But lower down the woods were choked with 
 
 fumes ; 
 Grant shifted gazing eastward down the 
 
 road 
 
 [641 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 With grim intentness where the Plank 
 
 obscured 
 By woods did notch the Brock, the crisis 
 
 point, 
 Looking for Hancock where the need was 
 
 great. 
 Hark ! Did Grant murmur pressed for telling 
 
 speech, 
 "Hancock or noon!" No, not a murmur 
 
 came, 
 Ulysses never rose to feathered speech, 
 Not his, "Soldiers from yonder pyramids," 
 He lacked all flash of words, no aptitude 
 That way, no silver trumpet flared his 
 
 speech, 
 But coarsely crystallized, like iron rang 
 Vibrating thru the metal, such as made 
 His countrymen. We come to afternoon 
 And note the hour of two, sole point of 
 
 Time 
 In flood and flux of battle thru that Day 
 To crystallize events, that was the hour 
 When Crawford, left of Warren's corps, 
 
 withdrew 
 To Lacy's Farm, and Wilcox formed his 
 
 line 
 From direction of the Plank to join 
 
 5 [651 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 With Ewell's force extending from the Pike, 
 The Confederates alone showed sufficient 
 
 skill 
 To bridge the Wilderness from Road to 
 
 Road. 
 'Twas at this hour that Hill was beat in? 
 
 back 
 The force of Getty making him to walk 
 The Plank to the black waters of defeat. 
 "Come on! You Hancock!" but he cannot 
 
 move, 
 The Brock is blocked by trains of horse and 
 
 guns, 
 Artillery galore, no earthly use, 
 Some one had blundered, this the shame of 
 
 war 
 When chasms, made by careless fools, inept, 
 Arrayed in garb of military strut, 
 Are filled with bodies piled on bodies, till 
 Mar's chariot wheels could, in bruising 
 
 weight 
 And unimpeded roll thru muck and blood. 
 "Come on! look Getty now is surely gone"; 
 Then thru the dam that stretched across the 
 
 Brock 
 There burst a rider, Hancock the superb, 
 His great sorrel a-fleck and flamed for fight, 
 [66] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 His fine and powerful presence filled with 
 
 urge 
 Of War's grim crisis, back of him there 
 
 came 
 A rush of blue, the men of Birney's, then 
 At double quick, spreading to left and 
 
 right, 
 And up the Orange Plank, with white elan, 
 To check and hold the troops, of Hill and 
 
 Heth, 
 Charging triumphant thru the battered men 
 Of Getty's panting now behind this new 
 And sudden barrier; long and gallantly had 
 They fought and now relief, as in a race 
 Of old the runner falls, gasping, the torch 
 He falters to the one who takes his place. 
 Scarce taking time to breathe, Grant's orders 
 
 sent 
 Hancock ahead to counter on Lee's right 
 Behind the baffling jungle and wide swamps. 
 Birney was on the Plank, upon his left 
 Mott's ill-omened troops, Gibbon's division 
 
 next, 
 Then Frank's brigade, upon the furthest 
 
 left 
 Way down the Brock; right there at urgent 
 
 start 
 
 [67] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Hancock received initiation at hand, 
 
 Of old man Wilderness who grimly hazed 
 
 Those who trespassed on his forbidden 
 
 ground ; 
 Both blue and gray alike, not one escaped 
 Harsh chastening, Hancock, Grant and 
 
 Meade, 
 And on the other side, Ewell and Early. 
 Struggle as he might Hancock never could 
 Get going as his wont, his left was held 
 In tension by the threat of Longstreet who 
 Was miles away, and Sheridan whose forte 
 It was to scout, to find and to report, 
 Left Meade in blindness thru two battling 
 
 days 
 But little Phil (no hybrid he, by birth 
 And nature real American) was far 
 Below his best; then Stewart who knew the 
 
 game 
 From A to Z with plus at either end 
 Baffled our gallant Phil, and all the Fifth 
 Jabbed him off balance, kept him in a haze 
 Of minor conflicts, so he never knew 
 What to report ; throughout that afternoon 
 Hancock kept struggling to align his troops 
 For movement 'gainst Lee's attenuated 
 
 right. 
 
 [68] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 At length he started but in second speed, 
 No shooting thru in high on such a route, 
 An Ideal Tour to Hades so it seemed; 
 Not fast he moved but with increasing 
 
 power : 
 Yet for a time the troops of Hill and Heth 
 Held back this crushing force, how could they 
 
 stand 
 Outnumbered worn by hours of battling? 
 
 Lee 
 Beheld the need, recalled Wilcox, who 
 
 stretched 
 West of the Plank, to quench this rising 
 
 blaze, 
 That threatened soon to burn Lee's right to 
 
 crisp, 
 While from the Widow Tapp's, the rebel 
 
 guns 
 Strove with recurring boom to pound and 
 
 break 
 The Federal charge, but naught could stop it 
 
 now 
 The Confederate line was borne away 
 Upon the flood ; Lee's right was on the edge 
 Of ruin, just toppling — then rose as though 
 From out the ground, born in the thickets 
 
 gloomed 
 
 [69] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 By darksome pines, — the presence of the 
 
 night, 
 The Federal leaders knew that though this 
 
 power 
 Had grasped with black benumbing hands 
 
 and stayed 
 Their sword descending, still they wisely 
 
 planned, 
 That when its grip would loosen ere so 
 
 slight, 
 That sword should fall and sever with one 
 
 stroke 
 The right of the Confederate line, then 
 
 Lee's 
 Defeat was certain, yet despite these odds 
 They had to face, the rebels strove to patch, 
 Repair their broken fences, here with rails 
 And there with mending boards or rusted 
 
 wire. 
 At best appeared, a flimsy thing to stop 
 The swaying swing of that blue battering ram. 
 The night between two days of battle 
 
 showed 
 No usual softness framed for rest, but 
 
 strained 
 As though deep Hell had seized this stretch 
 
 of Time, 
 
 [70] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Itself insurgent thru the deeds of men 
 Death welcomed to Life's feast, behold now 
 
 where 
 In burning wood, the stricken soldier lies 
 Twice martyred, first by wounds and then by 
 
 fire, 
 Strange cautery they received, 'twas all they 
 
 had; 
 Tormented by fierce thirst from loss of 
 
 blood, 
 And heat of woods in summer, called for 
 
 drink, 
 Some slowly dragged their shattered limbs 
 
 to seek 
 For water, mostly gasped away in dry 
 Death rattles, suffocating in a grave 
 Of pressing darkness, twixt the lines they 
 
 writhed, 
 Calling in agony, that stabbed the night, 
 With unexampled horror, whilst in glades 
 Were pitched, dim tents where limbs were 
 
 sawed and thrown 
 Outside, as piles of wood, the surgeons red 
 As butchers, nor were those the happy days 
 Of perfect anaesthesia nor the skill, 
 Of antiseptic science, such as made 
 The War of Nations seem a pleasant thing 
 [711 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Compared with that wherein our fathers 
 
 fought, 
 To save a nation, so that other flags 
 Of hybrid meaning might be raised to float 
 Beside the one they suffered to maintain. 
 Suffered ! the very sponges used to cleanse 
 Infected wounds were washed in water cold, 
 Then full of germs were thrust in other 
 
 wounds, 
 Spreading gangrene, the blush of hideous 
 
 death, 
 The surgeons were the victims of their day, 
 Oft rendered noble service to the bounds 
 Of what they knew, but let it now be said 
 Our Civil War was cruel past belief. 
 Let us remember we, who grumble, growl, 
 Self-seeking, filled with envy, hate, and all 
 Unmindful of the price our fathers paid 
 For this our heritage ; no guff is this, 
 No waving of Old Glory, but the truth, 
 For those who bear man's semblance and who 
 
 give 
 As well as take and scorn to spend at ease 
 With lavish motion, all the past hath won 
 Of liberty and forward hopes of man, 
 In recollection hold those days that laid 
 Our foundation in permanence that was 
 [721 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 As purple porphyry dyed with essential 
 
 blood. 
 Let us return and follow close the strife, 
 That woke upon the morrow at the hour 
 Of five against Ewell who stood astride 
 The Orange Turnpike, Wright attacked, his 
 
 troops 
 Of Sedgwick's corps, and Warren with him 
 
 joined 
 His was the left and center of the flank. 
 The tale of battle on Grant's right can soon 
 Be told, till half past ten the time was 
 
 marked 
 By one assault, and then another, naught 
 Was gained, in statu quo, the order came, 
 ''Desist from firing and entrench your front." 
 Thus protected, off the right all day 
 Was drawn brigades and more, to reinforce 
 The fighting left, its balance laid across 
 The Orange Plank well suited to that act, 
 As on the Turnpike stretched the other flank. 
 Birney advanced to finish with one stroke 
 The work night stopped, and severed Lee's 
 
 right wing, 
 By one poor sinew held, on Birney's left 
 Was Mott, compelled to move thru brush and 
 
 swamp 
 
 [73] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 And on the right, west of the Orange Plank 
 Marched Wadsworth's division from War- 
 ren's corps, 
 Behind a second line, were Getty's troops 
 Buttressed by Carroll, note that name will 
 
 stand 
 In clearer color later on this day ; 
 Owen back of Carroll, the last support, 
 Their two brigades, from General Gibbon's, 
 
 thus 
 Was this formation since no troops could 
 
 move 
 In Echelon, the Wilderness did put 
 All movement into straight jacket roads 
 Or narrow areas, thus the troops appeared 
 Superimposed, few were the manoeuvres 
 
 there. 
 The woods were heavy with the sweat of 
 
 dew, 
 The sun just making live the darker green 
 Of higher trees, as on a long slight rise 
 Behind entrenchments crouched the troops 
 
 of Hill 
 And Heth, I use these names as though a team 
 In vaudeville, their act unpopular, 
 Their audience tried to chase them from the 
 
 stage. 
 
