The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-04-04

back to the event IL celebrates.
Yc tars of Columbia, give ear to my story,
Who fought with brave Perry, whore cannons
did roar
Your valor has gained you an immortal glory,
A fame that shall last till time is no more.
Columbian tars are the true sons of Mars,
They rake fore and aft, when they fight on the
deep;
On the bed Of Lake Erie, commanded by Perry
They caused many Britons to take their last sleep.
The tenth Of September, let us all remember
As long as the globe on its axis rolls rounu;
Our tars and marines on Lake Erie were seen,
To make tho proud flag of Great Britain come
down.
The van of our fleet, the British to meet.
Commanded by Perry, the Lawrence bore down.
Her guns they did roar with such terrific power
That savages trembled at the dreadful sound.
The Lawrence sustained most dreadful fire,
She fought three to one for two glasses or more,
While Perry, undaunted, did firmly stand by her,
And the proud foes u heavy broadside did pour.
Her mast being shattered, her rigging all tat
tered,
Her booms and her yards being all shot away;
And few men deck, for to manage the wreck.
Our hero on board her could no longer stay.
In this situation, the pride of our nation,
Sure heaven had guarded unhurt all the while;
Whilst many hero, maintaining his station,
Fell close by his side and was thrown on the pile.
But mark ye, and wonder, when elements thunder,
When Death with destruction was stalking all
round;
His flag he did carry on board the Niagara,
Such yalor on record was never yet found.
There is one gallant act of our noble commander,
Whilst whiting my song must notice with pride
While launched in n smack which carried his
standard,
A ball whistled through her, just by his side.
Says Perry, those Williams intend for to drown us,
But push on my brave boys, you never need fear
And with his own coat he plugged up the boat,
And through sulphur and fire away he did steer
The famed Niagara, now proud Of her Perry
Displayed all her banners in gallant array;
And twenty five guns on her deck she did carry,
Which soon pat an end to this bloody ARRAY.
r"o = a. a.. zoe h-""rht IN complete.
And signal was given to break through the line
While starboard and larboard, and from every
quarter,
The lamps of Columbia did goriously shine.
When Perry attacked him close in the rear;
Columbss eagle made him crouch under,
And roar out for quarter rs soon you shall hear
Oh, had you been there, | vow and declare
That so great sight you'd ne'cr soon before;
Six red bloody flags that no longer could wave,
All laid at the feet of our brave commodore.
Brave Elliott, whose valour must now be re-
corded
On board the Niagara has we'll played his part;
His gallant assistance to Perry afforded,
Will place him the second on Lake Erie's chart
In the midst of the battle, when guns they did
rattle,
The Lawrence Il wreck and the mon most all
slain;
Away he did steer and brought up the rcar
And by this man9uvre the victory was gained
Oh, had you seen those noble commanders
Embracing each other when the conflict was DER
And viewing all those invincible standards,
That never had yielded to any before.
Says Perry, "Brave Elliott, come give me your
hand, sir,
This day you have gained an immortal renown;
SO long as Columbians lake Erie command, sir,
Let brave Captain Elliott with laurels be
crowned"
Great Britain may boast of her conquering heroes
Her Rodneys, her Nelson's and al her Who'll,
crew.
But none in her glory Ger told such story,
Nor boasted such feats as Columbians do.
The whole British fleet was captured complete,
Not single vessel from US got away;
And prisoners some hundreds Columbians won
dered
To see them all anchored and moored in our bay
May heaven still smile on the shade of those he
roes,
Who fought in this conflict their country to save
Who checked The proud spirit of ;nurd'ring bra
woes,
Who wish to divide u.s. and make us all slaves
Columbians sing, and make the woods ring
Aud toast those bravo heroea by sol aud by land
While Briton's drink sherry, Columbians Perry,
And toss it about with full glass on hand.