James and Mary Ford, eds. Every Day in the Year. 1902.
October 18The Wasps Frolic
By From Naval Songster, 1815
’T
We set sail from Delaware Bay,
To cruise on Columbia’s fair coast, sirs,
Our rights to maintain on the sea.
When the Frolic came up to our view;
Says Jones, “Show the flag of our nation;”
Three cheers were then gave by our crew.
Whose cannon began for to roar;
The Wasp soon her stings from her side ran,
When we on them a broadside did pour.
’Twas minutes past forty and three,
When fifty bold Britons were slaughtered,
Whilst our guns swept their masts in the sea.
Acknowledged the battle we’d won,
On us then bright laurels bestowing,
When to leeward they fired a gun.
With a crew for to answer the same;
Eighteen was the number we mounted,
Being served by the lads of true game.
All in for Columbia’s fair shore;
But fate on our laurels was frowning,
We were taken by a seventy-four.