William McCarty, comp. The American National Song Book. 1842.
Halifax Station1812F
To take or be taken, call’d Dacres by name:
But ’twas who but a Yankee he met on his way—
Says the Yankee to him, “Will you stop and take tea?”
“Don’t you see that d—d flag that is red, white, and blue?
Let us drum all to quarters, prepare for to fight,
For in taking that ship, boys, it will make me a knight.”
Which shows, on the ocean, a proud British brag;
But Hull, being pleasant, he sent up but one,
And told every seaman to stand true to his gun.
And with a short speech his sailors he cheers,
Saying, “We’ll batter their sides, and we’ll do the neat thing:
We’ll conquer their bully, and laugh at their king.”
Swore we’d stick by brave Hull, while a seaman could steer;
And at it we went with mutual delight,
For to fight and to conquer’s a sailor’s free right.
And we wellfed our bull-dogs with true Yankee pride:
’Twas broadside for broadside we on them did pour,
While cannon’s loud mouths at each other did roar.
We will drink to Great Britain, and the cans they shall flow;
So strike, you d—d Yankee, I’ll make you with ease:”
But the man they call Hull, says, “O no, if you please.”
But quite in a hurry, found out his mistake;
For we luff’d round his bow, boys, and caught his jib-boom,
And, in raking them aft, we soon gave him his doom.
When he found that his masts were all gone by the board,
And dropping astern cries out to the steward,
“Come up and be d—d, fire a gun to the leeward.”
Which bitterly stung all those Englishmen’s ears;
Saying, “We’ll fight for our country, do all things that’s right,
And let the world know, that green Yankees can fight.”