Cavalry Crossing a Ford

In Calvary Crossing a Ford by Walt Whitman, he describes the the journey that hundreds of soldiers had to go through during the civil war. Walt Whitman uses large descriptive words and phrases to describe what he or the nararator is seeing.  It can be seen within the writing that the narrarator is visually seeing this group of soldiers making this journey in a distance.  To be able to relate this work to Henry David Thoreau, one would have to look deeper in to the context and true meaning of what really lies behind the descriptive writing in Cavalry Crossing a Ford.The journey that these many soldiers are on, is fighting for their morality and the good humanity of human beings withing American during the civil war(Whitman).  Slavery is something that Henry David Thoreau did not approve of, as well as these soldiers fighting(Brewton).  These soldiers are fighthing for the right of freedom to all individuals, including enslaved Americans.

Behold the silvery river—in it the splashing horses, loitering, stop to drink;
Behold the brown-faced men—each group, each person, a picture—the negligent rest on the saddles

Behold the brown-faced men, each group, each person a picture, the
negligent rest on the saddles,
Some emerge on the opposite bank, others are just entering the
ford--while,
Scarlet and blue and snowy white,
The guidon flags flutter gayly in the wind(Whitman).

Seen within the text above, these soldiers ride with pride for what they believe in.  Some people consider what they are doing wrong, but as following the Philosophy posed by Henry David Thoreau, that of civil disobedience, it does not matter if something is wrong based on laws.  If it is the right thing to do in their minds, morally, then thou shalt commence. That is the philosophy of Hnery David Thoreau and the philosophy that many writers, including Whitman, following him had begun to follow quite frequently.

Behold the silvery river—in it the splashing horses, loitering, stop to drink;
Behold the brown-faced men—each group, each person, a picture—the negligent rest on the saddles

Behold the silvery river—in it the splashing horses, loitering, stop to drink;
Behold the brown-faced men—each group, each person, a picture—the negligent rest on the saddles

Brewton, Vince. "Emerson, Ralph Waldo [Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy]." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 24 July 2003. Web. 07 Feb. 2012.

Whitman, Walt. "118. Cavalry Crossing a Ford. Whitman, Walt. 1900. Leaves of Grass." Bartleby.com: Great Books Online -- Quotes, Poems, Novels, Classics and Hundreds More. Web. 08 Feb. 2012. <http://www.bartleby.com/142/118.html>.