Lyr Req: Truxtun's Victory / Truxton's Victory

Subject: Lyr Req: Truxson's Victory
From: voyager
Date: 26 Feb 03 - 06:31 PM

My KnotTyers Club is doing a series of rigging workshops aboard
the USS Constellation. In tribute to Jonathan Eberhart I'd like to
know the lyrics to this Boarding Party tune. Thanks.

voyager
FSGW Ghetto

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Truxton's Victory
From: voyager
Date: 26 Feb 03 - 06:39 PM

Truxtun's Victory

Subject: Lyr Add: TRUXTUN'S VICTORY
From: Padre
Date: 27 Feb 03 - 12:01 AM

TRUXTUN'S VICTORY

Come all you Yankee sailors, With swords and pikes advance
'Tis time to try your courage and humble haughty France
The sons of France our seas invade, Destroy our commerce and our trade
'Tis time the reckoning should be paid to brave Yankee boys

On board the Constellation from Baltimore we came
We had a bold commander and Truxtun was his name
Our ship she mounted forty guns, and on the main so swiftly runs
To prove to France Columbia's sons are brave Yankee boys

We sailed to the West Indies in order to annoy
The invaders of our commerce, to burn, sink and destroy
Our Constellation shone so bright, those Frenchman could not stand the sight
And away they scampered in a fright, from brave Yankee boys

'Twas on the 9th of February at Montserrat we lay
And there we spied l'Insurgente just at the break of day
We raised the orange and the blue, to see if they our signal knew
The Constellation and its crew of brave Yankee boys

Then all hands were called to quarters while we pursued the chase
With well primed guns, our tompions out and well spliced the main-brace
Then soon to France we did draw nigh, compelled to fight they were or fly
These words were passed: "conquer or die, My brave Yankee boys"

Then loud our cannon thundered with peals tremendous roar
And death that on our bullets wings did drench their decks with gore
The blood did from their scuppers run, their chief exclaimed, 'we are undone'
Their flag they struck, the battle was won by brave Yankee boys

Then to St. Kitts we steered and brought her safe in port
The grand salute was fired and answered from the fort
And now a round the flowing bowl, with hearty glee each jovial soul
Drink as you fought, without control, my brave Yankee boys

Now here's a health to Truxtun, who did not fear the sight,
And all those Yankee sailors who for their country fight
John Adams in full bumpers toast, George Washington, Columbia's boast
And here's to the girls that we love most, my brave Yankee boys.

This was recorded on our first Folk Legacy album, 'Tis Our Sailing Time (now re-released on CD)

Tom McHenry+

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Truxtun's Victory
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Feb 03 - 11:36 AM

Thanks a lot for the lyrics, Tom. I wondered what printed sources the song might appear in, but perhaps there are none. The notes in the CD booklet for Tis Our Sailing Time are excellent - and they may be the only information anybody can find about the song.

Here's the entry for this song:

The U.S. frigate Constellation was launched near Fell's Point in Baltimore on Sept. 7, 1797, one of the first three ships in the new American Navy. Thereafter, she served through five wars and was continuously on the Navy's lists for an astounding 158 years. In 1854, she had been modified into a sloop-of-war, and enough of her timber has since been replaced through repair and restoration that some quibble about whether the Constellation is really there. But still moored in Baltimote Harbor, square-rigged and black-hulled, Constellation carries on her tradition with all the charisma of America's oldest warship still afloat. And when added to the feeling of being in our own home waters, singing this song — nearly as old as the ship herself — from her actual foredeck is quite an experience. It was written in March of 1799, only days after the news was received, during the nation-wide orgy of self-congratulation triggered by the American Navy — and Constellation's triumphant first victory at sea. Its hero was Capt. Thomas Truxtun, a former privateer and crack skipper who had been sent to the Caribbean three months before to deal with the French ships that were molesting American commerce during the strange, undeclared "quasi-war" with France.
The revolutionary council governing France at the time had been waging a war of survival with Great Britain, and American merchantmen, trying to stay out of the middle, were finding themselves attacked by both sides. The United States had signed a temporary treaty with Britain, but that merely made the French angrier. By the beginning of 1799, Truxtun and the Constellation were on their way to the West Indies. The first few weeks were relatively uneventful. At noon on Saturday, Feb. 9, however, a sail was sighted a few leagues north of the island of Montserrat. Truxtun raised signal flags which should have produced certain others in response from a British man-of-war, but got an incorrect reply; next he signaled for an American warship, and got no response at all. Heading toward the mystery vessel, he was watching as she replaced her American ensign with the French tricolor, and the chase was on. By 3:00, Constellation, later referred to as "The Yankee Racehorse," had neatly closed a gap of perhaps fifteen miles. It was a one-sided battle. With the "enemy's" guns aimed high (in an effort to damage rigging but not hull), the American was able to sail up one side and start down the other, firing full broadsides all the way, until the French commander finally struck his colors and surrendered with heavy casualties. Constellation's only fatality was a seaman who had been struck down by his own officer for running from his post.
The victory became even more notable when the loser turned out to be l'Insurgente, a frigate reputed to the fastest in the French navy and which had outrun every British ship that had chased her. Further embellishing the incident that would so arouse the American public was the fact that l'Insurgente had formerly been commanded by Joshua Barney, who had gone to France after quitting the American Navy in a seniority dispute. And as a final touch, Truxtun was able to bring his prize intact to his Caribbean rendezvous port of St. Kitts, as a trophy of the triumph.
By early March, the word had reached the American mainland, triggering festivities on every hand. In Boston, a day of celebration was declared, salutes were fired from shore batteries and the harbor, and "brave Truxtun cock'd and round hats" were sold in the shops. At the Federal Street Theatre, the audience was regaled with "a new patriotic song by Mrs. Rowson" and called "Truxtun's Victory". We found out about it 182 years later, when a friend, Dolores Nichols, called Jonathan (Eberhart) and mentioned it just 10 days before we were to give a concert from Constellation's foredeck. She had only the words, so Jonathan, who sings them here, wrote a tune, seeking to combine the style of the British ballads that were often adapted for compositions of the day with the martial spirit of the event.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Truxton's Victory
From: GUEST, Dale
Date: 27 Feb 03 - 12:20 PM

