The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-03-21
BEAT THEIR CAPTORS,
Curious Contest That Occurred
on a British Frigate.
ALL NIGHT BATTLE OF SONG.

eident Of the War Of 1912
y curious defiance Of captors 10y
their prisoners was that of the crew
Of the American privatccr Prince de
Neuchntcl when confined on board the
British frlgatc Lcandcr Toward the
close of the war of 1872 the frigatc
had captured the prlvatccr easily
enough and. taking her crew on board.
gave them quarters In the cable tier.
making them stay In those confined
quarters among the spare cables from
O'Clock every afternoon until :
o'clock the next morning. To while
away the long hours " their cunhnr.
mcnt In the dark and dismal hole the
cnptivcs on" night began To sing I'm
chorus rouslng songs which told of
American naval victories.
The captain Of the Lcnndcr sent
word that such concerts were not nj
NIL to his taste and must be- stopped
This set the Yankees TO singing louder
than ever Then the captain picked
out six of the best singers In his crew
AMI. Joining u dozen more tn them for
the chorus. stationed them Mt the
hntchway and ordered them to sing the
Yankees down.
The British choir started in with
song descriptive " the capture Of the
Chesapeake by the Shannon. The
Americans waited In silence untll the
British song Of victory was ended and
then burst forth with that grand old
sea Hong. The Constitution and the
Gucrricrc," telling how
The first broadsldc we poured cnrpsod her
mainmnst hy the board.
which nnde this lofty frigate look
abandoned. OH
our second told so we'll that hcr fore and
mizzcn fell
And We doused the royal ensign neat
and handy, OH
They fnirly made the tlmbcrs of his
mnJcsty's frlgatc ring rs with one
mighty shout they ended with the line.
The Yankee boys for lighting are the
dandy. OH"
To this the British singers rctorted
with n song composed In honor of the
taking Of the Wasp 10y the Polctlers.
and In return the Americans gave them
"Bainbrldge's Tid-RcI." which tells
how the Java was taken and has such
pleasing little verses as:
For now. my hearts. we've played our
parts:
Proud John once more we've humbled.
OH
II may be said Il bull he mad-
on Yankees when he stumbled. OH
And II he comes to run his huns
Wen give proud John roasting. OH,
And SO the battle of song went on un.
I'll the British. running out OF ballads
celebrating their victories over Amerl.
cans, began 10 sing The Battle of the
Nile" britannia Rules the Waves"
etc. At this the Yankees cried out.
Not fair" and claimed the victory,
as their songs Of victory over the Eng
lish had not begun to,bc exhausted.
Therrupon the British band of song
withdrew. acknowledging their defeat.
while the Americans continued their
saengerfest with such roaring ballads as
The Yankee Man-of-War" and when
the Yankee Thunders Roll
IL was now past midnight. not n soul
aboard the frigate had had wink of
sleep because OF the bOlsterous con
ed to try another mode OF overcoming
the Americans. He ordered file OF
marines. with loaded muskets, 10 the
hatchway and shouted down to the
singing sailors that II they did not stop
their racket the marines would fire
down into them.
Fire away, MY hearties!" shouted
hA ..Iu nI 4 ri. lt.r
rowed beneath the cables. "You may
Kill us, but you'll spoil your best bower
cable In the doing of IT,"
The captain had seriously intended to
shoot down among his prisoners. lie
thought better Of 1t and withdrew the
marines, whose departure was the sig
nal for more cheers for the stars and
stripes ana the roaring out OF another
ballad abusive OF the British.
All that night they sang. and surely
old ocean never before or since saw the
spectacle Of Il British frigate plunglng
through the waves taut and trim and
stlll In his maJesty's service. while
from her depths surged out over the
dark sea chOruses which defed the
British power and sang Of British de
feats
That captain was pretty good sort
OF follow. His name was Sir George
Collier, ana he deserves 10 be rcmcm.
bered. As things went in those days,
II he had had his prisoners soundly
hogged the next morning he would not
have been thought 10 have exercised
undue severity. Most captains would
have done at least that, even IL they
had not ordered the marines 10 fire
Into the cable tier As II was. Sir
George transferred the captive Amer.
leans to the first homeward bound
British man-of-war he met and dcclar
ed that, while he admired their spirit
as guests he considered them tribe
noisy Irving King In New York Press