Explore "Battle of Stone River, Tennessee. a View from Oxford Cloisters. (January, 1863.)" by Herman Melville on Textopian.
With Tewksbury and Barnet heath / In days to come the field shall blend, / The story dim and date obscure; / In legend all shall end. / Even now, involved in forest shade / A Druid-dream the strife appears, / The fray of yesterday assumes / The haziness of years. / In North and South still beats the vein / Of Yorkist and Lancastrian.
Our rival Roses warred for Sway -- / For Sway, but named the name of Right; / And Passion, scorning pain and death, / Lent sacred fervor to the fight. / Each lifted up a broidered cross, / While crossing blades profaned the sign; / Monks blessed the fraticidal lance, / And sisters scarfs could twine. / Do North and South the sin retain / Of Yorkist and Lancastrian?