Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War

Herman Melville

Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War (1866) is the first book of poetry published by the American author Herman Melville. The volume is dedicated "To the Memory of the Three Hundred Thousand Who in the War For the Maintenance of the Union Fell Devotedly Under the Flag of Their Fathers" and its 72 poems deal with the battles and personalities of the American Civil War and their aftermath. Also included are Notes and a Supplement in prose in which Melville sets forth his thoughts on how the Post-war Reconstruction should be carried out.

Table of contents

• THE PORTENT. (1859.)
• MISGIVINGS. (1860.)
• THE CONFLICT OF CONVICTIONS. (1860-1.)
• APATHY AND ENTHUSIASM. (1860-1.)
• THE MARCH INTO VIRGINIA, ENDING IN THE FIRST MANASSAS. (JULY, 1861.)
• LYON. BATTLE OF SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI. (AUGUST, 1861.)
• BALL'S BLUFF. A REVERIE. (OCTOBER, 1861.)
• DUPONT'S ROUND FIGHT. (NOVEMBER, 1861.)
• THE STONE FLEET.
• DONELSON. (FEBRUARY, 1862.)
• THE CUMBERLAND. (MARCH, 1862.)
• IN THE TURRET. (MARCH, 1862.)
• THE TEMERAIRE.
• A UTILITARIAN VIEW OF THE MONITORS FIGHT.
• SHILOH. A REQUIEM. (APRIL, 1862.)
• THE BATTLE FOR THE MISSISSIPPPI. (APRIL, 1862.)
• MALVERN HILL. (JULY, 1862.)
• THE VICTOR OF ANTIETAM. (1862.)
• BATTLE OF STONE RIVER, TENNESSEE. A VIEW FROM OXFORD CLOISTERS. (JANUARY, 1863.)
• RUNNING THE BATTERIES, AS OBSERVED FROM THE ANCHORAGE ABOVE VICKSBURGH. (APRIL, 1863.)
• STONEWALL JACKSON. MORTALLY WOUNDED AT CHANCELLORSVILLE. (MAY, 1863.)
• STONEWALL JACKSON. (ASCRIBED TO A VIRGINIAN.)
• GETTYSBURG. THE CHECK. (JULY, 1863.)
• THE HOUSE-TOP. A NIGHT PIECE. (JULY, 1863.)
• LOOK-OUT MOUNTAIN. THE NIGHT FIGHT. (NOVEMBER, 1863.)
• CHATTANOOGA. (NOVEMBER, 1863.)
• THE ARMIES OF THE WILDERNESS. (1683-64.) I.
• ON THE PHOTOGRAPH OF A CORPS COMMANDER.
• THE SWAMP ANGEL.
• THE BATTLE FOR THE BAY. (AUGUST, 1864.)
• SHERIDAN AT CEDAR CREEK. (OCTOBER, 1864.)
• IN THE PRISON PEN. (1864.)
• THE COLLEGE COLONEL.
• THE EAGLE OF THE BLUE.
• A DIRGE FOR MCPHERSON,
• AT THE CANNON'S MOUTH.DESTRUCTION OF THE RAM ALBERMARLE BY THE TORPEDO-LAUNCH. (OCTOBER, 1864.)
• THE MARCH TO THE SEA. (DECEMBER, 1864.)
• THE FRENZY IN THE WAKE.
• THE FALL OF RICHMOND. THE TIDINGS RECEIVED IN THE NORTHERN METROPOLIS. (APRIL, 1865.)
• THE SURRENDER AT APPOMATTOX. (APRIL, 1865.)
• A CANTICLE: SIGNIFICANT OF THE NATIONAL EXALTATION OF ENTHUSIASM AT THE CLOSE OF THE WAR.
• THE MARTYR. INDICATIVE OF THE PASSION OF THE PEOPLE ON THE 15TH OF APRIL, 1865.
• “THE COMING STORM:” A PICTURE BY S.R. GIFFORD, AND OWNED BY E.B. INCLUDED IN THE N.A. EXHIBITION, APRIL, 1865.
• REBEL COLOR-BEARERS AT SHILOH: A PLEA AGAINST THE VINDICTIVE CRY RAISED BY CIVILIANS SHORTLY AFTER THE SURRENDER AT APPOMATTOX.
• THE MUSTER: SUGGESTED BY THE TWO DAYS' REVIEW AT WASHINGTON (MAY, 1865.)
• AURORA-BOREALIS. COMMEMORATIVE OF THE DISSOLUTION OF ARMIES AT THE PEACE. (MAY, 1865.)
• THE RELEASED REBEL PRISONER. (JUNE, 1865.)
• A GRAVE NEAR PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA.
• “FORMERLY A SLAVE.” AN IDEALIZED PORTRAIT, BY E. VEDDER, IN THE SPRING EXHIBITION OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY, 1865.
• THE APPARITION. (A RETROSPECT.)
• MAGNANIMITY BAFFLED.
• ON THE SLAIN COLLEGIANS.
• AMERICA. I.
• VERSES INSCRIPTIVE AND MEMORIAL ON THE HOME GUARDS WHO PERISHED IN THE DEFENSE OF LEXINGTON, MISSOURI.
• INSCRIPTION
• ON THE MEN OF MAINE
• INSCRIPTION FOR MARYE'S HEIGHTS, FREDERICKSBURG.
• THE MOUND BY THE LAKE.
• ON THE SLAIN AT CHICKAMAUGA.
• AN UNINSCRIBED MONUMENT ON ONE OF THE BATTLE-FIELDS OF THE WILDERNESS.
• ON SHERMAN'S MEN WHO FELL IN THE ASSAULT OF KENESAW MOUNTAIN, GEORGIA.
• ON THE GRAVE OF A YOUNG CAVALRY OFFICER KILLED IN THE VALLEY OF VIRGINIA.
• A REQUIEM FOR SOLDIERS LOST IN OCEAN TRANSPORTS.
• ON A NATURAL MONUMENT IN A FIELD OF GEORGIA.
• PRESENTATION TO THE AUTHORITIES, BY PRIVATES, OF COLORS CAPTURED IN BATTLES ENDING IN THE SURRENDER OF LEE.
• LEE IN THE CAPITOL.
• A MEDITATION:
• SUPPLEMENT.