THE BATTLE OF THE SHANNON AND CHESAPEAKE

'Twas of the Shannon frigate in the merry month of May,
To watch those bold Americans off Boston light she lay.
The Chesapeake lying in harbour, a frigate stout and fine,
She had four hundred and sixty men aboard and her guns was forty-nine.

Captain Brooke he commanded us; a challenge he did write
To the captain of the Chesapeake to bring her out to fight;
He says,"My noble Lawrence, don't think it's through enmity
For it's to show to all the world that Britain rules the sea."

The challenge being accepted, the Chesapeake she bore down
And she was as fine a frigate as belonged to the British crown,
Yard-arm and broadside for a quarter of an hour
When that enemy's ship drove up alongside, and her yards got locked in ours.

From Ballads and Sea Songs from Nova Scotia, Mackenzie
Collected from Peter Hines
DT #552
Laws J22
@sailor @battle @American @revolution
filename[ CHESSHA2
RG
oct96
mudcat.org

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