The Dead Men’s Song: being the Story of a Poem and a Reminiscent Sketch of its Author Young Ewing Allison, Together with a Browse Through Other Gems of His and Recollections of Older Days, by Champion Ingraham Hitchcock. Published 1914.
The story of the poem Derelict (”Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum!”) with appropriately gruesome woodcut illustrations. Includes the poem, a brief history of its author Young E. Allison, some clippings about a controversy about who wrote it, and facsimiles of sheet music written for (part of) the poem (originally published in 1891). All in all a rather weird, goofy, and charming project. Be sure to check out the “Pocket” too!
The fabulous David Newman transcribed the music to A Piratical Ballad, and produced a pdf, Finale .mus file, and a midi file.