 [74 1 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Many the heads bound round, and bandaged 
 
 chests 
 And arms, yet keen with zest, a second gun 
 Leaned loaded by their sides, ready to seize, 
 Then from the open ground of Widow 
 
 Tapp's 
 There barked and barked again a group of 
 
 brass 
 High muzzled hounds, Marse Robert's pets, 
 
 and used 
 By him in hunting, leaping now in joy 
 Around their master, then their noses raised 
 And bayed aloud, at something moving 
 
 down 
 The distant road, a color and a scent 
 Displeasing to their sense of who belonged, 
 From trees there fell the broken limbs and 
 
 showers 
 Of branches, or a bursting shell with spang 
 Of mud, or iron fragments tore a mass 
 Of blue to mangled blood, few scored a hit, 
 On came the Federal sweeping up the Plank 
 The trembling of the brush on either side, 
 Moving as doth a wave, with menace, 
 
 showed 
 Their coming, save that, nothing else was 
 
 seen; 
 
 [751 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 A thrill of iron exultation lit 
 
 The line of crouching soldiers garbed in 
 
 gray 
 Or plainer butternut, and from their guns 
 In level unison, the hate of lead, 
 Whanged forth and breath of sulphur stained 
 
 the air, 
 Again, again, in hideous rhythm, blow, 
 Succeeding blow and timed with flash on 
 
 flash 
 Like teeth of grinning hate, gleamed thru the 
 
 smoke 
 Long waves of crackling leaped from out the 
 
 line 
 Brief intervals, dotted with staccato 
 Of command, then a shrill crescendo "fire ! " 
 Behind them deeper boom of cannon, 
 
 shapes 
 Of massive smoke ballooned above the tops 
 Of trees, the air was sieved direct with zip 
 Of countless bullets, many whined in zest 
 Of hunger, some with satiate thud em- 
 bedded 
 In a soldier's chest, or keenly ravening 
 Tore at the bark of trees, or chewed them 
 
 down. 
 Undaunted came the rush of Federal troops 
 [761 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Dark forms fast falling, left to blotch the 
 
 road 
 Whilst in the bush and swamp they dropped 
 
 unheeded. 
 Left to writhe, wrestling the hounds that 
 
 Death 
 Had loosed to strike the trail of blood, 
 
 although 
 The morning saw them gaunt, by night were 
 
 gorged, 
 Nuzzling perchance some morsel, dainty, 
 
 browned 
 Of human flesh, nor were the Federals quiet 
 Beneath this scourge of fire, for at command 
 Their rifles jumped against their shoulders 
 
 taut, 
 Their forms bent slightly forward and the 
 
 cloth 
 Of uniforms was wrinkled at the back 
 With tension of the pose, the eye intent 
 Pierced forward straight beyond the beaded 
 
 sight, 
 Outsped through flames, the light of level 
 
 lead 
 And tore white shattering splinters from the 
 
 logs 
 Of the entrenchments or struck low in dirt, 
 [771 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 And many a soldier sank inert in death 
 
 A bluish hole that marked the forehead, 
 
 whilst 
 At the back, there squashed a blotch of 
 
 brains and blood. 
 After the volleys charged the Federal troops 
 Until the lines together heaved and swayed 
 Like two fierce wrestlers till with efforts 
 
 huge 
 The giant as in old time sport reached 
 
 round 
 With one quick foot and sprawled his lighter 
 
 foe, 
 Who fell beneath his bulk half done and 
 
 stunned, 
 From out the symbol let's release the facts : 
 Hill's lines were broken, shredded, torn and 
 
 tost. 
 What now could stop the fierce o'ertoppling 
 
 sweep 
 Of Birney's soldiers, wave succeeding wave 
 Engulfing, swirling down to mud great 
 
 hunks 
 Of what had been a wall of living gray ; 
 One rock remained to stem that onward rush, 
 The clump of guns around the Widow 
 
 Tapp's, 
 
 [78] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 They too endangered, if the Union troops 
 With none to hinder, worked thru swamp and 
 
 brush 
 Outflanked these rebel batteries, struck their 
 
 rear. 
 The cannon are the army's backbone, yet 
 As sensitive to hostile hand or grasp, 
 As is the spinal cord, to alien touch, 
 To lose a gun was counted grim disgrace 
 To all the army. "Come on! charge, you 
 
 men 
 Of Maine, New York, Vermont, you've got 
 
 them now 
 They're cracked and busted, done for, Lee is 
 
 whipt." 
 Still ugly, Hill's lank veterans quickly 
 
 turn 
 In snarling packs and fire in level leaps 
 Of musketry at the flushed Federals, close 
 Upon their heels. And further westward, 
 
 Heth 
 And Wilcox broken though they are, resist 
 With quick erratic volleys, like the gasp 
 Of one, whose enemy, tightens around 
 The windpipe ; mark the battle has not gone 
 One hour of time and Grant has all the day 
 To finish up the work so well begun, 
 [79] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Evicting Lee's long line past Parker's Store, 
 Then westward till the Wilderness is cleared 
 The Fate of the Confederacy was limned 
 In lines of Milton, rilled with lambent fire, 
 ' ' From morn to noon they fell, from noon 
 To dewy eve, a summer's day." 
 Some vision, thus to make it real the men 
 Of Birney's drew breath for one final plunge 
 As up the road faded the last of Hill's 
 Defeated men, "Hey buddies, look, what's 
 
 that?" 
 Yelled out a grizzled sergeant pointing, 
 
 "More 
 Of them Johnnies, Longstreet, by God, here's 
 
 where 
 We fight, you bet." 'Twas true one thrust- 
 ing mass 
 Of gray clad soldiers split the shadowy 
 
 road, 
 Quick menace, at the double and the tread 
 Of martial thousands made the quivering 
 
 plank 
 Vibrate, beneath the Federal troops who 
 
 stood 
 At check; as from a threatening cloud there 
 
 thrusts 
 A flash of keenest lightning, so there leaped 
 [801 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Three horsemen from that war-driven cloud 
 
 of gray- 
 Foremost a strong built man, with bearded 
 
 power 
 And port of war, his countenance full 
 
 flushed 
 With vigor of the crisis now that loomed ; 
 He reined his charger on a rise beside 
 The road, his able subordinates grouped 
 In true perspective, with one look he swept 
 The field, then with his energy repressed 
 Through marching hours now released, he 
 
 hurled 
 With thrusting hand his fierce divisions, 
 
 right 
 Center, left, Kershaw, Anderson and Fields; 
 Each unit felt the outward shove and force 
 Of their great leader's outthrust arm and 
 
 will, 
 With sounding impact struck the foe's 
 
 advance, 
 In fact the Federal lines, were all awry, 
 Irregular by their victorious rush, 
 And broken by the thrust of jungle, brush ; 
 So Birney's left east of the Plank and 
 
 deep 
 In brush, too far beyond his center, this 
 
 6 [81] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Longstreet was quick to see, and roared to 
 
 Kershaw 
 "Make that Yankee whelp dress on his 
 
 center." 
 This bad alignment grieved him to the core, 
 'Twas soon corrected but Kershaw, inclined 
 To go too far, was twisting back Birney's 
 Left arm, to make it helpless for the fray. 
 The lines were re-established under fire — 
 Birney and Wadsworth, Cutler of the Fifth, 
 The left of center backed by General Webb, 
 These battled thru the morning on the 
 
 Plank 
 And off, against the men of Anderson 
 And Fields, with fortunes swaying back and 
 
 forth, 
 Like powerful wrestlers who can never gain 
 Distinct advantage, acres of heavy brush 
 Were trampled as by rush of charging bulls 
 And underneath the matted green there ran 
 Strange rivulets of darker hue than those 
 Of nature, whilst continually the fire 
 Was fed with oil of human life and blood; 
 When died the flames of combat down to 
 
 smudge, 
 In flowed a stream that caused the fire to 
 
 leap 
 
 [82] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 To the intensity of molten air, 
 
