They are simply bystanders.
Various wars and battles, including Gettysburg, are remembered through monuments or statues, with some locations designated as national parks. This perspective counters Carl Sandburg's observation from his poem "Grass" (1918), where he states, "I am the grass; I cover all." Here, the poet suggests that society forgets wars and battles, referring to "all" as the fallen from many conflicts. The grass symbolizes nature's ability to conceal the pain and errors of humanity, implying that over time, visitors will ask simple questions about the places of war without remembrance of the past tragedies. Sandburg's outlook tends to be grim, suggesting that nature will obscure human errors, which will likely be repeated as they fade from memory. The recurrence of such mistakes is highlighted by Sandburg mentioning historical battles such as "Austerlitz", "Waterloo", and "Gettysburg". Hence, for Sandburg, the existence of memorials might hold little significance as humanity is prone to forget and engage in warfare again, ultimately treating war as inconsequential, simply "shoveling the bodies under the grass."
