| James and Mary Ford, eds. Every Day in the Year. 1902. | | | | July 21 | | Manassas | | By Catherine Warfield (1816–1877) |
| | | | The Confederates under Beauregard defeated the Federals under McDowell on July 21, 1861. |
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THEY have met at last—as storm-clouds | |
| Meet in heaven, | |
| And the Northmen back and bleeding | |
| Have been driven; | |
| And their thunders have been stilled, | 5 |
| And their leaders crushed or killed, | |
| And their ranks with terror thrilled, | |
| Rent and riven! | |
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| Like the leaves of Vallambrosa | |
| They are lying; | 10 |
| In the moonlight, in the midnight, | |
| Dead and dying; | |
| Like those leaves before the gale, | |
| Swept their legions, wild and pale; | |
| While the host that made them quail | 15 |
| Stood, defying. | |
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| When aloft in morning sunlight | |
| Flags were flaunted, | |
| And “swift vengeance on the rebel” | |
| Proudly vaunted: | 20 |
| Little did they think that night | |
| Should close upon their shameful flight, | |
| And rebels, victors in the fight, | |
| Stand undaunted. | |
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| But peace to those who perished | 25 |
| In our passes! | |
| Light be the earth above them; | |
| Green the grasses! | |
| Long shall Northmen rue the day | |
| When they met our stern array, | 30 |
| And shrunk from battle’s wild affray | |
| At Manassas. | | | |
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