they found james ambrose dead in his cell
a gaping gash in his arm had drained him down to hell
no one knew for sure in ambrose was his name
they called him yankee sullivan in early days of fame
he'd known the game of fisticuffs had always treated him right
but no one knew the men who came and took his life that night
he'd spent some time in botany bay atoning for his sins
he fought a bout with hammer lane and took a tainted win
he was the hero of the bowery
a prince of lawless times
then was battered by the butcherman" in 1849