The value of the more than 100 poems and songs presented here is as much historical as it is literary. The material is grouped by theme and each section is organized chronologically, from the beginning of the war through Reconstruction. The themes treated are Separation, Soldiers, Deeds of Valor, Enemies and Friends, Family, In Memoriam, Gettysburg, The End of the Struggle, Lincoln, The Heritage, Brotherhood, Famous Lyrics, and Songs of the Civil War. Each section opens with an introduction that places the works in historical perspective together with biographical information and notes. There is also a useful index of first lines.