Contents -BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD

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

Freedom’s Sons

COME, Freedom’s sons, and join the choir;

Let patriot pride your hearts inspire

To sing Columbia’s fame.

To statesmen pay the tribute due,

And heroes who have fought, that you

Might boast a glorious name.

First, Madison, our country’s pride,

And next, Monroe, the patriot tried,

Columbia’s rising star;

The Congress next our song invites,

Who “For free trade and seamen’s rights,”

Declared the righteous war.

High to the navy charge your bowls,

And toast those brave heroic souls

Who Britain’s pride pull’d down;

Who, ship to ship, and fleet to fleet,

Superior force have fairly beat,

And gain’d unmatch’d renown.

First, in the Wasp, the gallant Jones,

With numbers less of men and guns,

The Frolic laid aboard;

And while destruction round him spread,

Brave Biddle leap’d o’er heaps of dead,

And England’s glory lower’d.

With half the western world at stake,

See Perry, on the midland lake,

The unequal combat dare;

Unawed by vastly stronger powers,

He “met the foe and made him ours,”

And closed the savage war.

Macdonough, too, on Lake Champlain,

In ships outnumber’d, guns, and men,

Saw dangers thick increase;

His trust in God and virtue’s cause,

He conquer’d in the lion’s jaws,

And led the way to peace.

Brave Lawrence, when superior force

He fought, and in the battle’s course

His mortal wound was given;

With faltering tongue and trembling lip,

Cried, “Brothers, don’t give up the ship,”

Then sigh’d his soul to Heaven.

To sing each valiant hero’s name

Whose deeds have swell’d the files of Fame,

Requires immortal powers;

Columbia’s warriors never yield

To equal force, by flood or field,

Her eagle never cowers.

Long as Niagara’s cataract roars,

Or Erie laves our northern shores,

Great Brown, thy fame shall rise;

Outnumber’d by a veteran host

Of conquering heroes, Britain’s boast,

Conquest was there thy prize.

At Plattsburg, see the Spartan band,

Where gallant Macomb holds command,

The unequal host oppose:

Prevost, confounded, vanquish’d, flies;

Convinced that numbers won’t suffice

Where freemen are the foes.

Our songs to noblest strains we raise,

While we attempt thy matchless praise,

Carolina’s godlike son;

While Mississippi rolls his flood,

Or freemen’s hearts move patriot blood,

The palm shall be thine own.

At Orleans, lo! a savage band

In countless numbers gain the strand,

“Beauty and spoil,” the word—

There Jackson with his fearless few

The invincibles by thousands slew,

And dire destruction pour’d.

O, Britain! when the tale is told

Of Jackson’s deeds, by Fame enroll’d,

Should grief and madness rise,

Remember God, the avenger reigns,

Who witness’d Havre’s smoking plains,

And Hampton’s female cries.