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"Evacuation Day", 1783, Its Many Stirring Events: With Recollections of Capt. John Van Arsdale, of the Veteran Corps of Artillery, by Whose Efforts on That Day the Enemy Were Circumvented, and the American Flag Successfully Raised on the BatteryRiker, James

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"Evacuation Day", 1783, Its Many Stirring Events: With Recollections of Capt. John Van Arsdale, of the Veteran Corps of Artillery, by Whose Efforts on That Day the Enemy Were Circumvented, and the American Flag Successfully Raised on the Battery

Name: "Evacuation Day", 1783, Its Many Stirring Events: With Recollections of Capt. John Van Arsdale, of the Veteran Corps of Artillery, by Whose Efforts on That Day the Enemy Were Circumvented, and the American Flag Successfully Raised on the Battery
Author: Riker, James

Riker, James

Evacuation Day, New York, N.Y., 1783; Van Arsdale, John, 1756-1836

The noble Earl Cornwally,
      With Refugees and Tories,
      Of southern plunderers chief,
    At Yorktown wept the folly
      Of stealing "Rebel" beef!

    Clinton, that son of thunder,
      With Refugees and Tories,
      At New York took his stand.
    And swore that he asunder
      Would shake the Rebel land!

    Of mighty deeds achieving,
      With Refugees and Tories,
      He talked, O! _he_ talked big,
    But changed his plan to thieving
      Of turkey, goose and pig!

    Of conquest then despairing,
      With Refugees and Tories,
      George for his Bull-dogs sent;
    They Yankee vengeance fearing,
      _Greased the flagstaff_--and went!

    Then Yorkers, let's remember
      The Refugees and Tories,
      The five and twentieth day
    Of the bleak month, November,
      When the Cow-thieves sneaked away!

[8] The British troops did not take their final departure from Long
Island and Staten Island till the 4th of December. Their flag waved over
Governor's Island till the 3d, when the Island was formally given up to
an officer sent over by Gov. Clinton, for that purpose. (Mag. of Am.
Hist., 1883, p. 430.) Sir Guy Carleton and other officers and gentlemen
sailed in the frigate Ceres, Capt. Hawkins.

[9] Among the more authentic newspaper accounts of the Evacuation, is
one of which I have here availed myself, contained in the New York _Sun_
of Nov. 27th, 1850, but copied from the _Observer_. Much valuable
material is also brought together in the _N. Y. Corp. Manual_ for 1870.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

"Evacuation Day", 1783, Its Many Stirring Events: With Recollections of Capt. John Van Arsdale, of the Veteran Corps of Artillery, by Whose Efforts on That Day the Enemy Were Circumvented, and the American Flag Successfully Raised on the Battery

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