The soldier flew, the sailor too, And scar’d 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 cry’d, which some denied, But said the earth had quaked; And girls and boys, with hideous noise Ran thro‘ the streets half naked. “The motley crew, in vessels new, With Satan for their guide, sir, Pack’d 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 despis’d we shall be And British courage doubted.” The cannons roar from shore to shore, The small arms loud did rattle, Since wars began I‘m sure no man E‘er 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 ev’ry quarter; Why sure, thought they, the devil’s to pay, ‘Mongst folks above the water. The kegs, ’tis said, tho’ strongly made Of rebel staves and hoops, sir, Could not oppose their powerful foes, The conqr’ing British troops, sir. From morn to night these men of might, Display’d amazing courage— And when the sun was fairly down, Retir’d to sup their porrage. A 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 these wicked kegs, sir, That years to come, if they get home They’ll make their boasts and brags, sir. ---------- Bishop Cammerhoff Started Journey Among Indians on January 6, 1748 John Christopher Cammerhoff was a Moravian missionary who undertook several hazardous trips to the Indians along the Susquehanna and to Onondaga, and of whom there is an interesting story to be told.