O'Hara wrote this poem for Kentucky troops slain during the Mexican War(1847). He served in the Confederacy during the Civil war, but his poem has been used by both the Union and the Confederacy to honor those who died in battle. The words of this poem set a tone, while traversing the grounds of the cemetery.

To read the entire poem and find out more about it, go to: http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/bivouac.htm