New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-03
A PRIZE COMPETITION.

Macedonian. the Constitution over the Java. the
Hornet the Peacock and Commodore fer's :
fleet over the British Lake Erie Nithih !"
year from the declaration Of war there were al
ready so many songs and ballads current that n
printer in this city. Edward Gillespie by name
who was plainly OF literary turn OF nina. gain
cred "A number OF them together in neat pamphlet
form and published them under the following title;
COLUMBIAN NAVAL soNGsTER
Being "A Collection OF Original
SONGS. ODES. ETC.
FIVE Gi;EAT NAVAL VICTORIES
obtained 10y $3.50
HULL JONES. DEcXTrI. chAINBRIpGE AND
over the British ships
Guerrierc. Frolic Macedonian, Java and Peacock
COMPLIED and arranged by
EDWARD GILLESPIE.
Printed and Published by Edward GilIespy 10 q
Wliam-Stroet. nearly opposite the Post once
1919
The seriousness Of his aim is disclosed In a
preface in which among other things Mr.. Giles
pie says:
The achievements OF ancient heroes ow" their
transmission 10 posterly NOR" 10 IN" c.icnrAtloh
Of the Poet than 70 the pen u the Historian
when a!l-destroyng Zine had annn,'H n ,h' r!'r
durable records of antiquity, me focts anu i,nt
handed down In glowing col9rs thI mos
medium Of tradition. glorious actions which would
otherwise remain hidden III the DARK r''oSs' i, ="
numbers Of Poetry been retained and transmitted
with wonderful precision without the u.s. w i ,,''
from one generation To- another Feeling an aI"cIi'
and atrioc desire that mono - he elegant pDeti'
coulcstions on the i've glorious naval Nc'"il'S
obtained by American Nalor over portion "t Wv
Toasted navy o. Great Britain. hitherto considered
inyinclblc the following collection was coih'h''u
from tho first that appeared aft"- the destruction
~ ,be GusrriArc. nrcsoryng none but such IS pos
sess,d real merit either IN the beauty "i IN" '"In
position or the pure patriotic sentiments "h''h
they express.
The book was promptly copied IN Boston. whore
with II few changes IL was published. also IN NIB
hv a printer named Hans Land. under III" u''o
"The Columbian Naval Melody; a COLLECTION o'
Songs and Odos COMPOSED on the Late Naval VIC
tories and other Occasions" Thanks 10 these col
lections and the many that succeeded iA'm inc
words OF nearly all the songs that hlcd TIE pubHc
mouth AZ the time had been preserved. but not go
their music The art Il musc-printing was pom
costly and Iaborious in the early decades 81 the
century. and IL would seem ar II Interest 10 me
songs had largely died oui before music DOCKS ''
,.,na cbcap II is doubtful n q would be- Iossib."
ot this day to recover all the settings III the l"iH
IN which they were sung TO give vent 10 c"ni"m-
pororv enthusiasm The tunes were mostly iaHi''-
lar and did not need To De printed with the "ordS
,r.ne mos, popular were Yankee Doodle and ihai
cited sometimes ne Adams and Liberty. bn'
oftener hy It's original or". TO An''r'"n J"
Heaven" which the people ~ this generation N"o"
A. The Siar-Spangled Banner 'onslH'iNni' w.
made 81 H1Ni. rflN 'iN iF'+''''
which were better known then than They are n""
cd ,be.e 81 course can Dc found iu old coil"r-
,iou. in connection with thel: original words "r
raroles Of them But even here 80 wound ~ in'"'Iy
hc necessary Il The attempt wer" % D" maze
70 restore the ola body u patriotic song To rear
rang, the music az has been done 10 the cas-" %
the interesting example presented ln the Illustrated
supplement TO The Tribune to-day
No victory was so often celebrated ia song as Nc
o-s, Of the series iu the WAY. that between i'e
United states irisate Constitution and H. NJ 'rf-
ate Guerrero which took place on August IT, -
l.ss than Two weeks after The Congress h"d de-
clarcd war against Great Britain. Tie engagement
was fought IN ,utulc f22 north. longitude 1888
,yes, which spot is close 90 the present lin" 81
travel between %cw-York and Liverpool a liitle
more than a days voyage from Boston. The con
s,itl,lou rated "a fortv-four Wa commanded hy
Cap,ain Isaac Hun q native 81 Derby, Conn. VII"
les buried IN Philadelphia The Guerrero was
rated u thrty-cight but shc cnrr"d fory-n.n" car
rlarc guns and had rated a friy-f'ur In the
French Navy from which she had boon captured
f. ,sG She was commanded los Captain bhctc~.
cioso action b,gan ~ Gp5 O'Clock .. m. NJ els III"
rrizz.n OF the Gucrritre wen; by the board at SO
the Cuerrisrc i.U on hoard the Constitution. her
bowsIrii foul 81 the mizzcn rigging Tn" '"ns'-
tuition prepared to board but Immediately IN" en-
4rnv's for. and main masts went by the board \,
the frueffltTT lN'u ~ l'''i' az '''e'' ''
subrnIesion she was so shattered that Gle could
ma, he brought 10 port and So after her prisoners
and wounded had been removed. she was fired and
ll0Wn up The casualties were: Gucrrlefc-kilcd
T.. wounded "a ; Constitution Killed. I, wounded
: AS at Manila Bay II was American gunnery
that ala II.
our song was not the first written TO celebrate"
the victory but II s plain that after II was written
# became the most popular one on the subject II
does not appcar IN either OF the sOngst"rs ~ 1913
though the Now-york book opens with ballad de-
scrildng the battle. which was called THE Sow
ereienty Of the Ocean and was sung to the tune
81 '.Thc KNruddery Fox Chase which has thus
far oludcd The Tribunc's researches. II begins
quite srlrrinely. as follows:
by the trident Of Neptune" brave Hull cried
# noints 10 the track Of the bullying Gucrriarc.
Should meet her. brave boys Se"manS Rights
We apht 10 defend them to live free or die"
Later In the same book there Is n gong which does
not mention the names OF the frigatcs. but plainly
refers 10 the Constitution and GUERRERO as see the
second verse, which runs as follows:
Twas off the Grand Banks as out on a cruise.
a ship hove in sight and her BULLDOGS let loose;
They grumbled a challenge, seemed TO swear they
would fight go,
sing Rallvnamony orc
Their challenge we throw In their teeth
The notion that there was braeeadocio In the
conduct OF the commander II the Guerrierc. though
not borne out at all by the behavior and character
OF Captain Dacres. who became the firm friend OF
Captain Hull I'm later years. was a pet theme Of
the balladlsts Thus one song began:
Long the tyrant Of our coast
Reigncd the famous Guerriero;
our little Navy she dched.
Public ship and privateer.
On her sails IN letters red
TO our c9p, 9r we TsrG di'P a@ dead
AN who meet me. have care.
am Englands Cuerriere."
Even IN poem not intended to be sung but
written I'm imitation Of Campbers "IIohenlinden."
thus making atten pt al the elegance" which
the editor OF the first New-York book On which II
appears) go much admired there Is a concession 10
the swashbuckling ballad spirit In the speech put
into the mouth OF Columbia when Hull meets Dacrcs