 This holocaust was fed, from right and 
 
 left 
 And center of Grant's line, Getty of 
 
 Sedgwick's 
 Corps, Stevenson's division from the ninth, 
 Owen, Carroll, Webb of the second corps 
 These formed Gibbon's division, all were 
 
 drawn 
 By draft that drew in suction up the Plank 
 Into the roaring furnace of the fight. 
 And now we turn to tie the ravelled ends 
 Of this our narrative of what occurred 
 Outside the zone of battle on this flank. 
 (Time, twixt the hours of seven, eleven) 
 Important aye well nigh decisive these 
 Events beyond the clashing zone, as though 
 Some enemy's deceitful hand was placed 
 Upon the levers, sidetracking this main 
 Movement, or running that on some blind 
 
 spur. 
 There is relaxation in change from roar 
 Of battle to affairs of lesser strain, 
 Yet in war, minor matters possess 
 A grave import that gives significance, — 
 A sunken road ; access of sudden fear 
 Upon a leader's mind might make for ruin. 
 [83] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 So runs the legend that our eyes now scan ; 
 Throughout the morning hours from six till 
 
 noon 
 A comedy of errors ruled the left, 
 Scarce humorous for the men who died in 
 
 droves, 
 But war alas, too often has been brewed 
 By folly of the wise, its fortunes then 
 In hands of pompous fools, or traitors who 
 For their religion, knife their country's 
 
 cause. 
 The Federal errors clustered round two 
 
 points : 
 That Burnside would arrive upon the sixth 
 In early morning, then to aid attack 
 On left of center supporting Hancock; 
 The second, fear lest Longstreet or Pickett 
 Were coming round the left to strike the 
 
 rear. 
 To Grant and Meade upon the knoll of 
 
 pines 
 There came the noise of battle o'er two 
 
 miles 
 Of wood with long drawn crackle and the 
 
 boom 
 Of deep-mouthed cannon, Grant scarce raised 
 
 his head, 
 
 [84] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Stopped whittling, then remarked to General 
 
 Meade, 
 "Hancock's loose, where's Longstreet"? then 
 
 whittled slow; 
 But Meade who bore the burden of the 
 
 day's 
 Intolerable detail, growled forth in rage, 
 "Where's Burnside, General? that's the 
 
 question now," 
 Grant's knife no deeper cut the tender 
 
 stick 
 He turned it round and shaped the other 
 
 end, 
 At that tense moment galloped up an aide, 
 Swung off, gray white with dust, at straight 
 
 salute 
 Before the glare of Meade, reported crisp 
 Where Burnside was, the tall, lean form of 
 
 Meade 
 Forthwith seemed charged with blue electric 
 
 flame, 
 Vibrating through his nerves, the veins that 
 
 marked 
 His forehead swelled beyond their natural 
 
 wont, 
 His voice not loud, intense, crackled the 
 
 air; 
 
 [85] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Like a lion, determinate distance paced, 
 Stopping with hand behind his back tight 
 
 clasped 
 In knotted wrath his eagle profile keen, 
 With eyes that burnt the distance and 
 
 focused 
 Thru stolid Burnside where he rode thru 
 
 woods 
 In leaden slowness, uneasily he shifts 
 But makes no haste, and all the time Meade 
 
 heard 
 The fast increasing roar of battle, where 
 Along the road Hancock had loosed his 
 
 charge, 
 Looking for Burnside to complete the blow. 
 Grant had risen, approaching where Meade 
 
 raged, 
 Who turning viewed his chief his temper 
 
 leashed 
 By discipline, for be it known that Meade 
 Was soldier thru and thru, and bore in this 
 Campaign the brunt of things hard to 
 
 endure, 
 And kept his country, higher than his pride, 
 To the Republic gave his steady skill, 
 And steered his course unto the end, 
 
 despite 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Strange baffling winds and treacherous 
 
 currents. 
 In later life deprived of his just due, 
 While Sheridan, Grant's favorite forged 
 Ahead, so runs the legend of this world. 
 Grant wearing now the mask of grim 
 
 control, 
 Wrote out two orders, then two aide de 
 
 camps 
 With instant speed dashed down the knoll, 
 
 the one 
 Upon the slender sorrel galloped fast 
 With dinning hoofs straight for the Orange 
 
 Pike 
 Where Warren fronted Ewell whilst the 
 
 aide 
 Upon the buoyant bay swift dusted down 
 The Germanna towards the crater smoke 
 Where burst the battle of the blazing Brock 
 In leaden lava and sulphurous smoke, 
 Past lines of soldiers ready for the march, 
 Who jeered and laughed, not softly, as he 
 
 passed, 
 His sashed and dapper form provoking 
 
 mirth. 
 "Look out, Ole boy, the Johnnies will grab 
 
 you sure 
 
 [87] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 And tie that pretty ribbon round your yeahs" 
 "I'd rather shoot them chaps than any 
 
 Rebs," 
 Growled out another, ''Them West Pointers, 
 
 too 
 Damned mean to live; Ulysses ain't 
 Their style," declared a third, "A feller 
 
 told 
 The other day, a drover had a bunch 
 Of steers, and one got loose, he saw a man 
 Nearby the road, he didn't know 'twas 
 
 Grant, 
 And yells ' Ole man, turn back that critter, ' 
 
 and 
 The General runs, throws up his hands and 
 
 yells, 
 He knew the feller didn't know 'twas him ; 
 If it had been a lieutenant or some of those 
 Headquarter birds, they'd had the feller 
 
 shot." 
 So ran the talk of soldiers, not unwise 
 And with a humor keen oft scored a hit 
 In circle of the truth though coarse their 
 
 sights, 
 Adjusted not to meet each varying wind. 
 The pressing question now, where' s Burnside, 
 
 near 
 
 [88] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 And yet so far, his troops were up in line 
 Twixt eight and nine, but stood upon the 
 
 brink 
 Of battle never wading in till two 
 P. M. and then with caution, this despite 
 Loud cries for aid, and also Burnside knew 
 That Hancock had made his dispositions 
 
 with 
 A view to his assistance, Humphreys, 
 
 Meade's 
 Chief of staff, able, expert, efficient, 
 Without one gesture, he, the writer who 
 Alone of all the chroniclers described 
 Adequately the tangled struggle waged 
 Within the Wilderness, his style compact 
 As Caesar's and as calm, fit gauntlet 
 
 formed 
 For hand of war that moves thru science 
 
 based 
 On mathematics, Humphreys' calm verdict 
 Says that Burnside's presence caused Lee to 
 
 keep 
 Back some troops to strike and counter 
 
 against 
 This powerful corps when it attacked as Lee 
 Supposed it would, being the order of the 
 
 day, 
 
 [891 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 All Burnside put in balance, just 
 
 A shadow, not to his credit the fact 
 
 That shadows in the wilderness became 
 
 Realities, so that Early refused 
 
 To take the offensive upon that day, 
 
 Because the commander of the ninth was 
 
 near 
 At hand; Burnside, the bugaboo, appeared, 
 Terrible with eyes of fire, ferocious teeth 
 But hollow of intent ; whilst hell was loose 
 Against his comrades, Burnside sat at lunch 
 Along the roadside, hamper opened wide 
 Champagne b'gosh and other things to eat. 
 Grant as at Donelson had simpler fare, 
 Slicing a cucumber, he standing, poured 
 Vinegar over it, that was his lunch. 
 Burnside might picnic in war times, not 
 
 Grant ; 
 An Union man, Ambrose kept stated hours 
 And hated overtime ill paid with work 
 And weariness, so much for Burnside, now 
 The second cause of error looms before 
 Our vision, Hancock played in evil luck; 
 If Burnside not enough in evidence 
 Longstreet was far too much, as will appear; 
 His shadowy legions moved in threat 
 
 against 
 
 [90] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 The Federal left, and kept it taut in fear, 
 His real battalions fought both sides the 
 
 Plank, 
 And so did double duty on that day, 
 Another worry to heap the measure full 
 For Hancock, where was Pickett, here 
 Or there? in fact, was miles away, below 
 Hanover Junction, Lee was forced to play 
 His hand wide scattered, with consumate 
 
 care, 
 This card of Pickett's corps he was to slam 
 Upon the board of some soon coming field ; 
 Lee's method was to play a hidden card 
 And seize the trick, the Wilderness 
 
 combined 
 With ignorance that should have been 
 
 dispelled 
 By proper scouting, kept the leaders wrapt 
 In fog, where loomed strange shapes of terror 
 
 formed 
 Of moving mist ; the left was jumpy, oft 
 Beheld the phantom Pickett grab its rear. 
 A dread report, "the Rebs are on the Brock, 
 To turn our flank," to meet this menace 
 
 Brook's 
 Brigade was sent posthaste, and barred the 
 
 road 
 
 [911 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 With quick entrenchments, crouching, waited 
 
 there 
 Breathless, the coming charge, it seemed 
 
 delayed, 
 That raging pack of wolves on instant 
 
 changed 
 To convalescent sheep, some hundred men 
 Discharged from hospitals, to take their 
 
 place 
 Once more in line with comrades, thus 
 
 welcomed 
 They sought another road, and exit made. 
 That flank still quivering, as a horse on 
 
 edge 
 For fright, received new shock, Longstreet 
 
 appeared, 
 Or was it Pickett, mayhap Anderson, 
 Since he had failed to make a due report 
 In person to the Federal chiefs, in fact 
 His troops that moment were engaged along 
 The Plank, and yet a strong attack was 
 
 loosed 
 Against the tip of Hancock's wing that 
 
 felt 
 Extremely fluttered, not Pickett, Long- 
 street, 
 Nor Anderson, the cause of all this belli, 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Dismounted cavalry, a few stray guns, 
 And then disturbance, thus example gives 
 Of how the Southerners were forced to make 
 Good double use of all they had on hand ; 
 Like to the thrifty poor of other days 
 Who turned their garments, made a nickel go 
 A dollar's gait, likewise with shifting speed 
 Recounted numbers, where was greatest 
 
 need. 
 Later the Confederacy might be compared 
 To the Bon Homme Richard, Paul Jones' 
 
 commanding, 
 Patched canvas, scarce seaworthy, fought 
 The towering frigates of the British line ; 
 There skill, resource and daring took the 
 
 place 
 Of tonnage and equipment and the weight 
 Of metal, in this self same spirit fought 
 The Confederate army and its chiefs. 
 Now aimed to keep the pot a-boiling, note 
 At Todd's old Tavern down the Brock, the 
 
 fire 
 Of Sheridan, who barked aloud as Stewart 
 Chirruped his rage to choler for a fight, 
 Derisive whistling, lured him far afield. 
 "What's all this shooting?" gasped the 
 
 Federal chiefs. 
 
