by Herman Melville (1819 - 1891)
The damaged gun boats can't wage fight
Language: English
The damaged gun boats can't wage fight
For days; so says the Commodore.
Thus no diversion can be had.
Under a sunless sky of lead
Our grim-faced boys in blackened plight
Gaze toward the ground they held before,
And then on Grant. He marks their mood,
And hails it, and will turn the same to good.
Spite all that they have undergone,
Their desperate hearts are set upon
This winter fort, this stubborn fort,
This castle of the last resort,
This Donelson.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War by Hermann Melville, New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, Franklin Square, 1866, page 47.
Text Authorship:
- by Herman Melville (1819 - 1891), no title, appears in Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War, in Donelson, excerpt headed "Story of Saturday afternoon / Vicissitudes of the war" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Joseph Eidson , "Donelson", 2009 [baritone, B-flat clarinet, and piano], from Songs of this War, no. 2. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2014-01-10
Line count: 13
Word count: 82