The raven‘s scream，or eagle’s flight，Or shepherd‘s pensive lay，Alone awakes each sullen heightThat frowned o’er that dread fray.
Sons of the Dark and Bloody Ground，Ye must not slumber there，Where stranger steps and tongues resound Along the heedless air.
Your own proud land‘s heroic soil
Shall be your fitter grave；
She claims from war his richest spoil
The ashes of her brave.
Thus ’neath their parent turf they rest，Far from the gory field，Borne to a Spartan mother‘s breast On many a bloody shield；The sunshine of their native sky Smiles sadly on them here，And kindred eyes and hearts watch by The heroes’sepulchre.
Rest on，embalmed and sainted dead！Dear as the blood ye gave，No impious footstep here shall tread The herbage of your grave；Nor shall your glory be forgot While Fame her record keeps，Or Honor points the hallowed spot Where Valor proudly sleeps.
Yon marble minstrel‘s voiceless stone In deathless song shall tell，When many a vanished age hath flownThe story how ye fell；
Nor wreck，nor change，nor winter’s blight，Nor Time‘s remorseless doom，Shall dim one ray of glory’s light That gilds your deathless tomb.
21.The Navy Department.A second branch of the national defense is the navy.A nation which，like the United States，has a long seacoast and many seaports，would in time of war be in danger of attack by armed ships.To be sure，forts are built on the shore for the purpose of defense against such attacks.But it has been found that forts alone are not enough.Armed ships are best met by other armed ships.Besides，if American citizens should be maltreated in some foreign country，or if American ships should be in danger in distant seas，it would be necessary to send ships of war to their defense.
THE U.S.CRUISER NEW YORK
The new navy is very different from the old wooden sailing ships which fought the war of 1812.Naval vessels now are propelled by steam，are built of steel，heavily armored so as not easily to be pierced by shot，and are provided with guns of tremendous power.
22.It was just such troubles which led to the beginning of our navy.A hundred years ago the people who lived on the south shore of the Mediterranean Sea were pirates.They sailed from the harbors of Tripoli and Tunis and Algiers，and captured the merchant ships of any nation.These ships，with their cargoes，were kept by the pirates，and the unfortunate crews were made slaves.Many nations paid large sums of money to the rulers of these savage countries in order to save their ships and sailors from such a fate.In 1794our government thought that it would not be possible for the United States to make a suitable arrangement of this kind，and so it was decided to build ships of war so as to be able to compel the pirates to let our merchant ships alone.
23.Before the ships were ready，however，arrangements were made by which we paid a great amount of money to the pirates，and they agreed not to capture American ships.But in a few years the Tripolitans broke the agreement，and again attacked our peaceful vessels.Then our government sent the new ships of war to the Mediterranean with orders to compel the Tripolitans to keep the peace.The American vessels were manned by as gallant a body of mariners as ever sailed theseas，and they soon made things very uncomfortable for the Tripolitans.Tripolitan warships were captured，the city of Tripoli was blockaded so that no ships could go out or in，and it was bombarded repeatedly.When the ruler of Tripoli found that his palace was likely to be battered down about his ears，and that on the water the navy of the new republic was more than a match for him，he gave up the fight and promised to respect American vessels thereafter.This was in 1805.
24.In 1812came the second war with England.That nation had a thousand vessels of war in her navy，while the United States had only sixteen.But the American ships were well sailed and well fought，and in a number of battles with English ships our navy was victorious.
25.The most famous of the American vessels was the staunch frigate Constitution.Only a few days after the war began the Constitution sailed from port on a cruise，and met the British frigate Guerriere （August 19，1812）.The two vessels fought desperately for two hours.At the end of that time the British ship lay on the water a dismasted and shattered wreck，and her flag was hauled down in token of surrender.This brilliant victory was followed in rapid succession by others.The“DON‘T GIVE UP THE SHIP”
U.S.FRIGATE CONSTITUTION （OLD IRONSIDES）This famons old ship of the navy was launched in 1797，and by its many brilliant exploits became the darling of the American people.The Constitution was engaged in the war with Tripoli and in the war of 1812.Its venerable hulk is now used as a receiving ship at the Portsmouth （New Hampshire）navy yard.
British had seemed invincible on the ocean.But the American tars proved quite equal to their haughty foe，and the little navy of the young republic at once sprang into popular favor.As vessel after vessel returned to port with a captured ship or the flag of one which had been sent to the bottom，the enthusiasm of the people knew no bounds.
26.In only one battle with a ship of equal force was an American vessel captured.This was the frigate Chesapeake，which became a prize to the British frigate Shannon.Captain Lawrence，of the Chesapeake，was so eager to meet his enemy that he hurried from Boston with a new crew unaccustomed to their duty and with his equipments far from complete.In a desperate action of only fifteen minutes both ships were filled with the slain and maimed.Captain Lawrence was fatally wounded，and as he was carried below he exclaimed，“Don’t give up the ship.”But the British boarders swept the bloodstained decks of the Chesapeake，and the flag was hauled down by a British officer （June 1，1813）.
PERRY AT THE BATTLE OF LAKE ERIE