 [93] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 The trembling flank now paralyzed with 
 
 fear, 
 Unfit for action when it was required. 
 Of all misfortunes such as marred and 
 
 murked 
 That morning's work, the heaviest was the 
 
 loss 
 Of Barlow's strong division on the line, 
 He failed, though ordered to connect his 
 
 troops 
 With Mott's and Birney's left below the 
 
 Plank, 
 Frank's brigade only took position on 
 Mott's left, and so from early morning 
 
 hours 
 Birney's offensive lacked the proper force. 
 Of greater menace was the dangerous gap 
 Between the left of Birney's, Frank's 
 
 brigade, 
 And Barlow's division down the Brock; 
 In place of a long and sinewy arm, to strike 
 A stump was all that showed of Birney's left 
 Cut off a few short inches from the shoulder. 
 Would Longstreet overlook the chance to 
 
 wreck 
 The Federal flank? Some scouts of Ker- 
 shaw's found 
 
 [94] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 This gate wide open, thus no need to break 
 
 The wall of an impregnable defense, 
 
 Just walk right in, this Longstreet was to 
 
 do. 
 Thus on that day Hancock the ablest far 
 Of Grant's Lieutenants had to carry weight 
 Of heaviest handicaps, and undeserved, 
 Testing his fighting spirit to the end 
 And limit of its fiber ; here two men 
 Were matched to wage Homeric battle, 
 
 first 
 The bearded Georgian, slow to rouse, when 
 
 stirred, 
 His frame was fused by warlike force, his 
 
 mind 
 High stationed on the watch tower of his 
 
 will. 
 Hancock in blond perfection filled the outer 
 
 eye 
 And of a martial mold seemed formed to 
 
 lead, 
 Upon the field of battle, whilst a corps 
 Fitted his talents just like hand to glove, 
 Rare man, knowing his scope, abided there, 
 Compact, within his sphere, unvexed by 
 
 lure 
 Of vain ambition, if this soldier had, 
 F951 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Only maintained this poise in later life, 
 
 He would have missed his one, his great 
 
 defeat. 
 (Now listen children, soldier boys so brave 
 And simple sailor lads should never play, 
 The game of politics, 'tis not their game 
 'Tis only fit for Irishers and the likes 
 Of them, Sherman and Sheridan were wise,) 
 Our interlude of error now is played 
 War's harmony whose notes are but discord; 
 We come upon the phase that makes 
 
 complete 
 The ravage of that morn that had awaked 
 With kiss of spring pressed warm against its 
 
 cheek 
 To lead it gently on to nuptial noon, 
 And fair fruition of the later day, 
 That body slim, with golden beauty 
 
 crowned 
 Lies now dishonored, black with bruising 
 
 blood 
 In dumb inanition every breath a moan. 
 Menace and utter ruin was being brewed 
 By Longstreet 'gainst the Union arms, his 
 
 face 
 Flushed sinister in triumph, soon complete, 
 Swiftly, with silent stealth prepared to strike, 
 [961 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Screened by the Wilderness and crush the 
 
 left 
 Of Grant's huge army, then upon the hip 
 To hurl it bodily outside the ropes, 
 Sprawling beyond the Rapidan, why not ? 
 It had been done, before and not so far 
 Away at Chancellorsville when Stonewall 
 Unperceived with his gray troopers of the 
 
 dust 
 Ripped down the Federal Flank with frightful 
 
 claws 
 Until its length was dripping in long shreds, 
 Jackson was gone but Longstreet now was 
 
 here, 
 Not blessed with Stonewall's keenness that 
 
 attacked 
 And cut as doth a sword whose swiftness 
 
 takes 
 The intercepted lightning of the sun ; 
 But Longstreet swung a battle axe whose 
 
 weight 
 But few could lift, it crushed defenses, sharp 
 Two edged, it cuts and scatters, yet this 
 
 giant 
 Employed not maddened force alone, behind 
 His ponderous blows, a mind when roused of 
 
 deep 
 
 [97] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Sagacity and more than Indian stealth. 
 The friendly Wilderness, gave to his hand 
 A helpful ally, Reader scan the map, 
 Discover there half hidden thru the brush 
 Longstreet's whilom comrade, yes, that is it, 
 Along the fringe some hundred yards 
 
 removed 
 And parallel unto the Orange Plank, 
 That frowsy bed of the half finished railroad, 
 Part brother to the three main battle roads, 
 The Brock, the Orange Turnpike, and the 
 
 Plank, 
 It lay neglected long the eastern edge 
 Of that hushed wilderness, but like a knife, 
 Carelessly trodden on, might turn and cut 
 The foot, or like a snake from lethargy. 
 Aroused might lift and strike, such chance 
 
 was there. 
 The Federals had foreseen in part this 
 
 threat, 
 And where, it slanted wide towards Stephen 
 
 Triggs 
 Just off the Brock, placed guns to guard 
 
 approach, 
 This railroad bed part overgrown, unused, 
 Longstreet was soon to change to Victory's 
 
 Way, 
 
 [98] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Whilst he prepared this blow, between the 
 
 hours 
 Of ten and eleven the fight continued fierce, 
 Birney and Wadsworth interlocked with 
 
 Field 
 And Anderson, in region of the Plank ; 
 On Birney' s left past Mott was Frank's 
 
 brigade, 
 Recall the stump that should have been an 
 
 arm, 
 These units tired with strain of battle waged 
 In heat of woods, smoke soaked with sulphur 
 
 fumes, 
 Their ammunition too was well nigh gone. 
 Old Wilderness kept fighting with its craft, 
 In aid of Lee, hiding his skifted troops, 
 Clutching and holding back with thorny 
 
 hand 
 All reinforcements sent when crisis called. 
 Before the time of noon there came a lull 
 Ominous to those who felt its meaning, yet 
 Welcomed by Mott's and Frank's brigade, 
 
 well pleased 
 To think that Longstreet's minions had 
 
 received 
 Enough, look past the screening woods there 
 
 moved 
 
 [991 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 By the Confederate right, south from the 
 
 road, 
 The menace, men in gray by thousands, not 
 A throng, but measured lines that moved 
 
 intent 
 With purpose; standing back a hundred 
 
 paces 
 You could not see one soldier of that host, 
 Closer you caught a glimpse of moving gray 
 That merged in shadows in the woods 
 
 beyond. 
 This stream maintained a constant flow that 
 
 moved 
 Half hidden, that was all the eyes beheld, 
 The ears heard nothing but the roar of guns 
 On either side the road, thus passed the 
 
 troops 
 Of Woflord's brigade, Anderson's from 
 
 Hill's 
 Men of Mahone's Commander of this raid, 
 A whiskered gnome, a strange contrast in 
 
 size, 
 Unto his giant leader, one blue streak 
 Of righting flame, and to this column soon 
 Added Davis' brigade of Heth's command; 
 One brief half hour, that railroad bed was 
 
 filled 
 
 [100] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 By one lean column stretching on and on 
 Thru dusk and shadow, touched with scanty 
 
 gleams 
 Of sunshine, then on signal changed its 
 
 front 
 Facing due north, in motion then advanced, 
 In keen elation thru the heavy woods 
 Towards their unsuspecting foes who 
 
 thought 
 His enemies were all upon his front 
 And never dreamed of thousands more to 
 
 come 
 Where least expected — then the deluge 
 
 broke 
 On Birney's flank and rear, it seemed as 
 
 though 
 A new confederate army leaped to life 
 From out the forest, not a sound of their 
 Approach above the battle, then like wolves 
 Uncounted leaped upon their foe, scarce 
 
 seen 
 Before shot down, or taken captive, thus 
 Frank's brigade quickly broken was 
 
 engulfed, 
 Advancing with a seething roar, they struck 
 A narrow dyke of blue thrown up in haste. 
 McAllister had heard alarming shots 
 [101] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 From left and rear, and quickly changed his 
 
 front, 
 His force o'erlapped and near surrounded, 
 
 broke 
 For the Brock, found refuge behind the line 
 Of long entrenchments, that were handy 
 
 now, 
 No time to warn the men of Mott, 
 
 immersed 
 In battle, now their turn to be surprised, 
 Like floundering blue fish were scooped in 
 
 nets 
 Of steel drawn by those crafty fishermen 
 Longstreet's and Heth and Hill, in from the 
 
 depths 
 Of Wilderness they made one mighty haul, 
 "Blue fish and suckers" grinned a rebel 
 
 wit, 
 Not all were suckers as will soon appear. 
 Cut out the bunk, there comes a time to 
 
 quit, 
 A tide in man's affairs to take the ebb. 
 Far as the Plank the men stopped work and 
 
 walked 
 Intently out unheeding shouts and shots 
 Of irate bosses, here might wise historians 
 
 say 
 
 [102] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Was norm of the town meeting that became 
 The form of democratic action, thus 
 Achieved in midst of battle ; they revised 
 That motto famed and framed in other 
 
 days, 
 ''Theirs not to reason why, theirs but to 
 
 stick 
 And die, some one had blundered" this they 
 
 quick 
 Perceived and took appropriate action, 
 
 then 
 Hancock beheld what seemed defeat along 
 His entire front and swept with speed to 
 
 hold 
 His line upon the Plank, contested there 
 By Hill and Field; his splendid presence 
 
 filled 
 With martial force, infused his fading 
 
 troops 
 With fire of his high courage, stabilized 
 The ebbing tide of war, just where he stood; 
 The Wilderness swift closing in did hide 
 His beacon, short-circuited electric force. 
 Quick council held and next the order 
 
 flashed, 
 "Withdraw your troops and form along the 
 
 Brock.' ' 
 
 ri031 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Longstreet by stroke of strategy and stealth, 
 Had smashed the Federal left and now to 
 
 make 
 His victory complete upon that flank 
 He rode impressive with the front of mail 
 Leading his column down the war-worn 
 
