ii^'SffiSSSfSiSltT;":- LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. Chap. Copyright No. Shelf..: J3i, (2>^ )^1^ UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. o<% ii^' ""^i^Jf^l^ ^%iK^ g^J¥^(^ •^ ^ve^ fe)"^ 8 f^ 1 ^^^K^ (^^ ^ im^_3(^ i «£b _>^!!^^ ot BERTH-DECK BALLADS: ^'OLD GLORV AND OTHER POEMS, ,^- By WILLL^M S. BATE. NEW YORK, 1898. 1896 X ^^n \ kZ^ G Copyrighted 1898 By WILLIAM S. BATE Printed by LocKwooD Press, N. Y. PREFATORY NOTE. While the writer has not hesitated to take "poetic license" with the minor incidents of the narrative pieces which follow, he believes that in their main features they will be found historically accurate. CONTENTS, A Paraphrase, 5 The Sailor's Jolly Life, 6 Old Glory, 7 How Farragut Passed Fort Morgan, 11 How Buchanan Fought the Fleet, 23 Ahoy Thar! Landsman, 32 Jack's Love for the Marines, 35 Loss of the Congress and Cumberland, ^y The First Ironclad Fight, 44 Jack Growls About the Grog, 52 Jack's Letter to Grant, 54 How the Kearsarge Sunk the Alabama, .... 57 Homeward Bound, 64 Ships at Sea, 66 Out with the Tide, 67 At Tap of Drum 68 My Native Land, 70 Halt There! 71 George Washington, A Birthday Ode T2> Grant at Mount McGregor, 74 The Evening Gun, 75 4 , A PARAPHRASE. t 1 do not ask that I may stand Among the rulers of the land, Or that from off the battle field I may be borne on victor-shield. Let others make the people's laws, And win with sword their glad applause; But would that I might make them songs To breathe their joys and voice their wrongs. THE SAILOR'S JOLLY LIFE. I'M glad I am a jolly tar, And sail the ocean blue Upon a jolly man-o'-war, And with a jolly crew; I really, messmates, pities them As hev on land to be. The lads don't know what livin' is That's never been to sea. While 'fore the blast we bowl along In safety o'er the deep; A tremblin' in their beds with fear The land folks cannot sleep. No chimney pots fall on our heads. No trees across our path; Snug in our hammocks far from shore. At Davey Jones we laugh. How little uv what's really life Does the landlubber know; Uv pleasures uv the watch above And uv the watch below. I really, messmates, pities them That's never been to sea; Fur life aboard a man-o'-war 's The jolliest thar be. Yes, mates, I'm glad I am a tar. And sail the ocean blue, L^pon a jolly man-o'-war, And with a jolly crew. The lads don't know what livin' is That's never been to sea; And found out what a jolly life The man-o'-war's man's be. OLD GLORY. THE SAILORS SONG OF THE FLAG. THEY'VE had a rousin' time ashore, I heerd the bos'n say, As whether Ireland's flag should float With L^ncle Sam's to-day. Well, though it cheers the Irish lads Their colors thar to see, Old Glory wavin' all alone Is good enough fur me. Is good enough fur me, my lads. Is good enough fur me; Old Glory wavin' all alone Is good enough fur me. Now, I don't blame the furrin folks Because they love their flags. Fur it's but right enough for them To like their ugly rags; But havin' fit fur Uncle Sam's 'Most from my mother's knee, Old Glory that she loved so well Is good enough fur me. Is good enough fur me, my lads, Is good enough fur me; Old Glory that my mother loved Is good enough fur me. OLD GLORY. My dad he fit the Britishers Jist eighty years ago; And grandad, too, in '76, Agin that one time foe; And if he thought it good enough When fightin' to be free, Old Glory, flag uv '76, Is good enough fur me. Is good enough fur me, my lads, Is good enough fur me; Old Glory, flag uv Washington! Is good enough fur me. And comin' down to my own time, A warrin' I did go With our brave lads in '46, 'Way down to Mexico. And though the Dons in Vera Cruz Did not it like to see. Old Glory flyin' from their forts Wuz good enough fur me; Wuz good enough fur me, my lads, Wuz good enough fur me; Old Glory flyin' from their forts Wuz good enough fur me. And when the South in '61 The Union tried to break, I couldn't find it in my heart The old flag to fursake; And though they said the Stars and Bars A better flag to be, Old Glory, as she always was, Wuz good enough fur me. Wuz good enough fur me, my lads, Wuz good enough fur me; Old Glory uv the Union! Wuz good enough fur me. OLD GLORY. And so with brave old Farragut I fit in Mobile Bay, And by the forts to New Orleans With him I worked my way; And thought if it wuz good enough Fur cap'n sich as he, Old Glory streamin' from the gafT Wuz good enough fur me. Wuz good enough fur me, my lads, Wuz good enoug*h fur me; Old Glory, flag uv Farragut! Wuz good enough fur me. And though I've done no fightin' since The Rebs their colors struck; Old as I be I think I hev Still left a bit uv pluck. And if some uv them furrin chaps Insultin' to her be, Old Glory fioatin' thar so proud Will find a friend in me. Will find a friend in me, my lads, Will find a friend in me; Old Glory, flag uv North and South! Will find a friend in me. Yet I don't blame the furriner Because he loves his flag; So, if I was a Britisher I'd fight fur their red rag; But havin' sailed with Uncle Sam's On almost every sea. Old Glory, dancin' thar so gay Is good enough fur me; Is good enough fur me, my lads. Is good enough fur me; Old Glory, flag uv Uncle Sam! Is good enough fur me. OLD GLORY. So if you're 'round, mates, when I sail Upon my long last cruise; Remember that no better shroud Than that old flag I'd choose; And wrap me in its stripes and stars, And launch me in the sea, P'ur it and dear Old Glory thar Are good enough fur me. Are good enough fur me, my lads, Are good enough fur me; Old Glory fur my windin' sheet. My grave — the deep blue sea. 10 HOW FARRAGUT PASSED FORT MORGAN. WHEN speakin' uv "Old Glory" thar On last Saint Paddy's day, I think some uv you lads allowed You'd like to hear me say How Farragut the battle won, 'Way down in Mobile Bay, And how that dear old flag he bore On her victorious way. Well, though it's nigh on thirty year Since that great fight was won. It seems as plain as yesterday How we them batteries run; But if I should git off my course Jack, here, '11 set me right, Fur he was cap'n uv a gun And well he did her fight. I in the good old Hartford was That day with Admiral Dave; And happier lad you never seed Than when he orders gave That I the startin' signal should Unto the squadron wave; That soon, alack! a hundred men Led to a watery grave. HOW FARRAGUT PASSED FORT MORGAN. But we'd no time to cogitate Jist then 'bout death ur fear, And scarc'ly fur a thought o' them At home, to us most dear; Fur we wuz needin' all our wits How best to steer our way Between the forts and tarpedoes That guarded Mobile Bay. Well, long 'fore light the bos'n piped "All hands, up hammocks all," And soon to heavin' in the grub Our jolly lads did fall; While old Dave in the cabin sot, A sippin' uv his tea, Along with Cap'n Drayton, and As cool as cool could be. While still a-sippin', daylight kum, And then he up and say: "Well, Drayton, guess we might as well Be gettin' under way." And then the signals to the fleet The cap'n told me wave; And so the word to every ship To start, I quickly gave. "All right!" the Brooklyn signaled back, And then began to churn The seethin' water with her screw, While stringin' out astern. The other ships commenced to move And all our hearts to burn — Fur reasons that you 'prentices Will know when comes your turn. 12 HOW FARRAGUT PASSED FORT MORGAN. So up the channel slow we steamed, The Brooklyn in the lead; And never, lads, in all my life, A purtier sight I seed; Without it was the time we run The forts to New Orleans; Or when we captur'd Vera Cruz. When I was in my teens. Soon 'cross the water came "boom, boom," Tecumseh's openin' growls; And then Fort Morgan's dogs o' war Sot up their helhsh howls; And when our starboard battery Begun to speak the fort, I never seed in all my life A better bit o' sport. Not that I car' partiklarly To hear the screech and whiz Uv shrapnel, shell and solid shot When fust they're out fur biz; But somehow, as the danger grew, My sperrits alius riz. As every other man's should do, Whose callin' fightin' is. Now I wuz standin' on the poop. As proud as gal with beaus, To be thar nigh the admiral, When off he starts and goes And mounts the main port riggin' shrouds, The better fur to see The movements uv our gallant fleet And uv the enemy. 