- description
- # Presentation to the Authorities,
## Overview
"Presentation to the Authorities," is a poetic segment extracted from the larger work [Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War.](arke:01KG8AJ6FNQ0XKWBY52P8DRPC9). This segment, identified by the title "Presentation to the Authorities," spans lines 3688 to 3711 of its source file.
## Context
This segment is part of [Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War.](arke:01KG8AJ6FNQ0XKWBY52P8DRPC9), a poetry collection that is itself a component of the [Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW) collection. The text was extracted from the digital file [battle_pieces_and_aspects_of_the_war.txt](arke:01KG89J1G8S4TRWXNCBRKCRKS8). It follows the segment titled [Commemorative of a Naval Victory.](arke:01KG8AJRBAG8GJXPA6FWZM68S0) and precedes [The Returned Volunteer to his Rifle.](arke:01KG8AJRBJPK4EN7BJM4089A83) within the collection.
## Contents
The poem describes the presentation of captured Confederate colors to the authorities by Union privates, following battles that culminated in the surrender of General Robert E. Lee. The verses reflect on the significance of these "flags of armies overthrown," which are laid before "Our Country" as an offering. The speaker emphasizes the captors' reverence for their nation and their willingness to sacrifice their lives, acknowledging the loss of comrades while expressing gratitude for their own preservation and the vindication of laws. The poem concludes with the soldiers looking forward to returning home.
- description_generated_at
- 2026-01-30T20:48:26.591Z
- description_model
- gemini-2.5-flash-lite
- description_title
- Presentation to the Authorities,
- end_line
- 3711
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-30T20:47:35.911Z
- extracted_by
- structure-extraction-lambda
- start_line
- 3688
- text
- Presentation to the Authorities,
by Privates, of Colors captured in Battles ending in the
Surrender of Lee.
These flags of armies overthrown--
Flags fallen beneath the sovereign one
In end foredoomed which closes war;
We here, the captors, lay before
The altar which of right claims all--
Our Country. And as freely we,
Revering ever her sacred call,
Could lay our lives down--though life be
Thrice loved and precious to the sense
Of such as reap the recompense
Of life imperiled for just cause--
Imperiled, and yet preserved;
While comrades, whom Duty as strongly nerved,
Whose wives were all as dear, lie low.
But these flags given, glad we go
To waiting homes with vindicated laws.
- title
- Presentation to the Authorities,