 Plank, 
 Resistless at that moment with his force, 
 Lean veterans, like scourge of rawhide made 
 For hand of Mars to lash and cut and drive. 
 Another evil hour bent close above 
 That army which had suffered oft before 
 Until its morale showed dim tarnished spots 
 Of lack of confidence in some who were 
 In high command. Let Longstreet but 
 
 complete 
 His blow, the cause for which Grant fought 
 
 might fail, 
 The nation's future balanced on that hour. 
 Then thru the corridors of dusky air 
 Above the field of battle moved the shape 
 Of her whom men call Fate, her slow glide 
 
 stopped — , 
 The face high featured, dusk, impassive, 
 
 raised 
 Above all hate and hope — stretched out her 
 
 hand 
 
 r 104 1 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 And from long fingers formed of living 
 
 bronze, 
 An alien influence wavered o'er the field, 
 Her work thus done Fate sought her realm 
 
 again. 
 Behold Longst^eet was riding close to 
 
 Death 
 But not at Federal hands, within the brush 
 A line of men in gray, just off the road 
 Crouched waiting ; with their vision strangely- 
 blurred 
 They saw emerge from shadow of the road 
 A group of mounted officers, then fired. 
 Two fell from off their horses dead as stone, 
 The giant Longstreet toppled, then was 
 
 caught 
 And laid beside the road and from his chest 
 Deep torn gushed out the blood, a motion 
 
 made 
 To press attack, that now had lost its force, 
 Unconscious lapsed, and taken from the 
 
 field; 
 'Twas thus that Stonewall Jackson wounded 
 
 fell 
 By blinded volley of his troops who fired 
 When first they saw his figure thru the mist. 
 (Expert these fellows picking off their own) 
 [105] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Thus Lee, by Fate was robbed of his right 
 
 arm, 
 His chief lieutenant carried from the field; 
 To make ill fortune's bag of game complete, 
 Two able generals carelessly were thrust 
 In its capacious canvas stained with blood. 
 Longstreet's attack had lost its carrying 
 
 power ; 
 All action was postponed till four o'clock, 
 Thus glowing victory changed to grim 
 
 intent. 
 Fate's work was finished throned apart in 
 
 dusk 
 Her presence far removed, from God's, 
 
 across 
 Her sombre pallor passed a shadowy smile. 
 Behind his breastworks Hancock seemed to 
 
 sense 
 The change and ordered out Lesure's brigade 
 To sweep along the front from left to right 
 His flank to be one hundred yards removed 
 From Hancock's lines entrenched along the 
 
 Brock. 
 This manoeuvre was performed as on 
 
 parade ; 
 The rebs encountered, dived forthwith to 
 
 depths 
 
 [106] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Of their own forest, Lee reformed his line, 
 His right anchored unto the railroad bed. 
 Now Hancock having cleared his own front 
 
 yard, 
 Prepared to visit Lee's to stir a muss, 
 Lee beat him to the punch as will be seen. 
 The morning's work is done, our practiced 
 
 hand 
 Turns to the afternoon ; register three 
 Hot points of time, the hours of Two and 
 
 Four 
 And Six, arithmetical progression framed 
 To suit the mystic method of this day, 
 So filled with happy augeries of doom 
 And dim dimensions, Two, increasing Four 
 Are points that spear the wing already torn 
 And shattered; but before the hour of six, 
 We take a change of venue from the left 
 Far to the Federal right, — refreshing change, 
 New characters and tinged with salient salt ; 
 And here unfolds ironic drama touched 
 With suspicion and suspense, so unlike 
 In tone to the deep tragedy that marked 
 The union left, black bruised in weltering 
 
 blood. 
 But now I turn the combination knob 
 To Two, the door of narration opens wide, 
 [1071 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Wilcox and Potter troops of Burnside's 
 
 corps 
 Make their debut, on left-center, this 
 
 ground 
 Between the Plank and Pike, where Crawford 
 
 was, 
 Where Wadsworth had been caught in pre- 
 vious fights, 
 Attacking here the veteran troops of Heth, 
 Perry's Floridians; somehow these last 
 Appear to leave a milder taste in war's 
 Deep grooved mouth than the roll of other 
 
 names, 
 Virginians, keen as salt, the pepper black 
 Of Carolinians, Georgians, last of all 
 Fire-eating Texans but Floridians, huh ! 
 The confederates were entrenched above a 
 
 rough 
 Ravine, with usual brush — had helpful guns, 
 My opinion, if the fight was waged in tops 
 Of trees, the rebs alert, would have 
 
 ensconced 
 Them there — , the struggle wavered back and 
 
 forth 
 And at its close the lines stood as they 
 
 were 
 At the beginning; this the formula 
 [1081 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 For all that fight, the struggle back and 
 
 forth, 
 And then the lines were stabilized behind 
 Entrenchments, thus the whole terrain was 
 
 marked 
 On either side by breastworks hewed and 
 
 dug 
 In haste or fortified at leisure ; now 
 Draws near the proper time to hear the 
 
 plea, 
 Of counsel for Burnside, why he delayed 
 To take his place, in battle at the time 
 Appointed; hear the plea, "The march was 
 
 long," 
 Yet so was Longstreet equal too in length, 
 "But half of Burnside's corps were raw 
 
 recruits 
 And weighted down with unaccustomed 
 
 packs," 
 But war demands of all, endurance firm 
 Of the unendurable, performance due 
 Of the impossible, but mark this fact 
 That Potter's raw unpolished troops, when 
 
 chance 
 Was given, fought in better form, than 
 
 troops 
 Of Mott, though veteran, for much depends, 
 [1091 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Upon the spirit of the one who leads, 
 But picture Burnside, at easy lunch 
 Whilst death engorged itself upon the field, 
 And men who fought since early morning 
 
 hours 
 Were panting in defeat behind the wall 
 Of long entrenchments up and down the 
 
 Brock — 
 A crisis, this to change a man of lead, 
 To stabbing steel, but some seem made of 
 
 sand, 
 Mere weight and size, that ne'er can fuse 
 
 with shock 
 Of communicable fire ; he had his day, 
 Of honor not deserved, let's speak the truth, 
 He meant no harm, a patriot at heart, 
 But war appears a day of judgment set 
 Far ahead whose consuming fire destroys, 
 Save tempered steel of character and mind, 
 E'en on that metal leaves a tarnished hue 
 From fires of hell ; the second point of time 
 The hour of four approaches where was 
 
 drawn 
 To one fierce vortex all war's winds of 
 
 wrath. 
 Lee wrought his thunderbolt thru measured 
 
 hours, 
 
 [1101 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 From Longstreet's fall to this decisive time, 
 And crammed with high explosive, if they 
 
 had 
 Agreed those two — , Longstreet and Lee, and 
 
 fired 
 A double-barreled offensive, it would 
 Have torn great holes within the foes* 
 
 defense, 
 But Longstreet obstinate would fire too late, 
 Lee of larger nature would take the blame. 
 There was no surprise, Lee's attack was 
 
 hurled 
 Savagely against the line of Hancock's, where 
 Entrenched along the Brock, to front and 
 
 rear. 
 Two full divisions swept to the assault, 
 Names not unfamiliar, Anderson and Field, 
 At one hundred paces from the wooden 
 
 walls 
 Along the Brock, they halted their advance 
 With one long rattling fire of leveling lead. 
 In cover of the smoke, they rushed against 
 The force of flame that thrust and spurted 
 
 forth 
 Thru heavy haze of sulphur, thus repelled 
 Volleyed with ragged hate, then forward 
 
 rushed, 
 
 [111] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 The barrier of resinous logs caught fire, 
 The smoke and heat then drove the Federals 
 
 back, 
 With frenzied yells the confederates swept 
 The long entrenchment; thru the thickened 
 
 air 
 Of battle stood high poised on topmost log, 
 A figure gaunt, taut held his banner staff, 
 High glowed the flag cross barred with stars, 
 
 and seemed 
 Alive; before the southern charge and surge 
 Of fury broke the troops of Mott's command, 
 Ward's brigade crumbled, both sought safety 
 
 past 
 The second line, but here the great attack 
 Stubbed toe and stumbled on a stubborn root, 
 Dow's battery, sixth Maine, refused to 
 
 budge 
 Buttressed the second line with all their 
 
 weight, 
 Their guns in rhythmic fury, leaped, 
 
 recoiled, 
 Then leaped again, thru smoke they pounded 
 
 back 
 The whelming pressure of the furious foe, 
 The forest caught afire; though ringed with 
 
 flame, 
 
 [in] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 The gunners faltered not, their courage 
 
 glowed. 
 In high vibrations such as overpowered 
 The coarse red color made of common flame, 
 And hurled repeating crash on crash to 
 
 stem, 
 The rebel rush, point blank they bowled it 
 
 out. 
 You glimpsed at times, thru smoke, half 
 
 naked forms 
 Of men within a living furnace, scorched, 
 With courage hotter than the fire, repelled 
 Attacks, each motion counted as they 
 
 rammed 
 And fired with timing force and powerful 
 
 swing 
 Of blackened bodies, this the breed of men 
 Who drove the Yankees clippers in old days 
 Around the Horn, and cut the masts that 
 
 swayed 
 Pointing with slender tips at alien stars, 
 Sinewy in type, lean, brutal, unafraid. 
 Likewise at crossing of the Plank and 
 
