Ashes, 1865 March 1

This collection contains 43 poems by the poet James Ryder Randall. 19 poems are written in Randall's hand, while 24 have been clipped from newspapers or other publications. All of the poems that were clipped from newspapers were then pasted onto sheets of paper, where Randall often made editorial notes. In "Why the Robin's Breast is Read", the word "immemorial" has been crossed out, and the word "memorable" written in. There are similar edits on "To the Queen of the Wax Dolls," where the phrase "Hail, Mary! Full of grace!" in the second stanza is crossed out and "A miracle of grace" written as a replacement. The final line in the poem was printed as "Saint Thomas might believe it", but Randall crossed out "Saint Thomas" and wrote "A skeptic."

Several of the poems expand on Randall's support for the Confederacy. "On the Rampart"; "The Lone Sentry"; "Placide Bossier"; "John W. Morton"; and "Memorial Day" all address wartime themes, some more overtly than others. The last stanza of "Memorial Day" pays homage to the fallen as well as encouragement to those still fighting: "And so to-day the marble shaft may soar/In memory of those who are no more./The proudest boast of centuries shall be,/That they who fell with Jackson rise with Lee!" The vast majority of the poems are undated, but some date ranges can be identified through context clues.