Constitution
January 2nd, 2009 From
>Date: Thu, 24 Jul 1997 18:27:17 -0500
>From: Brooks A Rowlett
>Reply-To: brooksar@indy.net
>Organization: nonexistent
>X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.01Gold (Macintosh; I; PPC)
>To: Tom Robison
>CC: Mahan Naval History Mailing List
>Subject: Re: Constitution
>Precendence: bulk
>Sender: mahan-owner@microworks.net
>
>The Poem “Old Ironsides” is available on the internet, linked from the
>Navy’s USS COnstitution fact sheet.
>
>For general information, see:
>http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/factfile/ships/oldiron.html
>
>or
>
>http://www.ussconstitutionmuseum.org/
>
>For the Constitution’s official home page, see:
>
>http://www.ncts.navy.mil/homepages/constitution/
>
>which has a two step link to the poem, (“history”, then “Old
>Ironsides”), or go directly to the poem, at:
>
>http://www.ncts.navy.mil/homepages/constitution/poem.htm
>
>In addition, for a fun site, see
>
>http://www.oldironsides.com/
>
>now, in recognition that not everyone who has email has www
>access, here is the text of poem and other material, from the link
>above:
>
>
>
>
> Aye, tear her tattered ensign down!
> Long has it waved on high,
> And many an eye has danced to see
> That banner in the sky;
> Beneath it rung the battle shout,
> And burst the cannon’s roar;-
> The meteor of the ocean air
> Shall sweep the clouds no more!
>
> Her decks, once red with heroes’ blood,
> Where knelt the vanquished foe,
> When winds were hurrying o’er the flood,
> And waves were white below,
> No more shall feel the victor’s tread
> Or know the conquored knee;-
> The harpies of the shore shall pluck
> The eagle of the sea!
>
> Oh, better that her shattered hulk
> Should sink beneath the wave;
> Her thunders shook the mighty deep,
> And there should be her grave;
> Nail to the mast her holy flag,
> Set every threadbare sail,
> And give her to the god of storms,
> The lightning and the gale!
>
> Oliver Wendell Holmes, 1830
>
>Somewhere which I couldn’t find was another Navy site which had
>the additional text whihc originally accompanied the poem. This
>explained that the decision had been made to scrap the vessel and that
>the poem was an appeal for retention.
>
>-Brooks A Rowlett
>brooksar@indy.net