{"id":"01KG8AJM22738NTDE8TVA26N9B","cid":"bafkreigeycnrochycvd6kr463732bww4fjv2xzxac4wsbkp6jqpkbfbsuq","type":"segment","properties":{"description":"# The Victor of Antietam.\n\n## Overview - What this is (type, form, dates, scope)\n\n\"The Victor of Antietam.\" is a poem by an unknown author, presented as a segment extracted from the larger poetry collection [Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War.](arke:01KG8AJ6FNQ0XKWBY52P8DRPC9) The poem is a reflection on the Battle of Antietam and its victor, General George B. McClellan. The text spans from lines 1368 to 1451 of the source file, and was extracted on January 30, 2026.\n\n## Context - Background and provenance from related entities\n\nThis poem is part of the [Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW) collection. It was extracted from the text file [battle_pieces_and_aspects_of_the_war.txt](arke:01KG89J1G8S4TRWXNCBRKCRKS8), which contains the poetry collection \"Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War.\" The segment is preceded by \"The Battle for the Mississipppi.\" and followed by \"Battle of Stone River, Tennessee. A View from Oxford Cloisters.\"\n\n## Contents - What it contains, key subjects and details\n\nThe poem praises General McClellan, focusing on his role in the Battle of Antietam in 1862. It highlights his recall to command, his leadership during the battle, and the soldiers' affection for him. The poem also touches on the sacrifices made during the war, the \"empty places\" of fallen comrades, and the lasting impact of the battle.\n","description_generated_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:24.803Z","description_model":"gemini-2.5-flash-lite","description_title":"The Victor of Antietam.","end_line":1451,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:47:35.910Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"The Victor of Antietam.","source_file":"01KG89J1G8S4TRWXNCBRKCRKS8","start_line":1368,"text":"The Victor of Antietam.[5]\r\n(1862.)\r\n\r\n\r\nWhen tempest winnowed grain from bran;\r\nAnd men were looking for a man,\r\nAuthority called you to the van,\r\n        McClellan:\r\nAlong the line the plaudit ran,\r\nAs later when Antietam’s cheers began.\r\n\r\nThrough storm-cloud and eclipse must move\r\nEach Cause and Man, dear to the stars and Jove;\r\nNor always can the wisest tell\r\nDeferred fulfillment from the hopeless knell--\r\nThe struggler from the floundering ne’er-do-well.\r\nA pall-cloth on the Seven Days fell,\r\n        Mcclellan--\r\nUnprosperously heroical!\r\nWho could Antietam’s wreath foretell?\r\n\r\nAuthority called you; then, in mist\r\nAnd loom of jeopardy--dismissed.\r\nBut staring peril soon appalled;\r\nYou, the Discarded, she recalled--\r\nRecalled you, nor endured delay;\r\nAnd forth you rode upon a blasted way,\r\nArrayed Pope’s rout, and routed Lee’s array,\r\n        McClellan:\r\nYour tent was choked with captured flags that day,\r\n        McClellan.\r\nAntietam was a telling fray.\r\n\r\nRecalled you; and she heard your drum\r\nAdvancing through the glastly gloom.\r\nYou manned the wall, you propped the Dome,\r\nYou stormed the powerful stormer home,\r\n        McClellan:\r\nAntietam’s cannon long shall boom.\r\n\r\nAt Alexandria, left alone,\r\n        McClellan--\r\nYour veterans sent from you, and thrown\r\nTo fields and fortunes all unknown--\r\nWhat thoughts were yours, revealed to none,\r\nWhile faithful still you labored on--\r\nHearing the far Manassas gun!\r\n        McClellan,\r\nOnly Antietam could atone.\r\n\r\nYou fought in the front (an evil day,\r\n        McClellan)--\r\nThe fore-front of the first assay;\r\nThe Cause went sounding, groped its way;\r\nThe leadsmen quarrelled in the bay;\r\nQuills thwarted swords; divided sway;\r\nThe rebel flushed in his lusty May:\r\nYou did your best, as in you lay,\r\n        McClellan.\r\nAntietam’s sun-burst sheds a ray.\r\n\r\nYour medalled soldiers love you well,\r\n        McClellan:\r\nName your name, their true hearts swell;\r\nWith you they shook dread Stonewall’s spell,[6]\r\nWith you they braved the blended yell\r\nOf rebel and maligner fell;\r\nWith you in shame or fame they dwell,\r\n        McClellan:\r\nAntietam-braves a brave can tell.\r\n\r\nAnd when your comrades (now so few,\r\n        McClellan--\r\nSuch ravage in deep files they rue)\r\nMeet round the board, and sadly view\r\nThe empty places; tribute due\r\nThey render to the dead--and you!\r\nAbsent and silent o’er the blue;\r\nThe one-armed lift the wine to _you_,\r\n        McClellan,\r\nAnd great Antietam’s cheers renew.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r","title":"The Victor of Antietam."},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJ6FNQ0XKWBY52P8DRPC9","peer_type":"poetry_collection","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1G8S4TRWXNCBRKCRKS8","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AJM22RCYWH5C6F3F6SK93","peer_type":"segment","predicate":"prev"},{"peer":"01KG8AJMPYQGG91H9RRNQCE1SM","peer_type":"segment","predicate":"next"}],"ver":3,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:47:37.538Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:24.980Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF5C36SQEVDHC9CBNZZJH9K"}}