A Fragment [Ballad on the American War]


When Guilford good our pilot stood, An' did our hellim thraw, man, Ae night, at tea, began a plea, Within America, man: Then up they gat the maskin-pat, And in the sea did jaw, man; An' did nae less, in full Congress, Than quite refuse our law, man. Then thro' the lakes Montgomery takes, I wat he was na slaw, man; Down Lowrie's Burn he took a turn, And Carleton did ca', man: But yet, whatreck, he, at Quebec, Montgomery - like did fa', man, Wi' sword in hand, before his band, Amang his en'mies a', man. Poor Tammy Gage within a cage Was kept at Boston-ha', man; Till Willie Howe took o'er the knowe For Philadelphia, man; Wi' sword an' gun he thought a sin Guid Christian bluid to draw, man; But at New York, wi' knife an' fork, Sir Loin he hacked sma', man. Burgoyne gaed up, like spur an' whip, Till Fraser brave did fa', man; Then lost his way, ae misty day, In Saratoga shaw, man. Cornwallis fought as lang's he dought, An' did the Buckskins claw, man; But Clinton's glaive frae rust to save He hung it to the wa', man. Then Montague, an' Guilford too, Began to fear, a fa', man; And Sackville doure, wha stood the stoure, The German chief to thraw, man: For Paddy Burke, like ony Turk, Nae mercy had at a', man; An' Charlie Fox threw by the box, An' lows'd his tinkler jaw, man. Then Rockingham took up the game; Till Death did on him ca', man; When Shelburne meek held up his cheek, Conform to gospel law, man: Saint Stephen's boys, wi' jarring noise, They did his measures thraw, man, For North an' Fox united stocks, An' bore him to the wa', man. Then Clubs an' Hearts were Charlie's cartes, He swept the stakes awa', man, Till the Diamond's Ace, of Indian race, Led him a sair faux pas, man: The Saxon lads, wi' loud placads, On Chatham's boy did ca', man; An' Scotland drew her pipe an' blew, "Up, Willie, waur them a', man!" Behind the throne then Granville's gone, A secret word or twa, man; While slee Dundas arous'd the class Be-north the Roman wa', man: An' Chatham's wraith, in heav'nly graith, (Inspired Bardies saw, man) Wi' kindling eyes, cry'd, 'Willie, rise! Would I hae fear'd them a', man!' But, word an' blow, North, Fox, and Co. Gowff'd Willie like a ba', man, Till Suthron raise, an' coost their claise Behind him in a raw, man: An' Caledon threw by the drone, An' did her whittle draw, man; An' swoor fu' rude, thro' dirt an' blood, To mak it guid in law, man.

Listen

Alex Norton

About this work

This is a song by Robert Burns. It was written in 1784 and is read here by Alex Norton.

More about this song

This fragment was probably written in 1784 following the American War of Independence. The poem was sent to John Ballantine in 1786 for consideration in the Kilmarnock edition, but he advised against its inclusion owing to the politically sensitive material which it contained.

The ballad was set to the tune of Killiecrankie, which is often associated with Jacobite airs, and was published in The Scots Musical Museum (1790).

The fragment contains a number of references to political figures operating during the period of the revolutionary wars. Guilford in stanza one is Frederick, Lord North (1732-1792), poor Tammy Gage, is General Gage (1721-1788), who was the governor of Massachusetts, and was supported by Sir William Howe (d. 1814).

Sir John Burgoyne (1722-1792) was forced to surrender his forces to the colonists in 1777 after a disastrous campaign where his Brigadier Simon Fraser (1729-1777) was killed.

Charles Cornwallis (1738-1805) was the British commander in Carolina, but surrendered at Yorktown before Sir Henry Clinton (1730-1795) could reinforce him from New York. John Montague (1718-1792) was the first Lord of the Admiralty under Lord North, while Lord George Sackville (1716-1785) was the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

Burke and Fox in stanza five refer to Edmund Burke (1729-1797) and Charles James Fox (1749-1806), who were both critics of the government’s actions in America. Rockingham, Charles Wentworth (1730-1782), succeeded Lord North in 1782, but after his death was replaced by the Earl of Shelburne (1737-1805).

Chatham’s boy is William Pitt the younger (1759-1806), while Granville and Dundas were two of the most powerful politicians in Pitt’s new administration: William Wyndham, Lord Grenville, (1759-1834), and Henry Dundas (1742-1811).

Ralph McLean

Themes for this song

warpoliticsdeath

Selected for 04 July

We mark Independence Day in the USA with a poem in praise of the revolutionaries who overthrew British rule in America. Contempt often brought out the best in the Bard and he is eloquent here in his near defamatory derision of the London politicians of the day. The poem concludes by inciting a comparable Caledonian insurrection.

Donny O'Rourke

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