Here's my reconstruction of the Levy text. I've indicated the more dubious words by query marks, though I wouldn't lay money on the absolute accuracy of the rest, either.


THE MONITOR AND MERRIMACK
Air--Landlady of France

Way down at Fort Monroe
The Rebels struck a blow
Which made a great commotion through the land we know :
Bet they wish they'd stayed at home
And let the Yankee boys alone--
?Bet they've got enough of Yankee Doodle Dandy, oh.

Their ?iron Merrimack
With others at her back,
Commanded by Buchanan, the old granny, oh,
From Norfolk started out,
And tried to put to rout
And capture little Yankee Doodle Dandy, oh.

The noble little band
On board the Cumberland,
All ?disabled, was asked to surrender, oh
"You may sink me, if you like
But my flag I will not strike,"
Says brave Morris, "in the last, we will defend her, oh."

The Congress ?soon went down
The Minnesota fast aground
Which made our Yankee sailors feel abandoned, oh
But see, with breathy cheers,
The Monitor appears,
While the music struck up Yankee Doodle Dandy, oh.

The rebel shot flew hot,
But the Yankee answered not.
Till they got within a distance they called handy, oh--
"Now," says Worden to his crew,
"Boys, let's see what you can do--
If you take this iron rebel you're the dandy, oh."

Then the little Monitor
Her iron ball did pour,
Which made the Merrimack squeal like a ?gandee, oh--
Then the rebels shook their heads,
And to one another said,
"Lord, they've got an iron Yankee Doodle Dandy, oh."

Says the rebels, "We're undone,
Boys, I guess we'd better run,
For the bottom of the river is quite sandy, oh--
We're sinking fast, I swear,
So for Norfolk we will steer,
And DAMN that iron Yankee Doodle Dandy, oh."

Raise your voices, every one--
Give three cheers for Ericsson,
Who gave us such a vessel, neat and handy, oh--
And now we'll give three more
For the gallant Monitor,
And three we'll give for Yankee Doodle Dandy, oh.

And now the Merrimack
Has been blown to ?[Helly Heck],
We'll give three ?rousing cheers, so neat and hardy, oh.
Next John Bull will get his fill--
For let the world say what they will,
The Yankee Boys for fighting are the dandy, oh.