One of the most comical events in the Revolutionary War occurred on Jan. 6, 1778. And a famous poem was written about it. That poem called out adultery. (see the *** stanza)
The British captured Philadelphia in 1777. It was a low moment in the American Revolution. In the winter of that year, Washington’s army was spending its winter of hardships at Valley Forge. The colonial cause was in need of a morale boost. David Bushnell had an idea. Bushnell, the inventor of the first submarine, would sink British ships in the Delaware River near Philadelphia. Although his submarine The Turtle had failed to sink the ship it targeted because it could not attach its explosive Bushnell’s new idea was much simpler. This time the explosive would be floated down the river in the form of powder kegs which would explode on contact. It might have worked except for the unlucky fact that the British ships had been moved to avoid river ice. None of the kegs came near a warship. However, on Jan. 6, 1778 two curious boys found one and blew themselves up and another sank a small barge killing four sailors. The explosions alerted the British fleet which proceeded to panic. Sailors and soldiers opened fire on anything floating down the river. A lot of driftwood was plastered. The sight of the British filling the river with lead was comical to patriots. Francis Hopkinson, a signer of the Declaration and the real designer of the flag, was inspired to write a song about it. His “Battle of the Kegs” was a brilliant piece of propaganda because it could be sung to the tune of “Yankee Doodle”. Soon, Washington’s men at Valley Forge were singing it around the campfires and then later on the march.
BATTLE OF THE KEGS. (to the tune of “Yankee Doodle”)
GALLANTS attend, and hear a friend,
Trill forth harmonious ditty,
Strange things I’ll tell, which late befell,
In Philadelphia city.
‘Twas early day, as poets say,
Just when the sun was rising,
A soldier stood, on a log of wood,
And saw a thing surprising.
As in amaze he stood to gaze,
The truth can’t be denied, sir,
He spied a score of kegs or more, 1
Come floating down the tide sir.
A sailor, too, in jerkin blue,
This strange appearance viewing,
First damn’d his eyes, in great surprise,
Then said, “some mischief’s brewing.
“These kegs, I’m told , the rebels hold,
Packed up like pickled herring,
And they’re come down, 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 others there,
Like men almost distracted.
Some fire cried, which some denied,
But said the earth had quakèd;
And girls and boys, with hideous noise,
Ran through the streets half naked.
*** Sir William [Howe] he, snug as a flea,
Lay all this time a snoring;
Nor dreamed of harm, as he lay warm,
In bed with Mrs. Loring ****
Now in a fright, he starts upright,
Awak’d by such a clatter;
He rubs his eyes, and boldly cries,
“For God’s sake, what’s the matter?”
At his bedside, he then espied,
Sir Erskine at command, Sir, 4
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 afloat,
And rang’d before the city.
“The motley crew, in vessels new,
With Satan for their guide, sir,
Packed 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 despis’d shall be,
And British courage doubted.”
The royal band, now ready stand,
All ranged 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
Ere saw so strange a battle.
The rebel dales, the rebel vales,
With rebel trees surrounded,
The distant woods, the hills and floods,
With rebel 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, 5 sir,
Could not oppose their powerful foes,
The conquering British troops, sir.
From morn till night, these men of might
Display’d amazing courage;
And when the sun was fairly down,
Retir’d to sup their porridge.
An 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,
Against those wicked kegs, sir,
That years to come, if they get home,
They’ll make their boasts and brags, sir.
https://www.americanrevolution.org/war_songs/warsongs55.php
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Battle_of_the_Kegs
0 Comments