The American Ram

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Title

The American Ram

Subject

Welles, Gideon, 1802-1878
Frary, R. S.
Sheet music
Armored vessels
American Civil War (1861-1865)
Mississippi River

Description

In 1862, the U.S. Navy established a flotilla of steam powered rams to operate against Confederate vessels on the Mississippi River. Rams were designed with a heavily reinforced hull to ram enemy ships.

This song was written in honor of U.S. Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles. Cover depicts man (Uncle Sam?) riding an ironclad ram on the Mississippi River and includes the following lines:

"Thus we ramble along thro' cycles of time,
Find History's rampage is rather sublime,
But the Ram of all Rams is the Ram of our day,
Which is shaking the world with a rampart dismay!
Iron harnessed, steam driven, it sweeps o'er the sea, Our American Rampart, the shield of the free!"

Creator

Frary, R. S.

Publisher

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

Date

1863

Contributor

Henry Tolman & Company

Format

pdf

Language

en

Identifier

300959
17151888

Coverage

Boston

Transcription

To Hon. Gideon Welles. Secretary of the Navy. The American Ram Composed by R.S. Frary.

"Thus we ramble along thro' the cycles of time, Find History's rampage is rather sublime, But the Ram of All Rams is the Ram of our day, Which is shaking the world with a rampant dismay! Iron-harnessed, steam driven, it sweeps o'er the sea, Our American Rampart, the shield of the free!"

BOSTON. Published by Henry Talman & Co. 291 Washington St.

Entered according to Act of Congress AD 1863 by H. Talman & Co. in the Clerk's Office of the Dis' Court of Mass.


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The American Ram. R.S. Frary

Allegro scherzando. Piano

1. Who indeed would have thought, that it ever should chance That dogmatical England, and

2. There have always been rams! Father Adam we know Found some rams in his garden a

3. Then it seems there were rams that were tied up in stalls Driven out to do battle, by


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complaisant France, Who have always known everything under the sun; Who have

long time ago. In the raising of rams, Abel took much delight And a

battling down walls. Alexander, Marcellus, and Scylla we find, Had a


always thought first whatever we've done; Who have scarce deigned our eagle the

Ram was concerned in the very first fight And the first Ram afloat we may

great many Rams of this desperate kind, And when Titus encamped 'mid Jerusalem's


slightest salaam, Should fall flat to adore an American Ram?

further remark, Was the Ram which old Noah took into the Ark!

palms, It is said that the Hebrews saw nothing but Rams!


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4. After these there came rams not inclining to fights, Rams resembling good Joshua's

5. Thus, we ramble along through the cycles of time, Find history's rampage is


Gideonites, Which were "drawers of water" Hydraulic Rams Quite domestic

rather sublime! But the Ram of all Rams is the Ram of our day, Which is


commonly found with their dams! May such Rams still continue to

shaking the world with a rampant dismay! Iron harness'd steam driven it


thrive and increase With the limitless Ramifications of peace.

sweeps o'er the sea Our American Rampart, the shield for the free!

Status

Complete

Percent Completed

100

Weight

20

Original Format

4
35 cm

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