The Victor Of Antietam

When tempest winnowed grain from bran;

And men were looking for a man,

Authority called you to the van,

Clellan:

Along the line the plaudit ran,

As later when Antietam's cheers began.

Through storm-cloud and eclipse must

Each Cause and Man, dear to the stars and Jove;

Nor always can the wisest

Deferred fulfillment from the hopeless knell—The struggler from the floundering ne'er-do-well.

A pall-cloth on the Seven Days fell,

Clellan:

Unprosperously heroical!

Who could Antietam's wreath foretell?

Authority called you; then, in

And loom of jeopardy—dismissed.

But staring peril soon appalled;

You, the Discarded, she recalled—Recalled you, nor endured delay;

And forth you rode upon a blasted way,

Arrayed Pope's rout, and routed Lee's array,

Clellan:

Your tent was choked with captured flags that day,

Clellan:

Antietam was a telling fray.

Recalled you; and she heard your

Advancing through the ghastly gloom.

You manned the wall, you propped the Dome,

You stormed the powerful stormer home.

Clellan:

Antietam's cannon long shall boom.

At Alexandria, left alone,

Clellan:

Your veterans sent from you, and

To fields and fortunes all unknown—What thoughts were yours, revealed to none,

While faithful still you labored on—Hearing the far Manassas gun!

Clellan:

Only Antietam could atone.

You fought in the front (an evil day,

Clellan)—The fore-front of the first assay;

The Cause went sounding, groped its way;

The leadsmen quarrelled in the bay;

Quills thwarted swords; divided sway;

The rebel flushed in his lusty May:

You did your best, as in you lay,

Clellan.

Antietam's sun-burst sheds a ray.

Your medalled soldiers love you well,

Clellan:

Name your name, their true hearts swell;

With you they shook dread Stonewall's spell,

With you they braved the blended

Of rebel and maligner fell;

With you in shame or fame they dwell,

Clellan:

Antietam-braves a brave can tell.

And when your comrades (now so few,

Clellan—Such ravage in deep files they rue)Meet round the board, and sadly

The empty places; tribute

They render to the dead—and you!

Absent and silent o'er the blue;

The one-armed lift the wine to you,

Clellan,

And great Antietam's cheers renew.