UNCIVIL WAR

Lets now not talk of right or wrong
  who was weak and who was strong
  forget the leaders and their goals
  but just the ones who fought, poor souls

Some wore grey and some wore blue
  and often they each other knew
  the war that started off as "grand"
  too rapidly grew out of hand

The sides, it seemed , soon grew unable
  to put war's horses back in stable
  on both sides there were soldiers bold
  most of whom never grew old

They fought in cover and formation
  each thought for God and their own nation
  although afraid, they seldom fled
  both colors bleeding blood of red

The blue had numbers, grey had leaders
  the South had muskets, the North repeaters
  how could the grey have fought so long
  against a foe that was so strong ?

Had it remained a border war
  it may have ended long before
  hostilities became so strong
  none could admit to being wrong

The grey fought even stronger yet
  when armies in their homeland met
  they saw blue cousins as invaders
  themselves as home's frontline crusaders

In farmers' fields and woods they fell
  each side creating its own hell
  of rifle fire and cannon shot
  the reason for the fight forgot

At the end of each great battle
  the wagons' and the hearses' rattle
  told of a death toll ever growing
  as result of whirlwind sowing

When seemed the war would never end
  at Gettysburg, a change of wind
  in Pickett's charge the grey clad fell
  as if from scythe in open dell

This turning point where Lee was beat
  began the long bitter retreat
  then Sherman's rampage to the sea
  showed grey how ugly war could be

It seems the best of either side
  for their ideals fought and died
  each sacrifice was someone's brother
  and left behind a grieving mother

Each soul who chose to give his all
  in blue's triumph or in grey's fall
  when laid to rest beneath the sod
  were each beloved by kin and God