13 HOW FARRAGUT PASSED FORT MORGAN. And then as higher riz the smoke And hotter grew the fire, Instead o' comin' down on deck He mounted high'r and high'r, Until he reached the futtock shrouds, And thar he to 'em clung, And hailed the pilot in the top. And out his orders sung. Now Drayton had him in his eye. And soon to me sez he: "I'm feared a shot may cut a shroud And land him in the sea; So take a bit o' lead line thar, And lash him to the mast; And be ye lively 'bout it, too. And make him snug and fast." "Aye, aye, sir," quick I piped him back, And up the ratlins run; Which, lads, because uv shot and shell, Wuz rather risky fun; And when I had the Admiral reached, I sez to him, sez I: "I've orders from the cap'n, sir, You to the mast to tie." He scarce took note o' me at fust. Fur lookin' at the fight; But when agin I hailed him, said: "Don't mind, lad, I'm all right." "But them's my orders, sir," sez I, And then I teched my hat, "And them I try to carry out" — Old Davey grinned at that, 14 HOW FARRAGUT PASSED FORT MORGAN. And said: "That's what I do meself; So lash me to the shroud; Fur though the cap'n said the mast, Say / the change allowed." And so the line to one I hitched, And quick around him passed, And to the other shroud the end I soon made snug and fast. Now all this time the Hartford had Been gittin' in her work, And every lad upon the deck A fightin' like a Turk; As we could see from whar we wuz Up in the futtock shrouds, The smoke so thick it sometimes seemed We must be in the clouds. And even when we couldn't see, We knew the fight wuz hot; Fur we could hear the cannon boom, And hear the shell and shot Crash through the old ship's wooden sides, And wuss than all, the groans Uv shipmates welterin' in their gore. In most heart rendin' tones. And when a hundred pounder lodged Below us in the mast. And I could feel the wind uv shells As they went whizzin' past; Though not afeared, sez I to I: "A bloomin' fool wuz ye To 'list and be a target fur The rebel enemy." HOW FARRAGUT PASSED FORT MORGAN. While still a-thinkin' fightin' warn't The gayest kind o' sport, From off the Brooklyn's starboard bow Thar came a dull report; That 'cause uv all the smoke and din. We really thought, at fust, The bilers uv the rebel ram The Brooklyn's shot had bust. And so, from all our gallant fleet, Thar went up sich a cheer That every Reb on land and sea Might well have fled fur fear; But they wuz not the runnin' kind, And even harder fit; Fur, lads, they wuz Americans, And they don't scare a bit. But soon our cheerful feelin's wuz A mighty difTerent sort; Fur through a smoke rift, mates, we saw Tecumseh reel to port; Then lift her stern high into air, Then settle by the head, And carry more'n a hundred men Down like a lump o' lead. And all because uv orders, lads. That hadn't been obeyed; Fur they, outside the channel buoy, Their vessel's course had laid; Though Farragut had said to steer Along its east'ard side; And if they had, Tecumseh now Might safe at anchor ride. 16 HOIV FARRAGUT PASSED FORT MORGAN. But Craven was as brave a tar As ever sailed a ship, And when Tecumse'h from his feet Was just about to slip, And when to save his life, to climb Was all he had to do, He wouldn't, but to Collins said: "No, pilot; after you." But thar wuz nothin' after him, Fur when he reached the top, The grogg-y, reelin', tremblin' craft A sudden seemed to drop; And uv that gallant monitor And all her gallant crew, He and a dozen shipmates wuz All that wuz left in view. It wuz an awful minit, lads. And Davey later said. He didn't know jist what to do — To back or go ahead — Till he had piped Aloft a prayer. And asked: "Shall I go on?" And back the answer seemed to come To keep his course upon. But Alden had begun to back, So Davey up and said: Unto the pilot in the top — A leetle 'bov his head: "What ails her. Freeman, ain't she got Enough uv water thar?" "Yes, admir'l, every bit she needs, And plenty, too, to spar'." HOW FARRAGUT PASSED FORT MORGAN. And then old Davey he got mad, And high his anger riz, And to 'em on the deck he roared: "Ask what the trouble is!" Then Kimberly the trumpet took, And hailed 'em: "What's the matter?'' And only one word, "tarpedoes," I heered above the clatter. Then to Cap' Drayton "Go: ahead!" Old Davey fairly yells. And then to Jouett: "Full speed, thar. Four bells, I say, four bells!" — His orders quick were followed, lads. And for'ard at full speed The backin' Brooklyn soon we passed, To victory to lead. More likely, though, to sartin death. We reckoned, mates, that day; The channel thick with tarpedoes Nigh whar Tecumseh lay; But Farragut piped, "Go ahead!" And he was alius right. Though Davey Jones' locker seemed To us almost in sight. And so we kept upon our course. Though them below could feel The scrapin' uv the hellish things Along the Hartford's keel; But luckily the water had The primin' made so bad, That not a single one went off, — And mebbe we warn't glad! 18 HOW FARRAGUT PASSED FORT MORGAN. But thar wiiz business hot enough Still left fur us to do, Fur soon, full tilt, down on us bore Buchanan and his crew; While for'ard, off our starboard bow, The rebel gunboats lay; And, keepin' jist so fur ahead, At us they blazed away. Now each one uv our bigger ships A lit'ler consort had; — The Metacomet wuz our mate, — And, whew! warn't Jouett mad To see the Selma sweep a crew Like nine-pins from a gun, And not be 'lowed to give her chase, Not wantin' better fun. And three times begged the Admiral To let him at her git; But Davey, knowin' what wuz best, Three times piped back: "Not yit!" Fur should one of the Selma's shells Into our bilers go, The Metacomet we should need To give the Hartford tow. But when Fort Morgan's flashin' guns We had got safely by. Old Davey gave to him the word. And with a glad "Aye, aye!" Jouett, himself, a hatchet took, And helped his craft to clear; And then off toward the enemy They dashed with cheer on cheer. 19 HOPV FARRAGUT PASSED FORT MORGAN. And soon uv them they fell afoul And poured in shot and shell, And though they wuz Americans, And fit their vessel well, Brave Jouett forged across their bows, And wuz about to board; When seein' that the jig wuz up. The Stars and Bars they lower'd. Meantime, betwixt the ram and forts They'd kept us wide awake. The ironclad tried to run us down. But failed the mark to make; And then she fur the Brooklyn went, But as she kuni they sheered, And failin' fur the second time, She fur the Richmond steered. But she no use had fur her prow. Nor had the Lackawan'; And so in turn from ship to ship The rebel ironclad ran; And though Old Buck he did his best, His vessel wuz so slow. She failed agin a single craft To strike a fatal blow. But while she couldn't use her ram, She got her broadsides in, And how she mowed our brave lads down- I say it wuz a sin; And when she rasped along our side, From all the crash and din. You might hev thought it made o' glass And hers uv sheets uv tin. 20 HOIV FARRAGUT PASSED FORT MORGAN. It wuzn't, though, as Jack, here, found When his big cannon shot, She didn't seem to mind a bit, Though Jack he sent 'em hot; And saw 'em glance off from her plates Jist like