Perhaps nowhere is this poem displayed as prominently as it is in Gettybsurg National Military Cemetery, wherein lie the remains of Union soldiers who fell during the Battle of Gettysburg. It is ironic, then, that these verses were penned by a Southern soldier, whose compatriots by and large were denied burial in that cemetery.

Thanks to Tim Cook for passing along the information that the poem was written to commemorate the Battle of Buena Vista in 1847, when 4,600 Americans (including the author) fought a victorious two-day battle against 23,000 soldiers of the Mexican army under General Santa Ana.

"The Bivouac of the Dead"

This page is http://civilwarpoetry.org/confederate/postwar/bivdead.html
Last modified 18-April-2001