Maryland, My Maryland: What do these lyrics mean?

[danksmt]

I understand most of the lyrics to the athem "Maryland, My Maryland"
but some references allude me. Could anyone shed light on the meaning of
the following phrases?

Who was "Howard" and what was his "warlike thrust"?
"Watson's blood at Monterey" and "Ringold's (sp?) spirit for the
fray": Who were these people?
There is a reference to "The fearless Lowe" and "the dashing
May". I may have this wrong as it is a very old recording in
perilously bad condition but who were these people?
There is reference a "panoplied array" that I do not understand
either other than it probably means an army under a flag.

The complete lyrics were published in the 1910 ed. of Millers
Photographic History. I saw them decades ago but no longer have
access to this work. If anyone would take the time to email them
to me, I would appreciate their effort. It won't help to understand
the references though.
Has anyone any knowledge of a currently available recording where
this song is sung in its entirety rather than the few snippets
usually performed today?

Terry Danks
Halifax, Nova Scotia
CANADA

[Alexander Kamantauskas]

danksmt wrote:
>
> I understand most of the lyrics to the athem "Maryland, My Maryland"
> but some references allude me. Could anyone shed light on the meaning of
> the following phrases?
>
>
> Who was "Howard" and what was his "warlike thrust"?

I imagine that is a reference to John Eager Howard, revolutionary war
hero, governor (I think), and source for the name Howard County. The
"warlike thrust" was probably some Revolutionary war activity. Please
excuse my ambiguity, I don't have any research materials on hand, so this
is from (a possibly faulty) memory. Except for the Howard county bit.

[Steve Tokarcik]

Alexander Kamantauskas <sli...@clark.net> wrote:

John Eager Howard
From the foreword written by James I. Robertsn, Jr. to the book
Recollections of aMaryland Confederate Soldier 1861-1865 by McHenry
Howard

One of his earliest forebears was Sir John Howard (1430-1485),
the first Duke of Norfolk. John Howard of Manchester, fought beside
King james II during the Monmouth's 1685 invasion, John Howard then
emigrated to America and settled on a grant in the Baltimore area.
Marriage to Joanna O'Carroll of a prominent colonial Maryland
family produced a number of children. One of them was Cornelius
Howard, who married Ruth Eager.

From this union came the most distinguished of Howards. The
eldest son was John Eager Howard. He was one of the
authentic heroes of the American Revolution. Shortly after
hostilities began, he organized an infantry company
for the Maryland Battalion. Heroism marked his conduct at White
Plains, Germantown, Monmouth and Guilford. He was severely
wounded in the fighting at Eutaw Springs. In the important battle of
Cowpens, his superior reported, Col. Howard "seized the critical
moment and turned the frtunes of the day." He was one of
eleven officers awarded medals for extraordinary valor by the
Continental Congress. So outstanding were this soldier's
exploits that a verse in the Maryland state song calls on posterity
to "remember Howard's warlike thrust"

State Senator
Govvernor
U.S. Senator
etc. etc. etc.

Grandson - McHenry Howard - Confederate soldier (mother was Elizabeth
Phoebe Key, daughter of Francis Scott Key)

Steven J. Tokarcik Civil War Reenactor
(ste...@fred.net) Private Archer's Brigade ANV
(ste...@geis.geis.com) Marylanders know their Rights,
(ste...@is.ge.com) and will Maintain them!

url: http://www.fred.net/stevent/

[Steve Tokarcik]

[Pkarey]

In article <4ppcqc$h...@news.nstn.ca>, danksmt <dan...@fox.nstn.ca> writes: >Subject: Maryland, My Maryland: What do these lyrics mean? >Has anyone any knowledge of a currently available recording where >this song is sung in its entirety rather than the few snippets >usually performed today? Attached are the "official" lyrics. One local journalist wrote in connection with the most recent Preakness that most of those on television must wonder why the band plays a Christmas carol ("Oh Christmas Tree") while at the Kentucky Derby they play "My Old Kentucky Home". Seems no one really knows that it is also the tune of "Maryland, My Maryland". Cheers! State Government Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland Section 13-307. Song. (a) Adoption. - The poem "Maryland! My Maryland!", which James Ryder Randall composed in 1861, and the tune of "Lauriger Horatius" are the State song. (b) Words. The words of the State song are: I The despot's heel is on thy shore, Maryland! His torch is at thy temple door, Maryland! Avenge the patriotic gore That flecked the streets of Baltimore, And be the battle queen of yore, Maryland! My Maryland! II Hark to an exiled son's appeal, Maryland! My mother State! to thee I kneel, Maryland! For life and death, for woe and weal, Thy peerless chivalry reveal, And gird thy beauteous limbs with steel, Maryland! My Maryland! III Thou wilt not cower in the dust, Maryland! Thy beaming sword shall never rust, Maryland! Remember Carroll's sacred trust, Remember Howard's warlike thrust,- And all thy slumberers with the just, Maryland! My Maryland! IV Come! 'tis the red dawn of the day, Maryland! Come. with thy panoplied array, Maryland! With Ringgold's spirit for the fray, With Watson's blood at Monterey, With fearless Lowe and dashing May, Maryland! My Maryland! V Come! for thy shield is bright and strong, Maryland! Come! for thy dalliance does thee wrong, Maryland! Come to thine own heroic throng, Stalking with Liberty along, And chaunt thy dauntless slogan song, Maryland! My Maryland! VI Dear Mother! burst the tyrant's chain, Maryland! Virginia should not call in vain, Maryland! She meets her sisters on the plain- "Sic semper!" 'tis the proud refrain That baffles minions back again, Maryland! My Maryland! VII I see the blush upon thy cheek, Maryland! For thou wast ever bravely meek, Maryland! But lo! there surges forth a shriek From hill to hill, from creek to creek Potomac calls to Chesapeake, Maryland! My Maryland! VIII Thou wilt not yield the vandal toll, Maryland! Thou wilt not crook to his control, Maryland! Better the fire upon thee roll, Better the blade, the shot, the bowl, Than crucifixion of the soul, Maryland! My Maryland! IX I hear the distant thunder-hum, Maryland! The Old Line's bugle, fife, and drum, Maryland! She is not dead, nor deaf, nor dumb Huzza! she spurns the Northern scum! She breathes! she burns! she'll come! she'll come! Maryland! My Maryland! (An. Code 1957, art. 41, 79; 1984, ch. 284, 1.)