so many peas; While her shot through our bulwarks went As though they had been cheese. I tell ye, lads, the hottest work The old ship ever knew Was when she fit the Tennessee And forts and gunboats, too; And 'twixt the groans and shouts and shrieks, And crash uv shot and shell. She seemed from whar we wuz aloft, A fiery fioatin' hell. But even fightin' has an end ; And soon, in Mobile Bay, As peaceful as a flock o' geese Our fleet at anchor lay; And though we pumped a lot o' tears, Our messmates dead to see. We wuz a mighty happy lot Thar with whole skins to be. And so once more had Farragut A deed uv daring done, Sich as no other cap'n had Since warrin' wuz begun; But yit he wuzn't through his work. Fur still the Tennessee Wuz flauntin' proud the Stars and Bars Thar under Morgan's lee. 21 HOW FARRAGUT PASSED FORT MORGAN. But how old Buck agin kum out And tackled all our fleet, And how we did with all our ships The brave old sea-dog meet; I will not, lads, the stirrin' tale. So nigh two bells begin, But if ye'd like some other night The yarn I'll try to spin. HOW BUCHANAN FOUGHT THE FLEET. AND so you want to hear to-night How, after we had run Fort Morgan and the batteries, And thought our work wuz done, Old Buck upon the Tennessee Kum out and fought the fleet, And how we under Farragut Did his oncomin' meet. Well, gimme chaw terbackker, Bill, And shove the grog agin; When, havin' my machinery iled The yarn I'll try to spin; And send the can the ring around To leetle and to big, That uv the soul-inspirin' stuff Each one may hev a swig. All ready? Well, ye see we thought The fightin' at an end — That is, fur the time bein', as The admiral did intend As soon as we had et some grub. To beard Buck in his lair, And what work still remained to do To finish then and there. HOW BUCHANAN FOUGHT THE FLEET. But, meantime, we wuz washin' decks Clean uv the blood and dirt. And doin' everything we could Fur messmates who was hurt; While at the galley fires the cooks War working with a will, That 'fore we fought agin we should Our hungry paunches fill. But old Buck wuzn't waitin', lads, To give us time to eat, And 'fore we had a single bite Wuz steerin' fur our fleet. So fryin' pans war shoved aside And cofl:ee pots war dropped, And quick into their fightin' clothes The cooks and stewards hopped. The admiral was on the poop. And lookin' fearful stern. And said to Drayton at his side. As to him he did turn: "He's after me — let him cum on, He needn't fear Til run, Fur I will fight him while I hev A man left or a gun." Nur did he wait till Buck arrove. Fur soon our vessels he Had signalled from the spanker gafif : "Attack the enemy!" And quick war all their anchors tripped, And fur the ram they run; Each cap'n wishin' his own craft To be fust in the fun. 34 HOW BUCHANAN FOUGHT THE FLEET. The iron-prowed Mon'gahela, though, Had the good kick to lead, And rushed upon the Tennessee At almost race-hoss speed, A hopin' that she'd cut her down, But did no damage do. While two shots from the rebel ram, They pierced her through and through. The Lackawanna wuz the next To strike agin the ram. But scarcely, though, with more effect Than her own nose to jam ; A lucky shot, though, struck a port And broke a slidin' shutter. But two uv Buck's went through her bows As if they had been butter. Meantime we had been gettin' thar As fast as we knew how. And steerin' fur to strike the ram A blow squar' with our bow ; But Buck he was a cunnin' one, And got onto our game, And put his helium hard aport, As fur his craft we came. And so, instead uv rammin' her. We crashed along her side. And when we had got stem and stern Old Buck exultin' cried: "Now give it to the Hartford, lads. Fur we hev got her right; And aim close to the water line And sink her out o' sight." 25 HOIV BUCHANAN FOUGHT THE FLEET. But "the cherub that sits up aloft" Wuz good to us once more; As only one uv their big" shot Into our bulwarks tore, The other pieces missin' fire, Their primin' bein' bad. Which made the Johnnies wild with rage, And us uncommon glad. Now, while a makin' fur the ram As hard as we could split, I saw old Davey go agin, And in the riggin' git; But this time in the mizzen shrouds And nigh unto the rail; Yit, whar a rebel rifle ball. To hit him skarce could fail. But Watson, his lef'tenant, soon His danger cum to see, And after him he quickly steered. And sez to him, sez he: "Kum aft, sir, on the quarter deck, Whar you will safer be" — Thougfh no spot on the ship wuz safe, Thar near the enemy. But Davey he was awful sot When sartin he was right, And never gave a thought to self When captinin' a fight. And tharfur wouldn't budge an inch Till we the ram had passed; And so, as I had, to the shrouds Did Watson make him fast. HOW BUCHANAN FOUGHT THE FLEET. But soon we cleared the Tennessee, And puttin' on all steam, We curved around to try agin To hit her squar' abeam; Not dreamin' that a sister ship Wuz kumin' through the smoke To strike upon the Hartford's hull Almost the self-same stroke. But we war steamin' right across The Lackawanna's course, And 'fore she could her headway stop She struck us with sich force Between the main and mizzen masts. She knocked two port-s in one. And fur a little while we thought The old ship's days war done. And quickly, "Save the admiral," Wuz piped along the deck; But bless ye! he was in the shrouds A lookin' at the wreck; Which bein' skarcely low enough To let the water in, He orders gave to try to ram The Tennessee agin. Now by this time 'most uv our craft War peggin' at her too, And givin' old Buck and his men All that they keered to do; While at her flanks two monitors, Held like dogs to a bull; But how she shed their monster shot, I say wuz wonderful. 87 HOW BUCHANAN FOUGHT THE FLEET. But one from the Manhattan had Struck squar' her side agin, And through three feet uv oak and iron Had let the daylight in; But though it was a fifteen inch And made uv solid steel, It didn't pass her bulwarks through, Or death beyond 'em deal. And all the while the Chickasaw Was barkin' at her heels, And fast as he could get 'em in His iron teeth she feels; Till after while the plates begun To fly from ofif her f^tern. But still he kept close onto her However she might turn. The ram wuz gittin' tougher work Than she had bargained fur; — Some uv her shutters war so jammed They couldn't make 'em stir; Her smokestack, too, went by the board, And from the stump the smoke. The gun deck made so thick and hot. It threatened all to choke. But though things war so desperit, Old Buck he still wuz game, And from the pilot house above Down to the gun deck came, And took in charge the battery. And cheered the gunners on; And well it wuz he did so, fur Their hope was almost gone. HOW BUCHANAN FOUGHT THE FLEET. And yit they war as brave a crew As ever hauled a sheet; And bein', too, Americans, 'Ud rather fight than eat. And though to fit "Old Glory," lads, I knew it warn't right, I couldn't help admirin' 'em, The way that they did fight. As soon as old Buck reached the deck, He fur a workman sent To fix a shutter on the stern The Chickasaw had bent, But quick a shot the casemate struck Alongside uv his seat, And knocked the poor lad into bits As small as sausage meat. A splinter, started by the shock Broke old Buck's leg, and though He still wuz game they had to take Him to the deck below. But he had said if he should fall, To put him out the way. And still fight on; so quick agin They jumped into the fray. Cap' Johnston now was in command Uv rebel craft and crew; And though he was as brave as Buck, And well his business knew, The Tennessee was crippled so He could but little do. And every minnit wus and wus The outlook fur her grew. HOW BUCHANAN FOUGHT THE FLEET. And