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Songs and Poems from the War of 1812


The Battle of Fort Meigs

 

Further Reading

British and Canadian Songs

British Poems

More American Songs

American Songs 3

The Battle of New Orleans, by Jimmy Driftwood

American Poems

More American Poems

Miscellaneous Statements

 

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American Songs

The Impressed Seaman's Appeal

Shall that arm which haughty Britain
In its gristle found too strong–
That by which her foes were smitten–
Shall that arm be palsied long?
See our sons of ocean kneeling
To a tyrant's stripes and chains!
Partisan! Hast thou no feeling
When the hardy tar complains?
See the British press-gang seize him,
Victim of relentless power!
Stout his heart is, but must fail him
In this evil, trying hour.

Rogers And Victory

You all remember well, I guess,
The Chesapeake disaster,
When Britons dared to kill and press,
To please their royal master.

Embargo and Peace

From the deep we withdraw till the tempest be past,
Till our flag can protect each American cargo;
While British ambition's dominion shall last,
Let us join, heart and hand, to support the EMBARGO;
FOR EMBARGO and PEACE
Will promote our increase;
Then embargoed we'll live till injustice shall cease;
For ne'er, till old Ocean retires from his bed,
Will Columbia by Europe's proud tyrants be led.

The Heroes of Queenstown

September the thirteenth, at midnight so dark,
Our troops on the River Niagara embark'd;
The standard of Britain resolved to pull down,
And drive the proud foes from the heights of Queenstown.

Song of Old Fort Meigs

Oh, lonely is our old green fort,
Where oft, in days of old,
Our gallant soldiers bravely fought
'Gainst savage allies bold;
But with the change of years have passed
That unrelenting foe,
Since we fought here with Harrison,
A long time ago.

The Battle of Lake Erie

September the tenth, full well I ween,
In eighteen hundred and thirteen,
The weather mild, the sky serene,
Commanded by bold Perry,
Our saucy fleet at anchor lay
In safety, moor'd at Put-in-Bay;
'Twixt sunrise and the break of day,
The British fleet
We chanced to meet;
Our admiral thought he would them greet
With a welcome on Lake Erie.