Poem by Walt Whitman

Leaves of Grass. 21. Drum-Taps. 26. I Saw Old General at Bay

I saw old General at bay,
(Old as he was, his gray eyes yet shone out in battle like stars,)
His small force was now completely hemm'd in, in his works,
He call'd for volunteers to run the enemy's lines, a desperate emergency,
I saw a hundred and more step forth from the ranks, but two or three
      were selected,
I saw them receive their orders aside, they listen'd with care, the
      adjutant was very grave,
I saw them depart with cheerfulness, freely risking their lives.

1. Leaves of Grass. 21. Drum-Taps. 30. Race of Veterans
2. Leaves of Grass. 32. From Noon to Starry Night. 12. Mediums
3. Leaves of Grass. 34. Sands at Seventy. 9. My Canary Bird
4. Leaves of Grass. 32. From Noon to Starry Night. 16. From Far Dakota's Canyons [June 25, 1876]
5. Leaves of Grass. 35. Good-Bye My Fancy. 11. Shakspere-Bacon’s Cipher

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