so they tried to git her bow Toward whar Fort Morgan lay, But 'fore they could, her steerin' gear Had all been shot away; And though she still could turn her screw, She floated on the bay Almost as helpless as a log, And soon to be our prey. But, like the lads they tell about, Who, rigged in iron clothes. Though sword and battle-axe war broke, 'Ud not yield to their foes; So did the Tennessee hold out Agin the giant hail The monitors war thunderin' Upon her coat of mail. But when he sees it must give way Unto their awful blows. And other ships about to ram, Then Johnston up and goes And tells old Buck how matters stand. And leaves to him to say If they should still keep up the fight Or the white flag display. "Well, Johnston, do the best you kin," Old Buck groaned in his pain, "And when ye hev done that, give in." He groaned to him again. But they'd already done their best. And soon a snow white flag We seed a flyin' whar so proud Had flown the rebel rag. HOW BUCHANAN FOUGHT THE FLEET. And lads, you should hev heerd the cheer We sent up when we saw Cap' Johnston's own hands to the deck The rebel colors draw; And when the Stars and Stripes their place Upon the flagstaff took, The shouts with which we greeted it The old ship fairly shook. So ended, lads, the hottest fight The Hartford ever fit; At least, that's what soon arterward Old Davey said uv it; And never wuz another shot Agin the old ship fired, Fur soon, a well scarred veteran. She from the war retired. But I, lads, couldn't stay ashore. Fur things thar wuz too slow; So to Fort Fisher with the fleet I soon wuz glad to go; And even when the war wuz done I couldn't quit the sea. Fur life aboard a man-o'-war's The only life fur me. 81 AHOY THAR, LANDSMAN! A PLEA FOR THE HARTFORD. AHOY thar, landsman! Spare that ship! Do unto her no harm, Fur up the riggin' uv my mind My dear old messmates swarm. And hail me o'er the gulf uv years And bid me say to thee, To be to their old craft as kind As they themselves would be. Ahoy thar, landsman! Spare that ship! Harm not her sacred hull. Fur uv fond memories uv the past To-day its brimmin' full; And ghosts uv dead men on her deck, Methinks they beckon thee To kindly treat the brave old ship Still loved by them and me. Ahoy thar, landsman! Spare that ship! Harm not a single knee! Fur she is to my soul as dear As thy sweetheart to thee; Each timber thar if it could speak Would make a touchin' plea That thou be to that ship as kind As them that love her be. 32 AHOY THAR, LANDSMAN! Ahoy thar, landsman! Spare that ship! Touch not a single gun! Fur up the ratlins uv my mind My recollections run. And lookin' off to Mobile Bay, Them dear old cannon see A blazin' out their shot and shell Agin the enemy. Ahoy thar, landsman! Spare that ship! Touch not a single mast! Fur they memorial pillars are Uv her victorious past; And from the mizzen royal, methinks, The admiral's flag to thee Now signals: "Spare the good old ship That wuz so dear to me." Ahoy thar, landsman! Spare that ship! Touch not a single spar! Fur each is to my heart as dear As my own kinsmen are; In memory shipmates man the yards And bid me say to thee To be to their old craft as kind As they if here would be. Ahoy thar, landsman! Spare that ship! Touch not a single shroud! Fur in the maintop uv my mind Her old maintopsmen crowd; While Farragut, lashed to the stays, In memory I see, Commandin' thee to treat his ship As kindly as would he. 33 AHOY THAR, LANDSMAN! Ahoy thar, landsman! Spare that ship! Touch not that gallant gaff! Fur dear "Old Glory" from its peak Did at all danger laugh; And now she waves across the years And signals unto the To kindly treat the ship that bore Her on to victory. Ahoy thar, landsman! Spare that ship! Touch not a single holt! Fur each one on my heartstrings has A more than iron holt; And through each throb I think they speak And bid me say to thee To be as kind to their old ship As them that love her be. Ahoy thar, landsman! Spare that ship! A grateful nation pleads — In memory uv her gallant lads And uv their gallant deeds; And in the years we're voyagin' to, Our sons shall honor thee Fur honorin' the ship that bore Their sires to victory. 9h 34 JACK'S LOVE FOR THE MARINES. SAY, lads, I hear they are to go — The lubberly marines — And if it's true, for me and you A rousin' time it means. A rousin' time it means, my lads, A rousin' time it means; Fur life will be wuth livin' when We're rid uv the marines. Between perlicemen when in port And the sea-cops at sea, A man-o'-warsman's life is not Jist what it ought to be; But if the lubbers are to go, A jolly time it means; Fur life will be wuth livin' when We're rid uv the marines. When boardin' ship from leave ashore, Whar sharks our drink hev drugged, Instid uv lendin' us a hand, They hev us quickly jugged; But if the lubbers are to go A jolly change it means. Fur we won't treat each other so When rid uv the marines. 85 JACK'S LOVE FOR THE MARINES. Whoever heerd uv one uv them Who raised the rum blockade, Or who to messmates in the "brig" Would let us render aid; But, lads, if they hev got to go, No prison cell it means; And life will be wuth livin' when We're rid uv the marines. They are uv free born mariners The nat'rul enemies, And never should hev been allowed To sail with them the seas; But if they've really got to go, Our rights to hev it means. Fur life will be wuth livin' when We're rid uv the marines. So here's a health onto the chap Who's goin' to make 'em go; Come, shove the can around agin And let good speerits flow; Fur if the lubbers are to leave. Right jolly times it means; And life will be wuth livin' when We're rid uv the marines. 36 LOSS OF THE CONGRESS AND CUMBERLAND. WELL, lads, a very mournful yarn 1 hev to spin to-night, As how the Merrimac cum out Our wooden ships to fight; And how, when through their bloody work, The Rebs at dusk retired. They'd sunk the good ship Cumberland And the old Congress fired. I was aboard the fust named ship That day in sixty-two. And doubt if ever Hampton Roads A finer momin' knew. Than broke upon that eighth uv March, A day uv Southern spring, Uv breezes soft and bright blue sky And birds upon the wing. Jist oflf the pint uv Newport News We at our anchors swung, And in the riggin' uv our ship Our newly washed clothes hung; And no more likely seemed a fight Before the sun should set Than me or you shall ever wear A captain's epaulette. 37 LOSS OF THE CONGRESS AND CUMBERLAND. But long towards noon a cloud uv smoke Wuz seen down Norfolk way, And later, what looked like a barn Came movin' up the bay; And soon, in what, a long way off, Its shingled roof had seemed, A shutter opened, and a shell Across the water screamed. It struck our good old ship astern, And of the gallant crew That manned her big aft pivot gun, It left, alack, but few; But other officers and men Their places quickly took, And soon beneath the heavy fire The stout old timbers shook. Meantime the Merrimac had run Nigh whar the Congress lay, And with her rifled battery Agin her blazed away; While both our ships sich broadsides sent That any wooden ship If left afloat would hev been glad Away from us to skip. But 'stead uv that, the Merrimac Jist crowded on all steam. And steerin' a straight course, struck us Well furrid uv abeam; And underneath our water line Her prow made sich a hole, That easily into the breach A water cask could roll. LOSS OF THE CONGRESS AND CUMBERLAND. And, lads, the poor old Cumberland Wuz shivered by the shock As much as if when sailin' free She'd struck a sunken rock; And soon she sharply heeled to port And fast begun to fill; But all our lads stood to their guns And fought 'em with a will. And when the Rebs yelled, "Strike yer flag," Brave Morris up