A new song, composed by James Campbell, a boatswain's mate on board the Constitution

According to the title and the last verse, this text was written by James Campbell, a boatswain’s mate on Constitution. A boatswain’s mate is a top-deck hand responsible for keeping the deck clean and taking care of the boats. He does not go aloft. As Commander Martin has indicated, James Campbell was present on Constitution during the fight with Guerriere (see Hull’s Victory). His song is in common ballad style and is written in the format of the Decatur’s Victory group of songs. He addresses his audience directly in the second line of verse 1, “I’ll tell you of a bloody fight before that it be long,” and in the final verse:

Now to conclude my boys, and finish with my song,
I was a boatswains-mate, unto said ship I do belong,
I wrote these lines to let you know how yankees they can fight,
When their officers give command, and men of courage bright.

The form of the lyric and certain turns of phrase, such as “firm united let us be,” and “for the rights of America,” suggest that the author was also familiar with older patriotic songs. Campbell is credited with two other texts in the Thomas collection, Glorious Naval Victory and Written and Corrected by James Campbell.