SONG of great merit, though infrequently used compared with patriotic songs of a later date, is "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean." In Mr. S. J. Adair Fitz-Gerald's "Stories of Famous Songs," we are told that it was written by Timothy Dwight, an ancestor of the famous president of Yale University. How the author of so excellent a book should drift so far from facts in writing the story of the song, is inexplicable. In a book published many years ago, entitled "Airs of Many Lands," by John Philip Sousa, the authorship of the song is given to David T. Shaw. Mr. Sousa also adds that the music is an old English air, and the original words began, "Britannia, the Pride of the Ocean," and that in 1852 an American version was printed, beginning, "Columbia, the Land of the Brave." It is remarked by

musical critics that there can be no question as to the English origin of the song, for it could not possibly, they argue, have been written for America. “An island,” says the doughty Bookbuyer, "might be called 'the gem of the ocean,' but the poorest poet that ever wrote would not thus designate a continent."

The authorship of the song has been in dispute for a long time, and in many of the music books the credit of writing it is given to Mr. Shaw. But a little over twenty years ago Rear-Admiral Preble, who was then preparing the first edition of "The Flag of the United States," received a letter from Mr. Thomas à Becket, which showed that the name and idea of "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean," originated with David T. Shaw, but that the words and music, as printed and sung, were written and composed by Mr. à Becket. As the song is entitled to a permanent place among our great national hymns, it is worthy of having its history correctly written. The letter from Mr. à Becket was dated at Philadelphia, December 16, 1876, and the incidents that led up to the making of "Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean,” are as follows:

"In the fall of 1843, being then engaged as an actor at the Chestnut Street Theater in this city,

I was waited upon by Mr. D. T. Shaw with the request that I would write him a song for his benefit night. He produced some patriotic lines, but I found them ungrammatical, and so deficient in measure as to be totally unfit to be adapted to music. We adjourned to the house of a friend, and I there wrote the two first verses in pencil, and composed the melody on the piano. On reaching home, I added the third verse, wrote the symphonies and arrangements, made a fair copy, and gave it to Mr. Shaw, requesting him not to sell or give a copy. A few weeks later I left for New Orleans, and was much surprised to see a published copy, entitled 'Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean,' written, composed and sung by David T. Shaw, and arranged by T. à Becket, Esq. On my return to Philadelphia, I waited upon Mr. Willig, the publisher, who told me that he had purchased the song from Mr. Shaw. I produced the original copy in pencil, and claimed the copyright, which Mr. Willig admitted. I then made arrangements with Mr. T. Osborn to publish the song in partnership; and within a week it appeared under its proper title, 'Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean,' written and composed by T. à Becket, and sung by D. T. Shaw. Mr. E. L. Davenport, the eminent actor, sang the song nightly in London for

some weeks; it became very popular, and was published without authority there under the title of 'Britannia, the Gem,' etc. I visited London in 1847, and found the song claimed as an English composition. (Perhaps it is, I being an Englishman by birth.) During my absence from America, the land of my adoption, Osborn failed in business, and the plates of the song were sold to Mr. Benteen, of Baltimore. Thus it went out of my possession, much to my regret and loss.”

The following is the song complete:

O Columbia, the gem of the ocean,
The home of the brave and the free;
The shrine of each patriot's devotion
A world offers homage to thee.
Thy mandates make heroes assemble
When liberty's form stands in view,
Thy banners make tyranny tremble
When borne by the red, white, and blue.
When borne by the red, white, and blue,
When borne by the red, white, and blue,

Thy banners make tyranny tremble
When borne by the red, white, and blue.

When war winged its wide desolation,
And threaten'd the land to deform,
The ark then of freedom's foundation,
Columbia rode safe through the storm;
With her garlands of victʼry around her,

When so proudly she bore her brave crew,

With her flag proudly floating before her,
The boast of the red, white, and blue.
The boast of the red, white, and blue,
The boast of the red, white, and blue,

With her flag proudly floating before her,

The boast of the red, white, and blue.

The wine cup, the wine cup, bring hither,
And fill you it true to the brim,

May the wreaths they have won never wither,
Nor the star of their glory grow dim.

May the service united ne'er sever,

But they to their colors prove true,

The army and navy forever,

Three cheers for the red, white, and blue.
Three cheers for the red, white, and blue,
Three cheers for the red, white, and blue,
The army and navy forever,

Three cheers for the red, white, and blue,