and cried : "No, never will we yield our ship. But sink yer craft beside." Which bein', too, our sentiments, His words we wildly cheered. And fired our guns, till underneath The waves they disappeared. Fur when the gun deck was awash, We on the spar deck fought. While shipmates, stripped down to their waists, Us ammunition brought; And thar we worked the pivot guns, Till with a lurch and lunge Our brave craft to the bottom went With one appallin' plunge. And with her many a gallant lad Went to a briny grave; While others uv us that could swim Struck out our lives to save; And some laid hold uv floating stuflf. And some the mainmast seize, From which Old Glory proudly yet Wuz floating in the breeze. LOSS OF THE CONGRESS AND CUMBERLAND. At fust I started fur the beach, But when, near by, I seen The Congress tackled by the Rebs, I thought it kinder mean To leave her lads a strugglin' thar And me git safe ashore; And so I shaped another course. And fur the frigate bore. I reached her soon and caught a rope And hauled myself aboard; An' awfuler sight I never seed. Fur out the scuppers poured Dark, sickenin' streams uv human blood From mangled men that lay In heaps about the gory deck, Blown from their guns away. The Merrimac lay ofif astern. Where she the decks could rake, And every broadside that she sent A score uv lads would take. From cannon they stood idly by, The rebels usin' care To hold thar craft jist whar our guns Could not be brought to bear. I picked my way amongst the dead, Back to the mizzen mast. And found there, urgin' on his men, Lef'tenant Pendergast, Who now that brave Smith wuz no more, Wuz captainin' the craft, And answerin' the rebels' fire With the two cannons aft. 40 LOSS OF THE CONGRESS AND CUMBERLAND. I teched my hat, and when he saw The name the ribbon bore, He said: "Lord! haint ye fit enough, Without a-wantin' more?" But when I told him why I'd come, He grabbed me by the hand, And said he thought a lad I know The noblest in the land. But that wuz not the time fur talk, Fur rebel shot and shell Wuz rakin' us from stem to stern, And frequently, the yell Uv some poor lad by them cut down, Upon our hearin' fell ; And who would be the next to go, None on that deck could tell. But notwithstandin' all o' that, Thar wuz no shirkin' done. Each officer stood at his post. Each gunner by his gun; While them as could git in a shot Agin the Merrimac, Wuz doin' everything they could To send her greetin's back. So the unequal fight went on, Nor did the struggle cease Till on the foe we couldn't bring To bear a single piece; While hot shot from the rebel ram Had set our ship afire. And threatened soon to make her deck For us a funeral pyre. 41 LOSS OF THE CONGRESS AND CUMBERLAND. Yes, only then our captain gave The word to strike our flag, And, lads, it made us sick at heart Old Glory down to drag; Old Glory that we many a time Had flaunted at the foe. And never till that dreadful day Had seen to grief brought low. Not so the rebel admiral, Who soon two gunboats sent To take us ofiF as prisoners; c Which object to prevent, Our batteries upon the shore Kept up so hot a fire, They forced them to give up the job, And from our side retire. But not till many a friend and foe Had fallen by their shot; And, messmates, it seemed pretty hard To be by friends besot; But, howsomever, when the rebs Had steamed from us away, To leave that burnin' bloody wreck We didn't long delay. And, some by swimmin', some by boats, We got ourselves ashore, Except the gallant lads asleep To wake on airth no more; And, from the land, we saw the flames From every porthole pour; And mount the riggin', and above The highest masthead soar. 42 LOSS OF THE CONGRESS AND CUMBERLAND. And when at last the tongues uv fire Laid holt the magazine, We saw the saddest, grandest sight Our eyes had ever seen; For with a mighty rush and roar The flames shot high in air, As if unto a heavenly port The dear old ship to bear. Ah, lads! that wuz the darkest night Our navy ever knew, And when we uv the morrow thought, Our minds still darker grew; Fur over thar by Sewall's P'int The rebel ironclad lay, Expectin' to complete her work Upon the comin' day. But how the little Monitor Before the mornin' came. Showed up jist in the nick o' time And blocked their little game I will not tell to you to-night, But if ye care to know. Will speak about some other time When on the watch below. 43 THE FIRST IRONCLAD FIGHT. AS I allowed last time I talked, Our hearts wuz filled with gloom, The night we watched the Congress burn, A-thinkin' uv the doom That sartin seemed fur all our ships Aground in Hampton Bay, Soon as the Rebs should get to work Upon the comin' day. But when at last the mornin' broke, Through the fust glimmerin' light. With strainin' eyes we seaward saw A most uncommon sight; Fur nigh the Minnesota lay A strange outlandish craft. That seemed, as some landlubber said, A cheesebox on a raft. "What can it be?" I hailed my mates, "And what on 'arth meant fur?" When the landlubber up and said: "It is the Monitor, An ironclad craft uv Ericsson's, A crank down New York way. That kum last night, but nigh got swamped A-gittin' here, they say." 44 THE FIRST IRONCLAD FIGHT. "Her orders read fur Washington, But when inside the capes, Old Worden heerd the boom uv guns. And so her course he shapes To bring her into Hampton Roads, Whar Marston held her back — Though disobeying orders — fur To meet the Merrimac." "To meet the Merrimac!" we cried, "What! that queer leetle craft?" And then, so silly seemed the thought, That we jist up and laughed That enny one was fool enough A tub like that to send To fight the mighty Merrimac, And the fleet to defend. Fur as redikerlus it seemed Fur pigmy sich as that To grapple with the rebel ram As church-mouse with a cat; And when we saw her standin' guard By them great towering craft. It wuz so mirth provokin', lads, That we jist up and laughed. "But them laughs best as laughs the last," As the old sayin' is, And Worden had the bulge on us When he got through his biz; But we wuz so oncommon glad To see what he hed done, That not a soul uv us begrudged The victory he'd won. 45 THE FIRST IRONCLAD FIGHT. But I am steamin' on too fast, And so I'll stop and back To whar he laid a-waitin' fur The ironclad to attack; And that wuz not fur very long, F"ur nigh eight bells, we seed The rebel fleet a-comin', and The big ram in the lead. And then our hearts grew sad ag'in, A-thinkin' that the fate Uv our two sunken ships oflf there The others did await; And ye may well believe me, lads, Our sperrits riz no higher When hot shot from the Merrimac The frigate sot afire. But, meantime, whar's the Monitor? "A-runnin', some may say; Yes, rnnnin\ but by all the saints. Not from the foe away; Fur if we dared to trust our eyes. Instead uv turnin' tail. She wuz a-makin' fur the ram Despite her iron hail. Now, I've a leetle narve, I hope, But, lads, I am afeared I would hev cogertated long Afore I would hev steered Away from all the other ships In that queer ontried craft, — And when we saw her start we thought Old Worden must be daft. 46 THE FIRST IRONCLAD FIGHT. But he wuz just as cute as brave, And so he left the fleet, And steamed right out into the Roads. The rebel ram to meet As far from shore as possible, That he might fight her there; And so our helpless wooden ships From her big rifles spare. The rebel gunboats only came On fur enough to see What kind uv a newfangled craft The Monitor might be. And seemin' not to like the way In which she steamed ahead, They quickly turned their starns to her And down toward Norfolk fled. Now that wuz not discouragin', But when a sheet of flame Swept from the ironclad's battery. And 'cross the water came The sullen thunder uv her guns, It seemed to us ashore. That when the smoke went we should see The Monitor no more. Fur she wuz close beside the ram, And, as ye know, we feared It wuz a mighty risky thing The lion thar to beard; But when a minnit arterward The smoke away hed cleared. We saw her seemin' safe and sound. And tossed our hats and cheered. 