Henry Newbolt, an English lawyer and poet, was born in Bilston,
England, June 6, 1862. His best work is to be found in the volume
entitled “Admirals All.”
=Craven= (Tunis Augustus Macdonough), the “Sidney of the American navy,”
was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in January, 1813. He entered the
navy at sixteen, and was a commander at the opening of the Civil War. As
captain of the monitor _Tecumseh_, which had been given the post of
honor, and was leading the fleet, he met his death in Mobile Bay, August
5, 1864.
=Stanza 8.= =Sidney= (Sir Philip, poet, soldier, and statesman. 1554-1586.)
The reference is to the well-known story of Sidney’s refusing a cup of
water, when lying mortally wounded on the battle-field of Zutphen, in
order to give it to a wounded soldier.
=Nelson.= See “Fight of the _Armstrong_ Privateer.” The reference here is
to the battle of the Nile, where Nelson was severely wounded.
=Lucas=, a young English captain, who was captured and imprisoned by an
Indian despot (Hyder Ali,) during the campaign of 1780. To relieve
Captain Baird, a severely wounded comrade, he assumed two sets of
chains, so that the wounded man might be left free.
=Outram.= (Sir James, 1803-1863.) The reference is to his action at
Cawnpore, in 1857, when, though superior in command, in admiration for
the brilliant deeds of General Havelock, he conceded to that soldier the
glory of relieving Lucknow, waiving his own rank, and tendering his
services as a volunteer.