Page:Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War.djvu/54

 Duels on cliff-side, and down in ravine,

Duels at long range, and bone to bone;

Duels every where flitting and half unseen.

Only by courage good as their own,

And strength outlasting theirs,

Did our boys at last drive the rebels off.

Yet they went not back to their distant lairs

In strong-hold, but loud in scoff

Maintained themselves on conquered ground—

Uplands; built works, or stalked around.

Our right wing bore this onset. Noon

Brought calm to Donelson.

The reader ceased; the storm beat hard;

'Twas day, but the office-gas was lit;

Nature retained her sulking-fit,

In her hand the shard.

Flitting faces took the hue

Of that washed bulletin-board in view,

And seemed to bear the public grief

As private, and uncertain of relief;

Yea, many an earnest heart was won,

As broodingly he plodded on,

To find in himself some bitter thing,

Some hardness in his lot as harrowing

As Donelson.