47 THE FIRST IRONCLAD FIGHT. And then her turret turned around, And from a port a gun Wuz run out toward the rebel craft, And then another one; And quick from out their big black throats They belched forth fire and smoke, And with no soft, unsartin' sound Unto the rebels spoke. Yet, lads, I larnt soon arterwards From one uv Worden's crew, That neither did the other craft The slightest damage do; Fur, barrin' dents made here and thar, And loosened bolts a few. The vessels arter the fust round Wuz jist as good as new. And then they took a breathin' spell, Like boxers in a ring. And then they fur an openin' spar. And then their skippers bring 'Em up unto the scratch agin, Whar wicked blows they dealt. And tryin' always to get in A blow below the belt. Below the armor belt, I mean, For a foot or two beneath The water line uv both the ships Thar wuz no iron sheath, And so the rebel tried to ram Our champion with her prow, But Worden wuz too wily fur To let 'em through her plow. 48 1 THE FIRST IRONCLAD FIGHT. And bein' not a bit behind The Rebs at sich a game, He drove his craft agin' their starn, A hopin' he might lame Their rudder or propeller blades, But missed 'em by a foot, And then to try fur 'em agin' His craft about he put. And at sich work she had the best Uv the big Merrimac; Which wuz both slow and hard to steer. While she could turn or back In half the time the rebel took. And so made up the lack Uv bigger size and eight more guns In quickness uv attack. So after all, they wuz well matched, As the proceedin's proved, A-firin' guns and rushin' rams As 'round the Roads they moved; But not a single man was killed, And not a lad made lame, Which state of things fur old-time tars Wuz most uncommon tame. And it wuz jist the sort uv thing, Lads sich like to onrage To be inside that turret shet, Like squirrels in a cage; And hev the sides go round and round Until they couldn't say In what direction they wuz bound Or whar the rebel lay. THE FIRST IRONCLAD FIGHT. Fur nothin' could be seen outside, Exceptin' when a gun Wuz ready, and the shutters raised, That out it might be run. And then they had to wait ontil The ram seemed saiHn' by, And then, the lanyard pullin' quick, To take her on the fly. And so the sluggin' match went on Till after twelve o'clock, And then a shell the pilot house Struck with a fearful shock, And, bustin', blinded Worden so, And did so badly stun, That fur a leetle while he thought His 'arthly days wuz done. But yet gave orders to sheer ofif, As he wuz led below, So that they might examine things And the full damage know; And lying thar upon his bed. To them a-standin' by, Said: "As the Minnesota's saved, Then I can happy die." But Greene found that the pilot house Wuz not so badly wrecked. As the explosion uv the shell Had led them to expect; But when he turned agin to fight He found the ram had fled Down Norfolk way, a-steamin' straight. And leakin' bad, 'twas said. 60 THE FIRST IRONCLAD FIGHT. And yet they had the narve to claim That Worden hadn't won: — His business was to save the fleet, And that he'd nobly done; And to our navy's latest day His glory will go down, And every loyal heart be proud Uv his well 'arned renown. So ended the fust ironclad fight, And its shots to the earth Proclaimed the death of wooden ships, Uv armorclads the birth ; And Englishmen and Frenchmen, too, The German and the Turk, To makin' fightin' sea machines Then quickly got to work. But in machinery shops afloat 1 never took much stock; As full uv wheels and cogs and springs As gran'dad's eight day clock. NO; lads, an old time man-o'-war. With gun decks wide and free. And old time crew to man her, too. Is good enough fur me. 51 JACK GROWLS ABOUT THE GROG. HO! messmates! hev ye heerd the news, They're goin' to stop our grog! I s'pose 'they'll take our backky next And then 'ill go our prog; Fur things is gittin' wus and wus On shipboard every day, And what they'll spring onto us next No mother's son kin say; Yes, things is at a purty pitch, And I intend to know — Yes, I intend to know How fur the robbin' uv our rights '111 be allowed to go. 'Twuz bad enough to take away Our good old sailin' craft, And make us live in tubs that look Like gas tanks on a raft; Ships that are utterly oufit Fur old time fightin' tars, Who loved their grand old wooden walls, Their riggin' and their spars. Yes, things is at a purty pitch. And I intend to know — Yes, I intend to know How fur the robbin' uv our rights '111 be allowed to go. 52 JACK GROWLS ABOUT THE GROG. A sailor's life is hard enough When things is at their best, With cleanin' brass and scrubbin' decks, Sea sojers and the rest; But if they take away our grog They'll find they've gone too far, Fur thar's a limit even to The patience uv a tar. Yes, things is at a purty pitch, And I intend to know — Yes, I intend to know How fur the robbin' uv our rights '111 be allowed to go. "What will I do?" Til write to Grant! He is the seaman's friend, And boss of these United States, And sartin can't intend That things to sich a purty pitch Should in the navy kum, That them that is but clarks uv his Should rob us uv our rum. Yes, I will write to Grant, my lads. And he will let 'em know — Yes, Grant 'ill let 'em know That in their tramplin' on our rights They mustn't further go. JACK'S LETTER TO GRANT.* I TOLD ye, mates, I'd write to Grant, And here the letter is, About the stoppin' uv our grog. And it 'ill do the biz, If he's the lad I think he be — The man-o'-warsman's friend — Fur soon as he hez read it through He'll dead sure matters mend. "Deer giniral Ulissus grant; I hoap yu may n't blaim Me fur a-ritin' i am sound And hoapin yur the saim: And also that my mates is well, I'd menshun as i pass. And giv thare best respecks to yu. The missus and the lass. "Butt that is not the ownly thing I hev to rite abowt, And think that wen yu've heerd my yarn Yu wil bee mutch put out, To larn how they is treatin' us, Yur comrads in the war; Thoe wee wuz fitin' on the sea. And yu upon the shoar. "The trubbel's with them clarks uv yurn Down thar in washin'tun, Whoo hev bin tramplin' on our rites And lots uv damige dun Onto the sarvis that wee luv, And fur wich tew wee fawt. And try to doo our duty by. As every troo tar awt. * The serving of grog to the sailors of the U. S. Navy was stopped during the administration of President Grant, through the efforts of Admiral Foote. 