THE BATTLE OF THE KEGS, A SONG.
TUNE - Moggy Lawder.

 

Gallants, attend, and hear a friend
Trill forth harmonious ditty;
Strange things I'll tell, which late, befell
In Philadelphia city.

 

T'was early day,
Just when the sun was rising,
A soldier stood on a log of wood,
And saw a sight surprising.

 

As in a maze he stood to gaze -
The truth can't be denied, sir -
He spied a score of kegs or more
Come floating down the tide, sir.

 

A sailor, too, in jerkin blue,
The strange appearance viewing,
First damn'd his eyes, in great surprise,
Then said, "Some mischief's brewing:

 

"These kegs now hold the rebels bold,
Pack'd up like pickled herring;
And they're come t'attack the town
In this new way of ferrying."

 

The soldier flew; the sailor too;
And scared almost to death, sir,
Wore out their shoes to spread the news,
And ran till out of breath, sir.

 

Now up and down, throughout the town,
Most frantic scenes were acted;
And some ran here, and some ran there,
Like men almost distracted.

 

Some fire cried, which some denied,
But said the earth had quaked.
And girls and boys, with hideous noise,
Ran through the town half-naked.

 

Sir William* he, snug as a flea,
Lay all this time a snoring;
Nor dreamt of harm, as he lay warm
In bed with Mrs. L-ng.**

 

Now in a fright he starts upright,
Awaked by such a clatter;
He rubs both eyes, and boldly cries,
"For God's sake, what's the matter?"

 

At his bed-side he then espied
Sir Erskine*** at command, sir;
Upon one foot he had one boot,
And t'other in his hand, sir.

 

"Arise! Arise!" Sir Erskine cries;
"The rebels - more's the pity -
Without a boat, are all on float,
And ranged before the city.

 

The motley crew, in vessels new,
With Satan for their guide, sir,
Pack'd up in bags or wooden kegs,
Come driving down the tide, sir:

 

Therefore prepare for bloody war;
These kegs must all be routed,
Or surely we despised shall be,
And British courage doubted.

 

The royal band now ready stand,
All arranged in dread array, sir,
With stomachs stout, to see it out,
And make a bloody day, sir.

 

The cannons roar from shore to shore,
The small arms make a rattle:
Since wars began, I'm sure no man
E'er saw so strange a battle.

 

The rebel vales, the rebel dales,
With rebel trees surrounded,
The distant woods, the hills and floods
With rebel echoes echoes sounded

 

The fish below swam to and fro,
Attack'd from every quarter;
"Why sure," thought they, "the devil's to pay
"'Mongst folks above the water."

The kegs, 'tis said, though strongly made
Of rebel staves and hoops, sir,
Could not oppose their pow'rful foes,
The conqu'ring British troops, sir.

 

From morn to night these men of might
Display'd amazing courage:
And when the sun was fairly down,
Retired to sup their porridge.

A hundred men, with each a pen,
Or more, upon my word, sir,
It is most true, would be too few
Their valor to record, sir.

 

Such feats did they perform that day,
Upon these wicked kegs, sir,
That years to come, if they get home,
They'll make their boasts and brags, sir.

 

In January, 1775, William Franklin, the governor of the colony of New Jersey, addressed the legislature, warning them not to sanction certain proceedings connected with the dispute existing between the mother country and the colonies, assuring them that all their grievances would be redressed on petition. Lieutenant-governor Colden, of New York, followed in the same path, and had great success with the New York Assembly; the majority of that body agreeing not to send delegates to the Congress that was to assemble in May of that year. This success was a triumph for the loyalists, and was the cause of great rejoicing. The following song of exultation appeared a short time after the event, in the Gazetteer, at New York, and has been attributed to Rivington, the editor of that paper; but without arty authority.

LOYAL YORK

AND so, my good master, I find 'tis no joke,
For York has stepp'd forward, and thrown off the yoke
Of Congress, committees, and even King Sears, 1
Who shows you good nature, by showing his ears.

I trembled lest York should have join'd the mad freak, And formèd a part of the damnable sneak;
The fever abated, see order arise,
With ag'd constitutional tears in her eyes.

Having summon'd her sons, who too wantonly stray'd,
And calling her fair sister Grace to her aid,
The youth she address'd, in such accents of love,
As coming from mothers, ought always to move.

