"Had he and I but met ...

   "Had he and I but met
    By some old ancient inn,
We should have sat us down to wet
    Right many a nipperkin!

    But ranged as infantry,
    And staring face to face,
I shot at him as he at me,
    And Killed him in his place."

Excerpt from the poem "The Man He Killed" by Thomas Hardy, English novelist & poet
(June 2, 1840-January 11, 1928).

Ambrotypes of unidentified Confederate & Union soldiers from the Liljenquist Family Collection, Library of Congress.