Chapter Poetry of The Revolution of Index by Simonds History of American Literature

Revolutionary Songs and Ballads.

Among the most interesting compositions of the Revolutionary period, are the numerous songs and ballads, hundreds of which were written during the years of the war. Many of these were mere doggerel, but some -- as such songs of the people often are -- were characterized by a homely, hearty strain, which in spite of crudity bears its own appeal, and stirs the passion of men without the aid of art. The names of their writers were often unknown even in that generation. Sometimes these compositions took the form of camp-songs like that to The Volunteer Boys (1780): --

"Hence with the lover who sighs o'er his wine,
   Chloes and Phillises toasting,
Hence with the slave who will whimper and whine,
   Of ardor and constancy boasting.
Hence with love's joys,
Follies and noise,--
The toast that I give is the Volunteer Boys," etc.

Sometimes they are religious songs, one of the best examples of which is found in The american Soldier's Hymn:--

"'T is God that girds our armor on,
   And all our just designs fulfils.
Through Him our feet can swiftly run,
   And nimbly climb the steepest hills.

"Lessons of war from Him we take,
   And manly weapons learn to wield;
Strong bows of steel with ease we break,
   Forced by our stronger arms to yield," etc.

But more numerous were the narratives in crude and vigorous verse of battle, of incident, and of individual exploit, such as we find in an anonymous poem on the Battle of Trenton (December 26, 1776). The historic crossing of the Delaware is mentioned in the opening stanza: --

"On Christmas-day in seventy-six,
Our ragged troops with bayonets fixed
   For Trenton marched away.
The Delaware see! the boats below!
The light obscured by hail and snow!
   But no sign of dismay."

In each of the six stanzas which compose the song, there is some clever tough which reveals the real poetic impulse -- none the less effective because of its artlessness.

"Great Washington he led us on,
Whose streaming flag, in storm or sun,
   Had never known disgrace.

"In silent march we passed the night,
Each soldier panting for the fight,
   Though quite benumbed with frost."

The account of the action is very brief, the surprise, the victory, the trophies of battle are tersely described, and the song closes in conventional style:--

"Now, brothers of the patriot bands,
Let's sing deliverance from the hands
   Of arbitrary sway.
And as our life is but a span,
Let's touch the tankard while we can,
   In memory of that day."

One of the best naval ballads of the time was The Yankee Man of War, a stirring record of an exploit in 1778, wherein the bravery of John Paul Jones is enthusiastically celebrated. Its unknown author writes with the precision of one well versed in sea-craft, and like an eye-witness of the incident.

"`Out booms! out booms!' our skipper cried,
   `out booms and give her sheet.'
And the swiftest keel that was ever launched
   shot ahead of the British fleet,
And a-midst a thundering shower of shot
   with stun'sails hoisting away,
Down the North Channel Paul Jones did steer
   just at the break of day."

Scores of these spirited little lyrics may be read in the collections of Revolutionary songs.¹ The patriotic fervor of the singer is often more impressive than the inspiration of his muse, and yet there are not a few poems in the group which may claim a place in our national literature.

Francis Hopkinson, 1737-91.

The humorous balled on The Battle of the Kegs illustrates another phase of this patriotic activity in verse. The author of these rollicking lines was Francis Hopkinson, a man prominent in all the serious and weighty movements of these momentous times, yet full of vivacity and an irresistible humor which