Gettysburg

From The Seattle Star, July 4, 1913.
 By Berton Braley.
 

 Here, in the rays of the blazing sun
     And the heat of the summer weather,
 The Cause that Lost and the Cause that Won
     Met on the field together;
 And the Boys in Gray and the Boys in Blue
 Fought for the cause they thought was true
     In the battle’s smoke and smother,
 And the blood ran red and the fields grew black
 And the dead lay still in the cannon’s track,
     As brother fought with brother.
 
 There were deeds of daring on either side
     ‘Mid the big guns’ crash and thunder,
 Which thrill the heart with a mighty pride
     And the brain with a sense of wonder,
 To think of the gallant lads and gay
 Who fought for the blue or the somber gray
     With a bravery fine and splendid—
 And then we shudder to think, in truth,
 Of the thousands slain in the flower of youth
     When the long hot day was ended.
 
 The battle was won and the price was paid
     In agony, blood and treasure,
 And wife and mother and sorrowing maid
     Knew pain that we may not measure,
 For thus we learned at a fearful cost
 That the brave Lost Cause was better lost,
     Though gallant in song and story,
 Lost, that the Union might not die
 But South and North alike might fly
     The Flag that we call Old Glory!
 
 Here in the rays of the blazing sun
     And the heat of the summer weather,
 Was fought the battle that made us One,
     A people close-bound together!
 God grant that never again may we
 Know such a struggle to keep us free,
     With all of our hearts we pray it,
 But if the summons should come again
 To pay the price as we paid it then,
     God grant us the strength to pay it!