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William McCarty, comp. The American National Song Book. 1842.

Siege of Plattsburgh

As sung at the theatre at Albany, in the character of a negro sailor

Tune—“Boyne Water”

BACK side Albany stan’ Lake Champlain,

Little pond, half full a’ water,

Plat-te-burg dare too, close pon de main;

Town small—he grow bigger, do’, herearter.

On lake Champlain

Uncle Sam set he boat,

And Massa M’Donough, he sail ’em;

While General Macomb

Make Plat-te-burg he home,

Wid de army, who courage nebber fail ’em.

On ’lebenth day of Sep-tem-ber,

In eighteen hund’ed and fourteen,

Gubbener Probose, an he British sojer,

Come to Plat-te-burg a tea-party courtin:

An he boat come too

Arter Uncle Sam boat:

Massa Donough do look sharp out de winder.

Den Gen’ral Macomb

(Ah! he always a-home—)

Catch fire, too, jiss like a tinder.

Bang! bang! bang! den de cannons gin to roar

In Plat-te-burg, and all ’bout dat quarter;

Gubbener Probose try he hand ’pon de shore,

While he boat take he luck ’pon de water.

But Massa M’Donough

Knock he boat in he head,

Break he heart, broke he shin, ’tove he caff in,

And Gen’ral Macomb

Start ole Probose home—

Tot me soul den, I mus die a laffin.

Probose scare so, he lef all behine,

Powder, ball, cannon, tea-pot an kittle—

Some say he cotch a cole—trouble in he mine,

Cause he eat so much raw an cole vittle.

Uncle Sam berry sorry,

To be sure, for he pain;

Wish he nuss heself up well an hearty—

For Gen’ral Macomb

And Massa Donough home,

When he notion for anudder tea-party.