Virginia

More United States Presidents Have Come From Virginia Than Any Other State

I wrote the following poem about the U. S. state of Virginia.  This state is full of history.

I wrote This Poem in 1998, and Cindy Presented Me With a Custom Frame.  It Now Hangs in Our Den.

                       
                           Virginia

Whenever I dream in my mind of her glory,
Of her mountains that fall to the blue, rolling sea;
I see in her people a strong, noble story:
Virginia of Washington, Henry, and Lee!


The State Seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia.  "Sic Semper Tyrannis" Means "Thus Ever to Tyrants".  John Wilkes Booth Shouted This Phrase Immediately After Shooting Abraham Lincoln.

 Old Virginia, whose hist'ry of truth and of lore
Sets a model of freedom forever to tell;
Her peace earned by statesmanship, tempered by war---
Cradling at rest the ten thousands that fell.

George Washington, The Nation's First President

Born on the brav'ry of England's proud refuse,
Weathered the winters of colonial hell;
Drove down Cornwallis with French pow'r at Yorktown,
Raising the clear tone of Liberty's bell!

Defending her homeland from union invason,
Proud patriot armies advanced to the fray;
Secession for freedom and righteous persuasion
Advanced her great legions in splendid array.

Generals Robert E. Lee (L) and Stonewall Jackson Meet Before the Battle of Chancellorsville

Armies of Jackson and Stuart with Lee,
Along Rappahannock and Potomac's deep flood,
From Richmond herself to Shenandoah's valley,
Fought ever the good fight with Gray tears and blood.

General Robert E. Lee Was Offered the Commanding Generalship of the Union Armies Before Deciding His Loyalty Lay With Virginia and the Confederacy

Lee's masterful plan to guard Old Dominion,
And Pickett at Gettysburg courage displayed;
"Remember", he said to them, "You are Virginians!",
Advanced to the High Water Mark with his raid.

The CSS Virginia (formerly the Merrimac) (L) and the USS Monitor (R) Fought to a Draw in History's First Naval Battle Between Ironclads.  The Day Before This Battle, the Virginia Sank or Scuttled Three  Wooden union Warships.

Sailing to meet the vast union blockade,
Merrimac's steel girding was put to the test;
Minnesota, Congress and Cumberland faltered,
Sunk by Virginia's great armor and blast!

The Shenandoah Valley Is One of the Most Scenic Spots on Earth.  It is Also Where General T.J. "Stonewall" Jackson Became a Legendary Figure, Defeating Several union Armies Larger Than His Own. 

Stonewall in the valley, a lesson for all;
His "foot cavalry" victorious time and again;
First Fremont, then Banks, then Butler would fall,
His brigades pressing forward through snow, ice and rain.

The cadets at New Market, and Stuart with Lee,
Strove bravely to push back the might of the foe;
At Petersburg, Fredericksburg, and all through the valley,
Proved to the world that their brav'ry was so.

The Huge Confederate Memorial Obelisk at Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia

Gaze o'er the decades that tell of her story.....
Of Hollywood's resting place, Monument Row;
America sparkles because of her glory,
Her mettle and valor all nations to know.

The Jefferson Davis Memorial on Monument Row, Richmond, Virginia

Richmond, Norfolk, Lexington advancing;
The Blue Ridge so stunning, the Valley I see.....
Yorktown, Charlottesville, Roanoke romancing
Virginia of Jefferson, Jackson and Lee!

(C) 1998 Clint Ellison

Judah P Benjamin



Judah P Benjamin, "The Brains of the Confederacy"

One of the most unlikely of American stories involves Judah P. Benjamin, who was known as "the Brains of the Confederacy" during the American Civil War.

Benjamin was the second Jewish senator in United States history.  His home state was Louisiana, where he was a slaveholder, owning 150 negroes before releasing them.

In 1853, Benjamin was elected U. S. senator, and served in that capacity until the Civil War began in 1861.  Of course, being from Louisiana, his affections were with the southern war effort.  President Jefferson Davis appointed him the first Attorney General of the Confederacy.

Later, Benjamin was called on to also serve as Secretary of War and then, later still, as Secretary of State.  He possessed a brilliant mind, and therefore he came to be referred to as "The South's Greatest Brain".

Following the South's defeat, he escaped to England, where he became a prominent attorney.

He died in 1884 and is buried in Paris, France.

I wrote the following poem about this remarkable figure:

              JUDAH P BENJAMIN

The perpetual smile of the Southern Dark Prince
Masks a mind like a steel trap, decisive and true;
And his manner is pleasantly courteous, since
He is elder-statesman, Confederate.....and Jew.


A principled lawyer, styled powerf'ly plain.....
One step ahead of his foes, often two;
Extolled by admirers as the South's greatest brain,
Secretary of State, states-rightist.....and Jew.


Throughout his full lifetime he struggled alone.....
From St. Croix to Charleston to New Haven he grew;
Then to Lou'siana, where his influence shone
As senator, planter, defender.....and Jew.


Chief advisor to Jeff Davis, sweeping away
The bias of centuries, etched through and through
With hatred; sharp, biting reason keeping at bay
Prejudice opposing proud patriot.....and Jew.


(C) 2000 Clint Ellison