Theodore O'Hara

1820 - 1867

Theodore O'Hara wrote the famous poem "The Bivouac of the Dead," which is inscribed on many plaques in Civil War cemeteries today. A bivouac is a military encampment made of tents or improvised shelters, usually without shelter or protection from enemy fire.


O'Hara was born in Danville, Kentucky on February 11, 1820. After war was declared on Mexico in May 1846, O'Hara quickly responded to the call for troops. O'Hara went to serve the Confederate Army during the Civil War, where he fought in both the battles of Shiloh and Murfreesboro. On Jun 6, 1867, O'Hara died and was buried in Columbus, GA. However, in 1873 his remains were moved to Frankfort, KY, to rest near the graves of the soldiers who inspired his famous poem.

--Michael Rickelton

Songs & Song Collections BY O'Hara (entered to date)
Composers who set O'Hara's TEXTS (entered to date)

Audio PLaylist