 Brock, 
 Another section of this battery fought, 
 Plugged back the rebel rush, hats off to 
 
 Dow, 
 
 • [113] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 To his brass guns and to his fighting men. 
 These twain did form the bridge-heads of 
 
 defense 
 Against the cresting flood, that swept the 
 
 dam. 
 Come on ! you infantry, the guns cannot 
 Fight it upon their own forever. Sprang 
 Carroll's brigade from out the second line, 
 Swept thru the drift of beaten units, steel 
 Low leveled, straight for that bitter ground, 
 Between the trenches; clash, on clash, there 
 
 rears 
 A rising wave, that mounted with a roar 
 Like meeting of two great seas, held, then 
 
 heaved 
 One moment in tense balance, next beyond 
 The dyke, toppled the invading waves, then 
 
 broke, 
 Confused in graying masses ebbed away; 
 For a brief time only the Confederates clung 
 Like leeches to the outer side of what 
 They just had won, then threatened on their 
 
 flank 
 By Birney's troops retreated slowly, turned 
 And fired at will, until at last they merged 
 Into the jungle from whose depths had 
 
 rushed 
 
 [114] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 One hour or less: 'twas five the work was 
 
 done 
 Upon the left, full measure then some more. 
 Soon to their ears there came the sound of 
 
 guns, 
 Of furious fighting on the furthest right 
 Smoke of a new conflagration rolled 
 To dim the sunset as the morn was dimmed. 
 "By Gosh" declared a stalwart son of 
 
 Maine, 
 Of Dow's battery "them Johnnies ain't all 
 
 dead. 
 Old Sedg be calling for the sixth of Maine 
 To quiet 'em," "Oh to hell with you short 
 
 tail," 
 Growled out a soldier as he passed Dow's 
 
 sixth, 
 "Us fellows up in front is all that keeps 
 Them Johnnies from toting off your guns 
 And turning them to fire the other way." 
 " I didn't see you fellers out in front 
 A half hour back," replied the gunner, 
 
 "fact 
 You was heading for home, or thereabouts." 
 So chaffed these friendly enemies. Now turn 
 With me and trace the cause, and watch the 
 
 course 
 
 [115] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Of battle far upon the union right, 
 Past Wilderness Tavern and here we change 
 Our Base of conflict from the brutal Brock, 
 So long accustomed, to Germanna Road 
 That runs south from the Ford that bears its 
 
 name, 
 The feeder of the fight by which the troops 
 Were marched, now the Orange Court House 
 
 Turnpike 
 Takes precedence of its poor brother, called 
 The Orange Court House Plank, and to these 
 
 twain 
 I give their full baptismal names, this once, 
 In place of Hub and Bub of battle brew. 
 The final action of this blasted day, 
 Has different pitch, and varied motive 
 
 tone, 
 Much lighter and more swift than marks the 
 
 black 
 And brutal, struggles of the Plank and 
 
 Brock 
 To which I say farewell with lightened 
 
 heart. 
 Suspense is here, the action too is framed 
 In psychological elements, touched 
 With grimest humor, characters are changed 
 In this fifth act, a different stage; in place 
 [116] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Of Hancock, Birney and their aides, salute 
 John Sedgwick, Wright and with a different 
 
 note, 
 Shaler and Seymour who achieved some 
 
 fame. 
 And on the southern side we page instead 
 Of Longstreet, Hill and Heth, these stalwart 
 
 names, 
 Ewell, old Jubal Early and his vis — 
 A-vis young John B. Gordon, Brigadier, 
 A group of characters, with tang of salt, 
 Straight lines, odd angles and Spencerian 
 
 curves. 
 No Shakespeare hath arisen, none will rise 
 To give them portraiture, the more the pity, 
 Americans derived from English stock, 
 
 strength joined 
 With quaintness formed by pressure of a 
 
 new, 
 A strange environment, the richest field 
 Of human history gone to oblivion ; 
 The southern race who fought the Civil War 
 Was eaten of it and its bones are dust, 
 In scant and scattered records of that time 
 Both north and south between the strata 
 
 formed 
 Of many volumes, portions of the frame 
 [117] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 And skeletons of giants that is all. 
 Yet mind should cover being and events, 
 No boy who died, forgotten, half consumed 
 By fire and all consumed by teeth of time 
 In that dread battle of the fifth and sixth, 
 Should go without remembrance thru the 
 
 word 
 Once written; when we too shall fail and 
 
 fall 
 Apparently forgotten, back of us must 
 
 brood 
 The minds of those who follow, on our fate, 
 Relate our efforts to the finished whole, 
 And deck our desolation with the rose 
 Of Life's eternal beauty, flutter Muse 
 To earth and take the mortal way of power 
 And pain, of humor that is salt unto 
 Our feast and savor to our famine, now 
 We come to those who closed the day; 
 
 salute 
 John Sedgwick, type and strong embodiment 
 Of the old army, in his day pursued 
 The Indians of the plains, as Lieutenant 
 
 fought 
 Throughout remote campaigns of wonder, 
 
 blazed 
 With names of Vera Cruz, Chapultepec 
 [1181 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 And Monterey, there General Winfield Scott 
 Full orbed in size, ability and fame, 
 Took luster from the war of 1812. 
 Taylor and Worth, the latter's shaft that 
 
 stands 
 Archaic past the pre-Homeric days; 
 The war that sprouted captains, aye and 
 
 slim 
 Lieutenants, all these grew to Generals 
 
 large 
 Within our Civil War, let's call the roll, 
 Listen, Lee and Grant, Jackson and Sherman, 
 
 Meade 
 Paired with Longstreet, Jubal Early linked 
 With Sedgwick, classmates at West Point, 
 
 alas 
 Comrades once, now together close they 
 
 meet 
 But at a different angle, bitter black 
 That feud, but my imagination draws 
 In midway flight to those Elysian fields 
 Where Heroes dwell withdrawn yet not 
 
 remote, 
 They hear this narrative of mine in moods 
 Befitting; wireless? Oh no, more subtle 
 
 ways 
 Than that, for use of spirits yet beware 
 [1191 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 The Bunk, — Lee listens gravely, once his 
 
 eye 
 Flashed fire, then milder grew, no comment 
 
 made; 
 Grant scarcely said a word, but nodded 
 
 once, 
 As Rawlins by his side, excited drew 
 A map upon his palm, and dented deep 
 With an emphatic ringer where two lines 
 As highways crossed, a glint appeared in 
 
 Grant's 
 Eyes, ' ' Rawlins better put it up to Lee 
 He knows," the other heroes were less calm; 
 Sheridan moved with fuming steps along 
 The flashing shore, then seized and mounted 
 
 quick 
 Achilles' charger, galloped off before the 
 
 Greek 
 Could catch his august breath, and Burnside 
 
 swelled 
 In anger till John Sedgwick soothed him 
 
 with 
 A tale of humor, Early stood aloof 
 In scorn, a Yankee and a civilian, write 
 About the war ! one question asked a bright 
 Attendant, "Did this writer make comment 
 Upon his style of dress? " Thus reassured, 
 [1201 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Grunted indifference as what else he said, 
 This little flight of Fancy now is winged. 
 Return we to reality to end 
 This bitter business that is nearly done. 
 To John Sedgwick, the army was his home. 
 As to a sailor seems his ship when left, 
 All else was alien, grizzled now with time, 
 Gross hardships, keenly wrinkled round the 
 
 eyes, 
 Steadfast and skillful in his harsh trade of 
 
 war, 
 His life and interest centered in his corps, 
 The Sixth, the men his children whom he 
 
 held 
 In strict but kind regard, a type you find 
 Sometimes within the army but most rare. 
 (General Smith another of this type 
 Initial W. F. who led fresh raw recruits, 
 At Donelson in one victorious charge,) 
 Sedgwick was doomed to fall some days 
 
 ahead 
 At Spottsylvania, pierced below the eye 
 By bullet from a skilled sharp-shooter's 
 
 gun. 
 He took his chance with death as routine 
 
 work 
 As the man of business goes to his desk, 
 [1211 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 The laborer or clerk, unto his task. 
 A Yankee born, but minus of their guile, 
 Without ambition bore his country's sword, 
 A simple, honest man, his loss struck home 
 Throughout the army, Grant and his 
 
 Generals, 
 Stopped for one moment in full tide of war 
 To bow their heads in tribute to his worth, 
 For men of character are not replaced 
 Their loss is loss of vital blood, not skin 
 Abrasion, as the death of selfish men, 
 That hurts but for the moment then is 
 
 cured. 
 John Sedgwick rests upon the burial slope 
 Of the New England Village, once his home. 
 Upon this day to be his last for work 
 In heat of battle, Sedgwick was below 
 The level of his usual competence 
 As were Hancock, and Sheridan and all 
 The Federal chiefs, the Confederates too 
 Were not themselves exempt as will 
 
 transpire; 
 Men's energies subnormal 'neath the weight 
 And pressure of the Wilderness, and minds 
 Bewildered by its gloomy portents, saw 
 New, strange battalions form from moving 
 
 mists. 
 
