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230 The National Music of America.
night. He produced some patriotic lines, and asked my opinion of them; 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 (Mr. R. Harford, Decatur St.), and I there wrote the two first verses in pencil, and at Miss Harford's piano I composed the melody. On reaching my home, I added the third verse, wrote the symphonies and arrangements, made a fair copy in ink and gave it to Mr. Shaw, requesting him not to give or sell a copy. A few weeks afterward I left for New Orleans, and was much surprised to see a published copy, entitled ' Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean, written, cojnposed, and sung by David T. Shaw, and arranged by T. a Becket, Esq.' On my return to Philadelphia I waited on 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, making some severe remarks upon Shaw's conduct in the affair. I then made an arrangement with Mr. T. Osborn, of Third St. above Walnut, to publish the song in partnership; and within a week it appeared under its proper title, viz., » Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean, written and composed by T. a Becket, and sung by D. T. Shaw.' Mr. E. L. Davenport, the eminent actor, sung the song nightly in London for some weeks; it became very popular and was published (without authority) by T. Williams, Cheapside, under the title ' Brittannia, the |
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