Says she, "My dear children, ah! why should ye roam,
In quest of rude discord, and leave me at home?
Your godfather Monarchy, bleeds at the heart,
To think that his sons should from virtue depart.

"Consider how long we have cherish'd, protected,
How much we've indulg'd, and how little corrected,
How oft we're provok'd, and our councils tormented;
What insults forgiven, what bloodshed prevented,

"Behold your good brother, who rules in the north, Examine his conduct and copy his worth:
Observe how Apollo presides, and you'll find,
How lovely are mercy and power combin'd.

"His task, though severe, he discharges with ease,
And studies, like us, to preserve and to please;
Oh ! think how he feels, between brother and brother, When he's sent to reconcile one to the other.

"Then cease, I beseech you, nor longer provoke
The hand, which so tenderly wards off the stroke.
Such counsel as this was enough, one would think,
To save them from ruin, though just on the brink.

"But would you believe, a committee they'd choose, Consisting of three, who had nothing to lose ?
One was a cock of the first game,
Who hand over hand was determin'd on fame.

"The second A-dam dog who lives upon strife,
And knows nought but hemp can lead him a worse life:
The third was a Cooper, 2 good Lord, long preserve him,
Or, as I want rhyme, may his customers starve him !

"Together they went on a grand consultation,
To prove a republic was good for the nation,
And to show the old dame, it was easily prov'd, Pronounced, by four words, all objections remov'd.

"Inestimable rights, infernal chains",
A sleeping potion for a Briton's brains.
The aged matron silently withdrew,
Wept for her sons, and left them, Gage! to you.

1 "King Sears." "Isaac Sears was born at Norwalk, Connecticut, in 1729. He was a successful merchant in the city of New York, when political matters attracted his attention. When the Stamp Act aroused the colonists, Sears stood forth as the champion of right, and was one of the most active and zealous Members of the association of the Sons of Liberty." He was celebrated during the war for his self-denial, and devotion to the cause of liberty. He died at Canton, where he had gone with a cargo, in 1785. Lossing's Field Book.

2 "The third was a Cooper." Dr. Cooper, town clerk of Boston, called by Rivington, "the fragrant Rose of Sharon."

The Old Man's Song
1778

 

The American women, daring the revolution, excelled their nature. Europe heard, with wonder and regret, of their constancy and devotion to the cause of liberty; and their spirit and firmness has been the theme of many excellent lyrics, both in this country, and the old world. We have several French ballads, commemorating their patriotism.

PUBLIC SPIRIT OF THE WOMEN.

THOUGH age at my elbow has taken his stand,
And Time has stretch'd o'er me his wrinkling hand;
Our patriot fair like a charm can inspire,
In three-score-and-ten, twenty's spirit and fire.

Boy, fill me a bumper ! as long as I live,
The patriot fair for my toast must I give;
Here's a health to the sex of every degree,
Where sweetness and beauty with firmness agree.

No more will I babble of times that are past,
My wish is, the present for ever may last;
Already I see sulky George in despair,
Should he vanquish the men, to vanquish the fair. 1

Of Greeks and of Romans enough has been said,
To Codrus and Brutus full tribute been paid;
O'er musty old heroes no longer I'll dream,
Living beauty and virtue enliven my theme.

Could time be roll'd backward, and age become young, My heart swell with ardor, my arm be new strung;
Under Washington's banner I'd cheerfully fight,
Where the smiles of the fair with glory unite.

Fill a bumper again boy, and let it go round,
For the waters of youth in claret are found;
The younkers shall know, I've the courage to dare
Drink as deep as the best to the patriot fair.

1 To vanquish the fair. "If they had not been rebels," said Burke, "I could have been lavish in praising women, who, reduced by the ruin of civil discord to the most horrid situations of distress and poverty, had generosity and public spirit to strip the blankets, in the freezing season, from themselves and their infants, to send to the camp, and preserve that army which had gone out to fight for their liberty. And shall Britons overlook such virtue, and will they persist in oppressing it? Shall we give them no alternative but unconditional submission? A three years' war has not terrified them, distressed as they are, from their great purpose. Let us try the power of lenity over those generous bosoms."

The following verses are taken from a manuscript diary, kept during the revolution, now in possession of the editor.

"God bless our gentle mothers, dear,
Who cheer us on our way !
God bless our loving sisters, dear,
Who with them at home stay.

We'll fight for them, and die for them,
To keep them from Tory !
We'll raise our hearts In prayer for them,
Wherever we may be.!

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