 [1221 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Across from Sedgwick glowered that warrior 
 
 grim 
 Old Jubal Early, like unto a tree 
 Half slanted by the winds of temper, 
 
 gnarled 
 With ugly nodules, but still full of sap, 
 A bachelor but of the crabbed type 
 Whilst John Sedgwick was wedded to his 
 
 work 
 And quietly genial ; Early had but one 
 Devotion, this his mother and her needs, 
 Aside from her, his temper blew against 
 The world, his character is summed in 
 
 this — , 
 He scorned allegiance to the flag he fought, 
 Unreconstructed exile to the end. 
 The Muse of History places on his tomb 
 Her tribute with a half ironic smile, 
 Yet touched, with tenderness for the man's 
 
 stark 
 Honesty of nature, — now whose portrait 
 
 next? 
 Young General Gordon, Georgia's gifted son 
 Embodiment of the flamboyant South, 
 High eloquence with classic bombast filled, 
 No humor, pendant beard and narrow face. 
 Sound pallor, high forehead, and motive hair 
 [1231 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Brushed smoothly back, unruffled by the 
 
 stress 
 Of thought, but fight? His every fibre 
 
 thrilled 
 To battle, here he flashed the sword of Ney 
 Kis bellying bombast gone like vacant air 
 All faculties were focussed on attack, 
 Alert and keen to see and quick to strike 
 Sardonic contrast showed between this 
 
 Youth 
 And his commander, at his near approach 
 You could observe old Early bristle, "What 
 This upstart lawyer full of gestures, words 
 To teach an old campaigner," so he 
 
 growled ; 
 Mark well there is no caste so strong as 
 
 brands 
 Those trained in arts of war, this rooted 
 
 pride 
 Is their life blood and source of energy, 
 Too oft it makes them rigid, now it chanced 
 Throughout this campaign two young 
 
 Brigadiers 
 But not West Pointers showed unusual 
 
 force 
 And true initiative, on either side 
 Gordon of Georgia, and young Nelson Miles. 
 [1241 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 There is a story worthy to be told 
 
 Concerning Gordon and his elder chief, 
 
 Implicit irony, in chuckling mirth. 
 
 Old Jubal sat his charger watching grim 
 
 His army crossing at a ford in haste 
 
 When came a sight that caused his eyes to 
 
 bulge 
 "By God! What's that?" his coruscated fire 
 Of language made the ambient air to crisp ; 
 It was enough to drive a milder man 
 To words, for there appeared splashing the 
 
 ford 
 In midst of his mans' army, what a sight ! 
 A woman's equipage and at the helm 
 A negro coachman, there a lady sat; 
 Thru the old warrior's nature went a shock 
 Of double voltage, for he was two things, — 
 A soldier, and a bachelor at heart, 
 This shock communicated all around, 
 His staff stood withered and the passing 
 
 troops 
 Grinned their appreciation, Early saw them 
 
 not, 
 His outraged eyes beheld one object that 
 A lady's caravan amid his troops, 
 It was too much, he said it was, out loud 
 And apoplexy sought him for its own, 
 [125] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Just then an aide drew near saluted, said 
 ''Sir, it's Mrs. Gordon's carriage," at these 
 
 words 
 The General gulped three times, then rode to 
 
 meet 
 The lady, sweeping off his hat he bowed 
 Old fashioned courtesy, in act and words ; 
 Crabbed he was and odd, but it is plain 
 To you the man's real nature, not so shines 
 On such occasion, Hooker, Sheridan, 
 Nor Sherman, only Grant and George G. 
 
 Meade 
 Would have been equal each in his own 
 
 way 
 To such emergency; the interlude 
 Is done, we now observe the final act, 
 A paler replica of what was staged 
 Upon the other flank, same in outline, — 
 Assaults, repulses, death and little else 
 For either side ; the southern cannon placed 
 In balance, note the group at Widow 
 
 Tapp's, 
 And at the other end in open ground 
 Near Spottswood's thence to sweep Ger- 
 
 manna Road; 
 By strange coincidence, forwith appears 
 To even matters, Fear's obsessions 
 [1261 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Riding the southern mind, remember once 
 'Twas Hancock held from free advance by- 
 threat 
 Of absent Pickett, next of Longstreet's 
 
 corps, 
 Early was paralyzed that day by fear 
 Of bruising Burnside roaring for the fray, 
 Crushing the center with his powerful corps, 
 But as it chanced Ambrose entertained no 
 Such thought, a roaring lion? au contraire 
 The speed and spirit of a browsing ox, 
 Yet Early was enthralled of what indeed 
 Was but a bugaboo, just like a round 
 Fierce dentured pumpkin flushed with candle 
 
 light; 
 But Gordon who had fought, about the time 
 Of noon, a fierce engagement in the brush 
 East of the Orange Turnpike, was on edge 
 To make a dash against the Federal right, 
 But surly Early waxed more obdurate 
 Against the scarce concealed impatience 
 
 shown 
 By his young Lieutenant; like a mule in 
 
 sand 
 Ears back, refused to budge because he 
 
 feared 
 Burnside's attack, indeed it should have come, 
 [1271 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Restless, unappeased, Gordon scouted far 
 Around the Union line and found that flank 
 In air, not picketed and unentrenched, 
 No wonder, Gordon born a fighter, felt 
 A tremor and the fervor of the chase 
 As does a tiger crouched and taut to spring 
 Upon his guileless prey ; Gordon proclaimed 
 In later life this chance beyond its worth, 
 "Mayhap" and "Might have been," magic 
 
 genii 
 Small at first, swell the world with substance 
 
 formed 
 Of vast hypothesis ; at least his plan 
 In part was realized; mark towards the 
 
 close 
 Of afternoon, a mounted group crashed 
 
 through 
 The central jungle, westward from the 
 
 Plank 
 Towards the Turnpike, freed at length from 
 
 clutch 
 Of its detaining waves, their horses leaped 
 In thundering rhythm down the dust spurned 
 
 road, 
 Thru sun and shade that flickered as they 
 
 swept, 
 To waken battle where it long had slept, 
 [1281 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Upon the left of the Confederate line. 
 There was no mistaking, he who rode ahead 
 On the great chestnut gray, with iron mixed 
 And mane curved back upon the wind of 
 
 speed, 
 The splendid head, the beard with silver 
 
 sheen ; 
 In the close velvet collar of the coat 
 On either side, three stars of ranking gold, 
 The power and glow of war surrounded him 
 As on he rode, then reined his charger 
 
 with 
 Ungentle hand, before Headquarter's tent, 
 Ewell and Early, rose, saluted, Lee 
 Held them in gaze of high Olympian wrath 
 That caused these veterans stern and harsh, 
 To dwindle with the look of truant boys. 
 Lee's anger never crackled with the leap 
 Of flame but swept with silent surge that 
 
 left 
 A width of barren blackness where his wrath 
 Had burned, gentle in strength and patient, 
 
 yet 
 When roused for cause, his men of might 
 
 afraid 
 Of nothing, feared his moods of burning 
 
 wrath. 
 
 129 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 His words were simple but his gaze was not, 
 It seemed to hold their failure up to scorn 
 Of final judgment, "Gentlemen, can you do 
 Nothing here to relieve the pressure on 
 My right?" Now was Gordon's opportunity 
 His duty to declare before his chief, 
 (His superiors itched to clutch him by the 
 
 throat) 
 The splendid chance that seared his hand to 
 
 use. 
 Lee heard, and gave the order for attack, 
 And thru his voice and eyes unveiled there 
 
 flowed 
 An urgency that burned with scathing force, 
 Made Ewell's indecision one unit 
 Of resolve, whilst Early's crabbed stubborn 
 
 will 
 Was for the moment changed to fluent 
 
 force, 
 To set again in rigid mold as soon 
 As pressure of his master's mind was gone. 
 But Lee had spoken, thus was Gordon 
 
 loosed, 
 And with peculiar swiftness two brigades 
 Gordon's and Johnson's were in motion, 
 