54 JACK'S LETTER TO GRANT. "Fust place they tuk away our ships, The Hartfurd, the Kearsarge — Uv wich sech tars as Farragut And Winslow wuz in charge, And put us onto irun craft, No moar fur old tars fit Than them top-lofty naval clarks In yur big cheer to sit. "And thar is the sea-sojers, tew, But they wuz alius 'round, And wil bee, tew, i calkerlate, Til the last trump shal sound; Without yu find it in yur haft The lubbers to remoove, And, 'yond the shadder uv a dout. The seaman's best frend pruve. "But wee bee powrfel payshunt lads, And wudn't hev complaned If things, thoe they wuz bad enuflf, Hed jist the saim remaned; But, ginirul, can yu credit it. That things cud ever cum To sech a pitch they'd hev the narve To take away our rum! "But that is jist the thing they did, And yu wil mee beleeve. They cud hev nuthin' dun to us That moar our harts wood greeve; They mite hev she! our backky off. Or cut us down in prog. But it a 'blarsted outrage wuz To take away our grog. 55 JACK'S LETTER TO GRANT. "The offusers they hev thar wine, And, if they wants, thar beer; And shud a sailor bee shet off Uv that he holds most deer? "No!" i am sartin yu wil say Wen theze lines meets yur site, And yu wil tel them offus chaps Frum thare high perch to 'light. "Wall, i kan think uv nuthin' elce To rite about jist now. And so to yu and to yur mate I make my slickest bow. And send my greetin's to the lads, And to the lass a smack. And hoap yu'll let mee sine myself, Yure humble sarvant, Jack. "Ps. i hoap yu'll ancer this. That every sailor lad Aboard the Mackinaw with me May hev his hart made glad. To hear yuVe told them offus chaps To take anuther tack; And then we'll drink to yu and yurs. Once more, yure sarvant, Jack. 56 HOW THE KEARSARGE SUNK THE ALABAMA. WHY will ye bother me agin, Ye pesky midshipmites. To tell the forty 'leventh time About the old sea-fights? Why don't ye fall afoul o' Phil, Who'd rather talk than eat? Particklarly uv Farragut, The Hartford and the fleet. What! Never heerd how the Kearsarge The Alabama sunk? Then I will spin the yarn when I This glass o' grog hev drunk; Fur I wuz in the good old ship The day the fight wuz won. And tharfur am the man to tell The way the deed wuz done. Ah! that's the stufif! I alius like To hev my whistle wet, And somethin' warm inside, afore To pipin' yarns I set. Now sit ye on that hawser, thar, And ye agin that gun. And I will try to tell you how The victory wuz won. 57 HOW THE KEARSARGE SUNK THE ALABAMA. You see we hed been layin' at Old Flushing on the Scheldt, And hevin' caught no rebel craft, Summut downhearted felt; Though we the Rappahannock hed Blockaded at Calais, So close her crew dismantled her And slunk from thar away. So when one arternoon we saw "The Comet" at the fore, — The signal fur to come aboard To all who wuz ashore, — We quickly mustered all our lads And piled aboard the ship, And from the old Dutch harbor soon Unto the sea did slip. And then unto the quarter deck The bos'n piped the crew, When Cap'n Winslow up and spoke, And soon from him we knew That in the harbor uv Cherbourg The Alabama laid, And with the hope uv fightin' her We hed our anchor weighed. Now them's the kind uv tidin's that A war tar likes to hear, And so from out a hundred throats Thar broke a hearty cheer; And very happy lads that night, We in our hammocks lay, A-dreamin' uv the rebel craft And uv the comin' fray. 58 HOW THE KEARSARGE SUNK THE ALABAMA. Next mornin' Dover's chalky cliffs Rose up before our view, And near the town soon arterwards We hove our vessel to; When gittin' the dispatches that The cap'n called there for, All steam wuz crowded on agin, And fur Cherbourg we bore. We reached thar on the foUerin' day, And sure enough in port The Alabama safe was moored Behind the Frenchmen's fort. But we did not to anchor come. But ofif the harbor lay. And closely watched the pirate, that She shouldn't slip away. But Semmes he warn't a runnin' then, Fur, bein' 'bout our size, He thought it would look cowardly To friendly English eyes For them to skip away from us, Him and his pirate crew, When they had boasted what they could Unto the Yankees do. And tharfur he a message sent Through some one in the town, That they to of¥er battle soon Unto us would come down. And so to meet the rebel craft We good and ready made, But all the week went by and still Behind the fort they stayed. 59 HOW THE REARS ARGE SUNK THE ALABAMA, And day by day our sperrits dropped Because we feared a trick Old Semmes would try to play on us, Fur he was mighty slick; That on some thick or stormy night From port he'd try to steal, And if he should git well away How cut up we should feel. But Sunday, when the cap'n wuz The service 'bout to read, The officer upon the deck A steamer comin' seed; And when he "Alabama" sung, Thar never was a crew That with more joy and eagerness Unto their quarters flew. That Sabbath wuz so calm and mild, So peaceful lay the sea, It skarcely seemed the comin' craft An enemy could be; And though he said that Sunday was His alius lucky day, Semmes did fur openin' fire on us That mornin' dearly pay. Cap. Winslow wouldn't fight the Rebs So nigh a neutral shore. To which, if whipped, they'd steam away, And so we seaward bore, Till seven miles or so from land, When quick about we steered. And, as they closely follered us, We soon each other neared. 60 HOW THE KEARSARGE SUNK THE ALABAMA. When jist about a mile away The pirates opened fire; But we no answer made to them, But waited to g"it nigh'r; And so two uv their broadsides took, And half a mile hed run, As quiet as a Quaker church Before we fired a gun. Their shots, though, they hed sent so wild That most above us flew; But when at last we got to work, Ours went so straight and true That we could see 'em strike her hull. And one, her spanker gafif. Which brought her colors to the deck, While we set up a laugh. And then we tried to pass across The Alabama's stern. But Semmes he got onto our game, And quick as us did turn; And so, to keep from bein' raked. Both ships steamed 'round one spot, While, fast as we could load and fire, We poured in shell and shot. But not too fast, fur we took care That every one should tell. Fur Thornton, our executive, Had trained our gunners well; And every time we hulled the Reb, Or did their riggin' tear. You ought to've seen us shout fur joy And toss our caps in air. 61 HOW THE KEARSARGE SUNK THE ALABAMA. But the pirates little crowin' did, Fur uv our lads but three Wuz hurt by all the shot they sent, And but one mortally; While our shell swept three crews away From their aft pivot gun, And killed and wounded forty men Afore the fight wuz done. And done it was within an hour, Fur soon their sails they set, And headin' fur the neutral line. Within it tried to get; But we wuz quickly arter them And 'cross their bows we steered. When suddent from their spanker gaff Their colors disappeared. But whether lowered or shot away, At fust we couldn't tell; And so into the rebel craft We kept on sendin' shell; Till, whar the Stars and Bars had been A white flag wuz displayed; When, sartin that they hed enough, At once our fire we stayed. Meantime a queer thing happened to Our flag stopped at the main. Fur almost the last shot they fired The halyards cut in twain, And so our colors they unfurled From our main royal truck, Jist at the minnit when to us Their own flag they hed struck. HOW THE KEARSARGE SUNK THE ALABAMA. The firin' stopped, they sent a boat Aboard our ship to tell That they the fight had given up, And ask our help as well; And so two boats war quickly manned And sent unto their ship, And glad I wuz, lads, to be told In one ov them to slip. And such a sight I never seed In all my life afore, As that aboard the rebel craft. Her decks all red with gore Uv forty dead and wounded men, 'Most layin' whar they fell. And all her port side blown away By our unerrin' shell. And she wuz fillin', too, so fast. And settlin' at the stern. That 'fore we could git all hands off Her bows they did upturn Until they stood straight up in air, When tlirough the blood-dyed wave. She backward slowly slipped and sank Unto her watery grave. So wuz it, lads, we thrashed old Semmes And his half furrin crew. And made all Northern hearts as glad As Southern hearts were blue; But that wuz thirty years ago, And friends to-day are we, And ready side by side to fight A common enemy. HOMEWARD BOUND. HOMEWARD bound! Ho, thar, my hearties! Break the pennant to the breeze, Hoist it to the higliest masthead, Let it stream far o'er the seas ; Refrain — For we're under sailin' orders To our home' beyond the main; Home and country! — words soul stirrin'- Let them be our glad refrain. Homeward bound! Ho, thar, my hearties! At the capstan lend a hand! To the catheads bring the anchors, And be off for Freedom's land; Refrain — For, etc Homeward bound! Ho, thar, my hearties! Set now every rag uv sail, Ay, set every stitch uv canvas To the fresh and favorin' gale; Refrain — For, etc. Homeward bound! Ho, thar, my hearties! Shove the merry work along! Many hands make easy labors. And we'll ease them, too, with song. Refrain — For, etc. 64 HOMEWARD BOUND. Homeward bound! Ho, thar, my hearties! Heave the "Jonah" o'er the rail! For an offerin' unto Neptune, That his favors may not fail. Refrain — For, etc. Homeward bound! Ho, thar, my hearties! Up and give a rousin' cheer To our comrades we are leaving On this furrin' station here. Refrain— For, etc. 65 SHIPS AT SEA. A SHIP at sea! A ship at sea! O watch her dancing merrily O'er dead men's graves Beneath the waves! A ship at sea 's a charming sight When speeding through the soft starhght, And summer gales Fill out her sails. A ship at sea! A ship at sea! Ah, look! She staggers helplessly O'er dead men's graves Beneath the waves! A ship at sea 's a fearful sight, When storm-chased through the winter night She madly bowls Upon the shoals! 