The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-05-11
Messrs. N. L. & g. GRIswoLp,
and others, New York.
The HOmorn,

norssr Clenling, Esq, Qusrter Mas
u. States Service.
Come listen all ye sailors bold.
Come listen unto me,
I'll sing you of Q cruel deed
A bloody tragedy.
Come listen landsmen, one and all,
Come listen unto me,
I'll make ysu bless your lucky stars
You've never gone to sea.
II was the somers, graceful, swim,
A: ere va: nodded by .hipwrigAt,
Or sailor helped to rig
That, right before the steady,Trades,
Was she cleaviag her swift way,
And dashing from her glancing bows
The sparkling, snowy spray.
Like unto some live ocean bird,
Swiftly and light she breasts
The up.curled, watery rolling hills,
And skins along their crestS.
Like unto some live ocean'bird
She spreads her wings Of snow,
And piles the canvass, cleaning white,
On spars aloft, allow.
On, on she heetly rushes,
Her wake, track Of foam.
Outstreatching far, attests the speed
With which she flies for home.
Home home. ali what Joy full word
For every seamans ear,
But, ah vain word vain werd 10 some
OF that briggs crew fear.
Stern sounds of import, dark and dread.
They're not the thrilling battle cheers
Or shriekings ofthe wreck,
They're not the friendly trumpet's hail
Far DER the waters cast
Nor boom Of cannon belching forth
The fierce and deadly blast.
They're not the orders, loud and hoarse,
High rising DER the gale,
"Clew up clew down lay out and Pass
The gssksts round the sail :"
They're sounds Of anguish and despair
Low, mournful dread and drear,
Signs, pray ers, and inward curses
The mutterings offesr.
They're sounds that ne'er were heard before
Among Ysnhee crew;
That ne'sr before disgraced ship
Ger which our bright flag Jew.
The grating's rigged-the hangman's whip
bangles from main yard arm,
The wond'ring crew gaze on the sight
With terror AMI alarm.
In doubt and fear they whisper low,
Scarcely above their breath,
"What mean these novel sights and signs,
These signs of crime and death7"
Alas! the meanings soon too clear;
The moose is round the neck
Ofthree poor men, but men as brave
As walk the Somers' deck.
But what's the cause, and what's the crime,
That thus, in manhood's bloom,
And without form OF law, three men,
To such death, can doonf
Alas! suspicion, hate. and fear,
And vanity, are rife;
And poor pride, that will not count
The worth OF human life.
A lubber's heard wild boys yarn,
That makes his cheek grow pale,
And strsightwsy 10 the quarter deck,
He tells the wond'reus tale.
IT'S taken up, and for this cause
These men are doomed to die;
A tale, which most men would have called,
A weak and silly lie.
On one side, Small and Cromwell stand,
Bold men and sailors true,
They quail not, though the boldest might,
With such death in view.
The meanest Yankee tar that lives,
Will dare the ghastly foe,
Where bullets fly; where cutlass, pike,
Gives hercely. blow for blow.
Amid the flashing lannon's roar,
When hand to hand we board,
But, ali Ills different far to face
The hangmens cruel cord.
stsrboard, young, foolish Spencer stands;
The tears are in his eye;
What feelings Of deep agony
Must through his bosom ny
Hethinks Of home, his father, friends,
His mothers fend cares;
He thinks Of all the hopes end fears
That promised life to bless.
He thinks, too, Of his comrades bold
Doomedby his idle tales,
And their dread fate more than his own
He bitterly bewsils.
The whips are manned with pistol raised
The first Luf bravely stands
To guard that on the murd'rous ropes
Are laid unwilling hands.
Now, doomed men, look your last on life
Look on the gathered crew
Look on the bounding joyous brigj
Look DER the waters blue.