For what it's worth ~~ at least four destroyers have been named for Truxtun, the third was DD-229. "The third Truxtun (DD-229) was laid down on 3 December 1919 at Philadelphia, Pa., by William Cramp & Sons; launched on 28 September 1920; sponsored by Miss Issueless Truxtun Brambly; and commissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 16 February 1921, Lt. Comdr. Melville S. Brown in command."

Earlier this month, I posted the lyrics to Loss of the Truxtun and Pollux. That particular ship was lost on February 18, 1942, when it ran aground in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland. "Truxtun ran aground on Ferry land Point. She broke up almost immediately after grounding and in spite of the heroic efforts of the local populace, lost 110 members of her crew to the elements. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 25 March 1942."

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Truxton's Victory
From: georgeward
Date: 27 Feb 03 - 10:21 PM

Joe, my source for the song was Luce, Stephen Beecker (Rear Admiral),
'Naval Songs: A Collection of Orignal, Selected and Traditional Sea Songs' 1905 ed., New York, W.A.Pond. Also reprinted by Longwood Press Inc., Portland ME, 1976.

Luce - a wardroom poet/songmaker himself - oversaw the training of cadets in the later 19th century. In the interest of inspiring them with USN tradition, he collected quite a number of songs. Very interesting book, and very hard to find.

Luce gives a tune (he does tunes). All I can say is that it feels "in period" to me. The song is on my 'All Our brave Tars' album. I do it solo, and I've always felt a little guilty about it. Surely, that tune was made with a choral group in mind!

                                       -George

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Truxton's Victory
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Feb 03 - 10:32 PM

Thanks, George - I have your CD, and I'll have to take a listen to both versions of the song. I also like your CD, Oh! That Low Bridge! Songs of the Erie Canal.

Are there any other Boarding Party CD's?

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Truxton's Victory
From: Charley Noble
Date: 27 Feb 03 - 11:01 PM

There are two currently available on cassette on Folk Legacy, with the 2nd close to being re-released on CD. There is a 3rd master recording which some day will be released by Folk Legacy; many of us have been waiting for years for that release.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Truxtun's Victory
From: GUEST,JimP
Date: 11 Sep 08 - 11:20 PM

Thanks, Joe, for transcribing the notes from the Boarding Party's CD. I became interested in this song after seeing it on-line in "Naval Songs: A Collection of Original, Selected and Traditional Sea Songs," 1883, no author given. Its on Google Books, and is a treasure trove of shanties and songs from a period where they would have been much more current than later compilations.

Anyway, in "Naval Songs," this ballad is given as "The Constellation and the Insurgente," with another (greatly inferior, IMHO) song entirely appearing as "Truxtun's Victory." The tune is also given, which does not correspond with the one used by The Boarding Party -- a fact which puzzled me until I found this thread. The tune given in "Naval Songs," to my ear, sounds vaguely like The Watersons' "Warlike Seamen," which is how I'll probably end up doing it.