Militia men! O fie for shame!
Thus you your country flee.
'Tis you at last will bear the blame
For loss of victory.
When mild Van Rensselaer did command,
You would not him obey;
But stood spectators on the strand,
To see the bloody fray.
The number kill'd was seventy-four,
Prisoners, seven hundred sixty-nine,
Wounded, two hundred or more,
Who languish'd in great pain.
Some have already lost their lives,
And others like to go;
But few, I fear, will tell their wives
The doleful tale of wo.
William Banker, Jr.
But disasters on land seemed fated to be followed by victories on the water. About noon of October 18, 1812, the American 18-gun sloop of war, Wasp, encountered the 20-gun British brig, Frolic, off Albemarle Sound, and, after a severe action, boarded and compelled her to surrender. Shortly afterwards, a sail hove in sight, which proved to be the British 74, Poictiers, and, running down on the sloops, she seized both the Wasp and her prize and carried them to Bermuda.
THE WASP'S FROLIC
[October 18, 1812]
'Twas on board the sloop of war Wasp, boys,
We set sail from Delaware Bay,
To cruise on Columbia's fair coast, sirs,
Our rights to maintain on the sea.
Three days were not passed on our station,
When the Frolic came up to our view;
Says Jones, "Show the flag of our nation;"
Three cheers were then gave by our crew.