Schooner E.A. Horton

Come all you sons of Uncle Sam, come listen to me awhile
And I'll tell you of a capture that was made in Yankee style
'Twas the Schooner E.A. Horton in the British harbor lie
She was shaken by "The Sweepstakes" while cruising in disguise
Our treaties they've rejected and our governments defied
It's now you've stolen our fishermen so Johnnies, mind yer eye.

'Twas the thirteenth day of October in the year of sixty-one
Brave Knowlton and his comrades, the day it was begun
While the British thick-skulls were sleepin' with red ruin on their brain
We stole away our fishermen and brought her back again

Says brave Knowlton to his comrades, "If you will follow me
We'll have the Horton home again whate'er the cost may be
We'll stick to one another like brothers just as true
And we'll show those Yankee thievish-men what Yankee lads can do"

'Twas early in the next morning the news did spread about
They found the gold prospector with the Horton had stepped out
The news began to penetrate the British skulls so thick
They finally did acknowledge 'twas a bold and Yankee trick

Now boys, there is a jolly time in Glou-cester tonight
For heavy guns are firing and torches burning bright
The band plays, "Yankee Doodle" and the voices loudly ring
For the Yankee boys are shouting that the Horton has got in

Now you Dominion Canaday, I warn you to beware
You better sigh the treatie and settle this affair
And always do to others as you'll have 'em do to you
And don't try to treat your neighbor like old Johnnie tried to do

DT #753
Laws D28
From Ballads Migrant in New England
Collected from Charles Cooke of Ripton VT in 1941
event occurred in 1871
SOF
apr97