One of the most interesting things about the H. W. Brands lecture posted below is his mention of composing American history in haiku. So, dear readers, here’s a chance to employ your creativity. What haiku would you compose about the American Civil War? Remember: a haiku has three lines, with five, seven, and five syllables in order. So, for example, “Black Confederates” is a line in and of itself; so is “Ulysses S. Grant.”
Get to work.
Crossroads 
War, like thunderbolts,
will follow its own harsh path,
deaf to all who wail.
Per W.T. Sherman to Charles A. Dana, April 21, 1864
Revised:
Like the thunderbolt,
war follows is own harsh path,
deal to all who wail.
Per W.T. Sherman to Charles A. Dana, April 21, 1864
Revised and corrected:
Like the thunderbolt,
war follows is own harsh path,
deaf to all who wail.
Per W.T. Sherman to Charles A. Dana, April 21, 1864
(Sorry to multiply posts, but this is supposed to be art.)
Because I have no creative instincts, I’ll steal the start::
Black Confederates
None posed before cameras
Ghost Cobfederates
Abraham Lincoln
Johnny Reb and Billy Yank
Jefferson Davis
CRS
Grant Sherman Thomas
Vicksburg Atlanta Nashville
With peace came a crane
CRS — all credit for the crane to a friend
Little did they know
What forces they had unleashed
Shooting Sumter’s way.
R.E. Lee, genius
Strong and bold, at least until
Sheen got ‘hold of him.
Shelby Foote was great.
“But wait? Where are the footnotes?”
Hm. Still great, haters.
I write CW books.
At signings, all my groupies
Are sixty-year-old men.
R’member when Forrest
Was the war’s greatest general?
Yeah – I don’t either.
Russell — It was your outstanding “War Like the Thunderbolt” that acquainted me with Sherman’s letter to Charles A. Dana, for the haiku above. CRS
Brooks likes Grant, Yankees.
Me? Lee, Braves. No wonder I
Feel like a loser.
I recall when neither team was very good in the 1980s; and goodness knows I watched enough WTBS to see Dale Murphy and Bob Horner a lot.
Cemetery Hill
Take it if practicable
Ewell thought “no way.”
At Fredericksburg
Did Burnside find, tis not the
river, but the climb!
At Chancellorsville,
Hooker dazed and confused,
Jackson end around.
William McKinley.
They DO build monuments for
serving the coffee.
Brother Edgerton
Tells them what they want to hear
Pockets twenty grand
Sons of Kentucky!
Welcome to the CSA.
Whoopsi ! Gotta run.
Hey! Neil Young! Shut up!
Southern Man don’t need you ’round.
Yankees had slaves too.
Carolina men
In the pits the corn grows high
Iverson hung back
Wonderful thread! A quick attempt:
The world has little
Noted Ward Hill Lamon’s words
that day: The POTUS!
I vote for Mr. Pethke as the winner. How about you, Prof. Simpson? Got a 5-7-5 for us?
Moment of glory
for Joshua Chamberlain
on Little Round Top
or …
Whiskey and cigars
A winning combination
Ulysses S. Grant
or …
Forward they advance
Ahead lies their destiny
Cemetery Ridge
Glad you appreciated the efforts. Though I’m dreading the inevitable “history in a sonnet” competition.