 'twas 
 Close to the hour of six, the measured sun 
 [130] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Was level in the west prepared to call 
 "Time" on this bloody battle, see the dusk 
 Already changed to gloom in sullen depths 
 Of the black Wilderness, where was thick 
 
 smoke, 
 Tramped brush, torn cartridges and dark 
 
 trails of blood ; 
 Where there should have been naught but 
 
 nature green, 
 Were blackened stumps of what were once the 
 
 forms 
 Of men, and others stretched, both blue and 
 
 gray, 
 Mere boys, in death's contorted horror, left 
 To carrion birds and furtive forest rats, 
 God grant this form of madness soon shall 
 
 pass 
 Clean off the earth, who can this .riddle 
 
 read. 
 This carnival of blood and pain the sole 
 Great sacrifice that man hath ever made 
 For cause either than himself; here the 
 
 male 
 Has suffered in his body to bring life 
 From blood he spills, as women groan in 
 
 travail. 
 Close up 'tis not a pretty world, but hath 
 [1311 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Its uses, so at least we've been informed. 
 This battle might now be compared unto 
 A log, that had burnt fiercely at one end 
 And now was smouldering black with not a 
 
 spark, 
 And then the other end was seen to burst 
 In sudden flame fanned by the changing 
 
 wind. 
 We see the silent men of Gordon's formed, 
 In a wide clearing near a stretch of woods, 
 Unto their ears attuned, not distant sounds 
 Within the forest, blows of axes clipped 
 Into the boles of trees and careless shouts ; 
 The Union soldiers were all unaware 
 Of that lean crouching line about to spring 
 Upon them not prepared in mind or arms, 
 These men of Shaler's thought the day was 
 
 done, 
 Not so did Gordon's, from his left there 
 
 stretched 
 Johnson's brigade, right to the forest edge, 
 In his support, no time was wasted, there 
 Was none to waste, each minute of the day 
 Was weighted with the gold in reddish tinge 
 Of briefest opportunity, now came 
 A silent signal, those long lines of gray 
 Poised, plunged into the green bodied woods 
 [1321 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 As swimmers dive into the sea, so lost 
 
 To view for brief breath holding seconds, 
 
 they 
 Emerged in clearing, thronged with Union 
 
 troops, 
 Coatless and careless armed with axe and 
 
 spade, 
 Building entrenchments, destined not to 
 
 use, 
 Surprised, engulfed by hundreds, onward 
 
 swept 
 The Confederates shoving to discard, a 
 
 mass 
 Of prisoners, more, still more, past their 
 
 advance, 
 Two Federal generals fell into their net, 
 That bellied with the weight of easy fish. 
 The far outreaching forces quick enveloped 
 The troops of Wright on flank and rear, and 
 
 spread 
 A panic down the Germanna road that 
 
 shook 
 Headquarters', where a courier cried that 
 
 all 
 Was lost and Lee had won as was his wont, 
 This Grant met quietly, with a cold 
 
 contempt, 
 
 [133] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 A grating common sense that created 
 
 An atmosphere where hot and fuming 
 
 fright 
 Was changed to coolness, just as iron drawn 
 From furnace hisses to steam when plunged 
 In water, panic quenched and disappeared 
 As vapor mixes, fades in cooler air, 
 With orders brief and curt Grant set a dam 
 Against the coming tide , if such it proved, 
 But dusk had thickened and the southern 
 
 troops 
 Were disordered by their swift advance thru 
 
 brush ; 
 As they drew nearer the nerve centre, called 
 Headquarters, they received a shock of 
 
 strong 
 Reaction, as the Federal troops drew taut, 
 Gordon withdrew to his established lines. 
 The battle called the Wilderness was done. 
 
 In symbol named the Battle of the Roads 
 That color took from fortunes of the fight ; 
 The Turnpike formed of early promise, 
 
 steeped 
 In hue of orange ; moving from the fords 
 The Germanna road, the gray of service 
 
 wears ; 
 
 [134] 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 The Plank a crimson band through memories 
 
 lit 
 In triumph flaming, twice for Blue and 
 
 Gray; 
 The Brock empurpled with the gush of 
 
 blood 
 From sides of stricken armies, so behold 
 The Wilderness for evermore a flame 
 With streaks of color, brilliant as a flag, 
 Glowing orange, thus typifying Hope, 
 Crimson of Victory, and perpetual hue, 
 Of purple for Remembrance. 
 
 [135 
 
EARTHQUAKE 
 
 A quiver not from outside shock, but deep 
 Within the vessel of our World in which 
 We sail on unchartered seas, then slow before 
 My sight in deep opacity was seen 
 A giant blind, inchoate, whose dread name 
 Was Earthquake ; scarcely blocked inside our 
 
 sphere 
 In which he stooped and seemed a vast earth 
 
 thing, 
 Like to the phantasia of a Cubist's mind, 
 With sinews of long strata down the arms, 
 Back broader than a mountain's width of 
 
 base, 
 Bent at right angles, face scarce featured, 
 
 blank 
 As blindness, a head unhewed with frontlet 
 
 formed 
 Of monolithic miles, measureless limbs 
 Embedded in the foundations of the earth. 
 [1361 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 The terror was that as an entity 
 This ancient giant might be made to live, 
 To charge in fury like the Rhino when, 
 It rushes from the jungle mad with rage. 
 Thus after slumberous ages dim and dumb 
 This primordial monster felt the touch 
 Of some strange stimuli, to depth on depth 
 Unto a grey, inchoate sense, he moved 
 A fraction, and great cities shook and men 
 Scuttled in fright; old Earthquake settled 
 
 down 
 To his blank stone age blindness once again. 
 After a brief breath holding, the earth folk 
 Like busy ants were rushing here and yon 
 Puffed with a thousand lusts and petty 
 
 prides, 
 And fattened with loose luxuries and the 
 
 spoils 
 Of commerce: Marvelous appeared then- 
 works, 
 They drove long tunnels underneath the 
 
 ground, — 
 One deep extended excavation touched 
 The giant's cuticle, tickling his shoulder 
 
 vast, 
 Across the Cubist's face, the vagueness of 
 An idiot's grin, a mist of humor, then 
 [1371 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 A grayness gave his measureless blank 
 
 width 
 Of indeterminate face a faint approach from 
 
 stone 
 To animation, and his shoulders twitched 
 As does a horse's flank touched with a straw, 
 A slight reaction, but proud cities shook 
 To their deep foundations, from the doom 
 Foreshadowed fled the populace, — not hurt, 
 Chattered like frightened monkeys, soon 
 
 assured 
 They were immersed in evil ways again, 
 Blaspheming the patient Powers above who 
 
 wrought 
 And sacrificed to bring them good but met 
 With sneers and murderous hearts, and all the 
 
 while 
 Inciting with their deeds the forces blind 
 Within the earth and joining malice with 
 The Powers of Air who disobedience 
 
 wrought. 
 So Man did make his own destruction sure ; 
 End of the cycle neared, the crisis gloomed, 
 Weird warnings flashed and showed abysmal 
 
 depths, 
 Unheeding, Man's insolence did fast increase, 
 In wild abandon sought his wilful ways, 
 [1381 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Disdainful of what little good he once 
 Had learned, then evil overflowed, and seeped 
 Below, and black magnetic forces from 
 Low lusts of surging millions, keenly drawn 
 And stored for ages till the air of earth 
 Was overcharged and then vibrated down, 
 Far down, until it reached the solid bulk 
 Of him, the primordial one, and thereupon 
 His coldness turned to warmth, to heat, to 
 
 rage, 
 Between great jagged teeth serrated like 
 Sharp crests of mountains, crazed he ground 
 
 great rocks, 
 And smoke of brimstone filled the under- 
 world ; 
 Forth from his darkness vomited fierce flames 
 And gulping smoke, then far there shown the 
 
 blaze 
 Of coned volcanoes, finally roused past rage 
 Unthinkable, a Frankenstein complete, 
 The strata muscles of his arms coalesced, 
 Slow heaved his shoulders, up the blocks of 
 
 fists, 
 The head strained striving 'gainst grim pres- 
 sure, jaws 
 Serrated, dripping lava thick as blood ! 
 He surged and swayed, the surface of the earth 
 [1391 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Rolled frightfully as though the solid ground 
 Were waves of water and the crust was split 
 As tissue; Then mine eyes appalled beheld 
 The Highest City topple to its doom, 
 Swaying, giddy, trembling, falling, ruined, 
 Helpless in fury of this Thing undreamed ; 
 A roar and crash continuous past the noise 
 Of earthly battles, then was shut from view 
 In shrouding smoke, dim dust most strangely 
 
 lit, 
 With flames that flared and died, quick 
 
 greenish glares. 
 For days uncounted all was hid in gloom, 
 Then from the North there blew a bitter 
 
 wind 
 That swept where heat and death had 
 
 wrought obscured 
 In darkness, even then the air was dun 
 As though our orb were muffled close in grey 
 Of deepest mourning, then mine eyes beheld 
 A jumbled mass of mountains, hills and 
 
 plains, 
 Sharp broken granite, myriad rising hills 
 In surging grey, to lesser levels ebb ; 
 Athwart this heaped up desolation ran 
 A higher ridge, that formed the grave of some 
 Great Thoroughfare ; far down the island rose 
 [1401 
 
THE WILDERNESS 
 
 Within the sombre sky, a skeleton 
 Embodying once a city, dedicate 
 To rites of Mammon, now its monument, 
 From perilous heights there flapped a girder 
 
 like 
 A broken limb, and through its forest red 
 Of structural iron swept an alien wind, 
 Shrilling in mockery or moaned attuned 
 Unto a requiem strange, and over all 
 A silence such as man hath never known, 
 The silence of a grave outstretched for miles, 
 A sky for shroud, grey, dank as cerement 
 
 cloth, 
 An air whose pallor gave no hope of warmth. 
 Not here alone was ruin, for round Rome 
 Had vanished and the waves rolled o'er the 
 
 hills 
 Once dominating, now forever hid ; 
 Paris was leveled with her plain and scarce 
 Discernible ; London forever lost 
 Within its dusk, and now made permanent. 
 
 Man wrought creation then enhanced its 
 
 doom 
 His walls and turrets down in dust dissolve, 
 And souls to Satan, sifting down as chaff. 
 
 [141] 
 
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