More OT - a true story mostly lost, Copywrite- Marshall:
With the British occupation of Philadelphia in 1775-1779, Francis Hopkinson moved back across the Delaware River to Bordentown(New Jersey) from which he carried on much of his activity. During this time, having observed the British Navy anchored at Philadelphia and being an In-ventive and imaginative person, he conceived the idea that those ships could be attacked through the natural currents of the Delaware river without loss of colonial lives. Amoung those with whom he dis-cussed this idea was his father-in-law, who owned a barrel shop. They devised the scheme to build watertight kegs, loaded them with gunpowder and floated them down the river to explode on contact. In early 1778, Hopkinson, Borden. and fellow townspeople loaded the kegs into the dyer at dusk and watched as they floated down-stream. Unfortunately, because of ice floes in the river, the British were repositioning the ships closer to shore. The kegs began to ex-plode as they hit the ice floes, a small rowboat, and a ship, all around the fleet. British officers and crews panicked before an attack under cover of darkness. As a naval battle it was a failure, but it was a comical display to the imaginative Francis Hopkinson, who wrote a raucous account in humorous verse and, true to form, rushed into print. It soon was read in papers all over the colonies, memorized by regi-mental bards and barroom buffoons. The account of the ridiculous British Navy fighting an unseen enemy In the Delaware burst the seams and tickled the funny bones of the colonists. Clearly they
saw how scared and ridiculas the vaunted British fighting machine really was. Here are some of the lines from " The Battle of The Kegs," in an abridged version:
"Gallants, attend and hear a friend -
Trill forth harmonious ditty,
Strange Things I'll tell
Which Late Befell
In Philadelphia City...."
( He was a Signer from New Jersey )
Francis Hopkinson
My Home Page link at the very bottom of the page has more info on the book, Patriot with a Pen:
C.H. Marshall
sites.netscape.net
ChuckaHop-Battle of the Kegs!
members.aol.com
IN TUNE WITH THE TIMES
Musical Rambles Through History by Sara L. Johnson ©1996, 97
The Battle of the Kegs
(If your web browser, plugins, and your computer will play MIDI files, you can listen to Battle of the Kegs while reading.)
The Battle of the Kegs, a song by Francis Hopkinson (1731-1791), is a song I found in the book The Yankee Doodler (Music, Theater and Fun in the American Revolution), by Sylvia G.L. Dannett. Francis Hopkinson was a native Philadelphian, first student to enroll in the Philadelphia Academy and first to receive a diploma from the College of Philadelphia. He was the only signer of the Declaration of Independence who was a writer, political satirist, artist, musician, and lawyer. He was elected a member of the Continental Congress in 1776, became a judge of admiralty from 1779 to 1789, and a judge of the United States Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. ( SIC - Chuca Added- He DESIGNED the FIRST - Stars and Stripes, and the Washington HQ Flag )But back to the song and the Battle of the Kegs:
David Bushnell (1742?-1824), inventor of the American torpedo and other submarine machinery, built the Turtle, a one-man submersible ship, which made the first recorded, but unsuccessful, submarine attack on a British man-of-war in New York harbor. He devised some of the first floating mines to annoy the British fleet anchored off shore on the Delaware River, above Philadelphia. He had a fleet of kegs filled with gunpowder, designed to explode when they bumped into the enemy vessels.In late autumn of 1777, they were launched, but failed to blow up the ships. However, as some of the kegs exploded near the fleet, the British in panic began firing a continuous discharge of small arms and cannon, aiming wildly at everything in the river for several hours. Some who claimed they'd seen bayonets sticking out of the bung-holes of the kegs, said they were, like the Trojan horse, filled with armed rebels prepared to leap out in the dead of night and lay siege to the city. Others said they were machines constructed by magic that would climb the wharves and roll through the city, flaming with infernal fire. It was said that afterwards, Lord Howe dispatched a packet to London with an account of his great victory over the kegs.
Hopkinson wrote a mock heroic prose epic to preface his verses for the New Jersey Gazette of January 27 1778. The words were to be sung to the popular tune "Maggie Lawder".
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, 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."
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.
( I have other lost verses)Chucka
Found another:
contemplator.com
Battle of the Kegs
Download Midi File
John Renfro Davis
Information Lyrics
In October 1778 during the winter of Valley Forge, Americans began experimenting with floating mines. They used the "kegs" to harass British shipping on the Delaware River. On January 5, 1778 a number of kegs were floated downriver. The British fired at them, exploding them.
Francis Hopkinson wrote the following ballad. The words were set to Yankee Doodle. According to another source they may also have been set to Maddie Lauder.
Hopkinson was one of the first American composers. He was also a lawyer, poet, inventor and painter. He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence (for New Jersey) and helped design the American Flag. He served as judge of the Pennsylvania Admiralty courts and was later a judge for the District Court in Eastern Pennsylvania. He also wrote My Days Have Been so Wondrous Free.
For a full list of tunes by Francis Hopkinson at this site, enter "hopkinson" (without the quotes) in the search engine.
MORE Lyrics:
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 site 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 damned 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 down to 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 til 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 dreamed of harm, as he lay warm,
In bed with Mrs. Loring.
Now in a fright he starts upright,
Awaked 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 in 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 crews, 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 despised shall be,
And British courage doubted.
The royal band now ready stand,
All ranged in dread array, sir,
With stomach 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 fish below swam to and fro,
Attacked form every quarter;
Why sure, thought they, the devil's to pay,
'Mongst folk above the water.
These kegs 'tis said, tho' strongly made,
Of rebel staves and hoops, sir,
Could not oppose their powerful foes,
The conquering British troops, sir.
From morn to night, these men of might
Displayed amazing courage;
And when the sun was fairly down,
Retired to sup their porridge:
An hundred men with each a pen,
Or more upon my word, sir,
It is most true, should 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.
Related Links
Francis Hopkinson
Francis Hopkinson
An Ode to the Fourth of July
(A broadside by Francis Hopkinson, takes a while to load)
American and British Soldiers
From PBS's Liberty! Site, interactive pictures of soldiers from both sides, click on areas of the pictures for information.
Archiving America
13 Originals (Colonies that is)
Hotlist of Revolutionary War Sites
Links to primary documents, pictures, etc.
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