Stand! the ground's your own, my braves!
Will ye give it up to slaves?
Will ye look for greener graves?
Hope ye mercy still?
What's the mercy despots feel?
Hear it in that battle-peal!
Read it on yon bristling steel!
Ask it,—ye who will.
Fear ye foes who kill for hire?
Will ye to your homes retire?
Look behind you! they're a-fire!
And, before you, see
Who have done it!—From the vale
On they come!—And will ye quail?—
Leaden rain and iron hail
Let their welcome be!
In the God of battles trust!
Die we may,—and die we must;
But, oh, where can dust to dust
Be consigned so well,
As where Heaven its dews shall shed
On the martyred patriot's bed,
And the rocks shall raise their head,
Of his deeds to tell!
John Pierpont.
A pause followed, during which Charlestown was set on fire by shells from the fleet and was soon in a roaring blaze. Then a second time the British advanced to the assault; again the Americans held their fire, and again, at thirty yards, poured into the Redcoats so deadly a volley that they were forced to retreat.
We lay in the Trenches we'd dug in the Ground
While Phœbus blazed down from his glory-lined Car,
And then from the lips of our Leader renown'd,
These lessons we learn'd in the Science of War.
"Let the Foeman draw nigh,
Till the white of his Eye
Is in range with your Rifles, and then, Lads, let fly!
And shew to Columbia, to Britain, and Fame,
How Justice smiles aweful, when Freemen take aim!"
The Regulars from Town to the Foot of the Hill
Came in Barges and Rowboats, some great and some small,
But they potter'd and dawdl'd, and twaddled, until
We fear'd there would be no Attack after all!
Two men in red Coats
Talk'd to one in long Boots,
And all of them pinted and gestur'd like Coots,
And we said,—as the Boys do upon Training-Day—
"If they waste all their Time so, the Sham-fight won't pay."
But when they got Ready, and All came along,
The way they march'd up the Hill-side wasn't slow,
But we were not a-fear'd, and we welcomed 'em strong,
Held our Fire till the Word, and then laid the Lads low!
... But who shall declare
The End of the Affair?
At Sundown there wasn't a Man of us there!
But we didn't depart till we'd given them Some!
When we burned up our Powder, we had to go Home!