Poems of American History

United States -- History -- Poetry

We sent the prize north
    While we lay near
  And all day we slept
    On the bold Privateer.

  For ten nights we followed,
    And ere the moon rose,
  Each night a prize we'd taken
    Beneath the Lion's nose.
  When the British looked to see
    Why their ships should disappear,
  They found they had in convoy
    A Yankee Privateer.

  But we sailed and sailed
    And made good cheer!
  Not a coward was on board
    Of the Yankee Privateer.

  The biggest British frigate
    Bore round to give us chase,
  But though he was the fleeter
    Old Whipple wouldn't race,
  Till he'd raked her fore and aft,
    For the lubbers couldn't steer,
  Then he showed them the heels
    Of the Yankee Privateer.

  Then we sailed and we sailed
    And we made good cheer,
  For not a British frigate
    Could come near the Privateer.

  Then northward we sailed
    To the town we all know,
  And there lay our prizes
    All anchored in a row;
  And welcome were we
    To our friends so dear,
  And we shared a million dollars
    On the bold Privateer.

  We'd sailed and we'd sailed
    And we made good cheer,
  We had all full pockets
    On the bold Privateer.

  Then we each manned a ship
    And our sails we unfurled,
  And we bore the Stars and Stripes
    O'er the oceans of the world.
  From the proud flag of Britain
    We swept the seas clear,
  And we earned our independence
    On the Yankee Privateer.

  Then landsmen and sailors,
    One more cheer!
  Here is three times three
    For the Yankee Privateer!

               ARTHUR HALE.


    The achievements of other American naval captains were soon
    eclipsed by those of John Paul Jones, a Scotch sailor, settled
    in Virginia, who, at the outbreak of the war, offered his
    services to Congress. In 1776, on board the Alfred, in the
    Delaware River, he raised the first flag of the Revolution,--a
    pine tree, with a rattlesnake coiled at the foot, and the
    motto, "Don't tread on me."

PAUL JONES

  A song unto Liberty's brave Buccaneer,
    Ever bright be the fame of the patriot Rover,
  For our rights he first fought in his "black privateer,"
    And faced the proud foe ere our sea they cross'd over,
          In their channel and coast,
          He scattered their host,
  And proud Britain robbed of her sea-ruling boast,
  And her rich merchants' barks shunned the ocean in fear
  Of Paul Jones, fair Liberty's brave Buccaneer.

  In the first fleet that sailed in defence of our land,
    Paul Jones forward stood to defend freedom's arbor,
  He led the bold Alfred at Hopkins' command,
    And drove the fierce foeman from Providence harbor,
          'Twas his hand that raised
          The first flag that blazed,
  And his deeds 'neath the "Pine tree" all ocean amaz'd,
  For hundreds of foes met a watery bier
  From Paul Jones, fair Liberty's brave Buccaneer.

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

Opening the text

History

Poems of American History

United States -- History -- Poetry

We sent the prize north
    While we lay near
  And all day we slept
    On the bold Privateer.

  For ten nights we followed,
    And ere the moon rose,
  Each night a prize we'd taken
    Beneath the Lion's nose.
  When the British looked to see
    Why their ships should disappear,
  They found they had in convoy
    A Yankee Privateer.

  But we sailed and sailed
    And made good cheer!
  Not a coward was on board
    Of the Yankee Privateer.

  The biggest British frigate
    Bore round to give us chase,
  But though he was the fleeter
    Old Whipple wouldn't race,
  Till he'd raked her fore and aft,
    For the lubbers couldn't steer,
  Then he showed them the heels
    Of the Yankee Privateer.

  Then we sailed and we sailed
    And we made good cheer,
  For not a British frigate
    Could come near the Privateer.

  Then northward we sailed
    To the town we all know,
  And there lay our prizes
    All anchored in a row;
  And welcome were we
    To our friends so dear,
  And we shared a million dollars
    On the bold Privateer.

  We'd sailed and we'd sailed
    And we made good cheer,
  We had all full pockets
    On the bold Privateer.

  Then we each manned a ship
    And our sails we unfurled,
  And we bore the Stars and Stripes
    O'er the oceans of the world.
  From the proud flag of Britain
    We swept the seas clear,
  And we earned our independence
    On the Yankee Privateer.

  Then landsmen and sailors,
    One more cheer!
  Here is three times three
    For the Yankee Privateer!

               ARTHUR HALE.


    The achievements of other American naval captains were soon
    eclipsed by those of John Paul Jones, a Scotch sailor, settled
    in Virginia, who, at the outbreak of the war, offered his
    services to Congress. In 1776, on board the Alfred, in the
    Delaware River, he raised the first flag of the Revolution,--a
    pine tree, with a rattlesnake coiled at the foot, and the
    motto, "Don't tread on me."

PAUL JONES

  A song unto Liberty's brave Buccaneer,
    Ever bright be the fame of the patriot Rover,
  For our rights he first fought in his "black privateer,"
    And faced the proud foe ere our sea they cross'd over,
          In their channel and coast,
          He scattered their host,
  And proud Britain robbed of her sea-ruling boast,
  And her rich merchants' barks shunned the ocean in fear
  Of Paul Jones, fair Liberty's brave Buccaneer.

  In the first fleet that sailed in defence of our land,
    Paul Jones forward stood to defend freedom's arbor,
  He led the bold Alfred at Hopkins' command,
    And drove the fierce foeman from Providence harbor,
          'Twas his hand that raised
          The first flag that blazed,
  And his deeds 'neath the "Pine tree" all ocean amaz'd,
  For hundreds of foes met a watery bier
  From Paul Jones, fair Liberty's brave Buccaneer.

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

Poems of American History

Poems of American History

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