66 OUT WITH THE TIDE. HE'LL go out with the tide," the old sailor said, "It ebbs to-day at half-past four;" As his shipmate tossed on his humble bed In his home by the river shore. Five days and five nights has the tide of life Ebbed and flowed through his stormy breast; But to-day will end the tempest's fierce strife. And his soul find a haven of rest. His old wife wept by the side of his bed, And the old clock ticked on the wall. The old sailor gazed on its face and said: "The tide turns, and it soon will fall." "Ah! his cable's parted," ere long he sighed, While a tear on his rough cheek lay; "He's adrift on the seaward ebbin' tide; Well, we seamen should go that way." * * * Adrift on the tide! Ah! unto what sea Doth the river of life e'er flow? We scarce grasp the present — but what's to be, None knoweth, nor here shall e'er know. 67 AT TAP OF DRUM. IT seems like '6i again To hear the talk of war, Of fleets assembling on the sea And soldiers on the shore: My hair is white, my back is bent, But if war has to come ril polish up my gun once more I. And march at tap of drum. h) Some foreigner, I see, has said j The South would join the foe If we should have a war with Spain, Which only serves to show He little knows the Southern heart, For if a war should come The South would be as quick as North To march at tap of drum. Things do seem rather serious About the sunken Maine; And would be very grave, I fear. If she was sunk by Spain; I hope it was an accident, But if war has to come I'll heed my country's call again And march at tap of drum. AT TAP OF DRUM. I want no war for sake of war, For I know what it is; For I have heard the shriek of shell, And heard the bullets whiz; But if things get to such a pass That war has got to come ril shoulder my old gun again And march at tap of drum. — But when at last life's march is o'er, And hushed its battle shout, And the dread-visaged drummer — Death- Has sounded: "All lights out!" Then, comrades, if you're lingering here, I pray that you will come And lay me where our brave boys lie Who marched at tap of drum. 69 MY NATIVE LAND! MY Native Land! Land ever mine! My, love my hopes, my fears are thine: My love for what thou art to me, My fears for dangers threatening thee, My hopes for better things to be. No foes without awake my fears For this or for thy future years : — Thy greatest of thy household are, — Sons who their heritage would mar. And ingrate aliens from afar. But these are feeble and but few Compared with those both fond and true : — Sons proud of thy immortal past. Sons zealous for thy future vast, — Ten thousand thousand such thou hast. Like mother toward her erring child. Thou art forgiving, patient, mild: — But let thy children false beware How far thy loyal sons they dare Their arms in thy defense to bare. My Native Land! May He whose power Has thee protected till this hour Upon thy coming years attend; From foes within and out defend, And guide and guard thee to the end. 70 HALT THERE! HALT there! Hands off that flag! Touch not a single star! And palsied ever be the arm That would its union scar! Its glory bids thee pause, The legends blood-writ on its folds — The place which in our heart it holds — They bid thee pause. Halt there! Hands off that flag! Touch not a single star! Won for it by our valiant sires In Freedom's holy war. The Past! It bids thee pause; The deeds of the heroic dead, Who 'neath its stars to victory led — They bid thee pause. Halt there! Hands off that flag! Touch not a single star! For by a thousand sacred ties To it close-bound they are; The Present bids thee pause! The welfare of thy fellow men — What now they are, and might have been- All bid thee pause. n HALT THERE! Halt there! Hands off that flag! Touch not a single star! The weal of millions yet unborn Thy wicked way would bar! The Future bids thee pause! The hope for better things to be — Of universal liberty! — It bids thee pause. Halt there! Hands off that flag! Touch not a single star! The yearning nations of the Earth Call to thee from afar. Their sorrows bid thee pause — The pleadings of a wistful world That its fair folds shall ne'er be furled- They bid thee pause. Halt there! Hands off that flag! Touch not a single star! Mtthinks that voices from the sky Forbid its grace to mar; That Heaven bids thee pause In word or deed to work it ill Before its mission it fulfill — Heaven bids thee pause. w GEORGE WASHINGTON. A BIRTHDAY ODE. I SAW an old yet stately ship Her cables for the last time slip, And ebb with evening away, And as she drifted through the gloom More grandly did her spars uploom Than through the long bright summer day. So when a great and good man dies And passes o'er the sea that lies Unfathomed, yet so near the world; Far loftier to us seems he then Than ere, in port, beyond our ken, His noble life's fair sails were furled. Thou, when on earth, wert men too near To give them vision calm and clear Of thy majestic mind and mien; But o'er the ocean of the past Thy towering figure is at last In all its matchless grandeur seen. First Captain of our Ship of State! If from that sea, God-granted fate May let thee speak its sad waves o'er. Speak to thy people here to-day And guide till Time our bark shall lay In Port of Peace for evermore. Thou art not dead! but livest still In word and deed our hearts to thrill To action worthy of our birth! 'Neath yon dear flag at masthead high — Our banner borrowed from the sky — Its wedded stars the hope of earth! 78 GRANT AT MOUNT McGREGOR. CLOSE to his page the aged warrior bends, The record of his life to write; while near, Death waits the end of task for them most dear The toiler's heart whose anguish well nigh rends His once strong frame, and souls of loving friends. Of all his deeds none other is the peer Of this, the bravest of his brave career, Which to his fame a gentler lustre lends. Love's labor ended, quickly also ends The truce with Death, and the great captain yields To the first victor of a score of fields; And o'er his bier in common sorrow blends The grief of those who with him won the day, And those once met in battle's stern array. 74 THE EVENING GUN. THE day is done! The evening gun Proclaims it dead o'er isle and bay; Midst fortress walls, With shrill sad calls, Its dirge the brazen bugles play. But do not mourn, For merry horn Will soon be sounding o'er the sea; And from the night A day more bright On dewy wing will come to thee. So when thy life. Its storms and strife. At peaceful eve have passed away; May trumpets sweet In heaven greet Thee with their 'rapturing reveille. gi^ 76