I'm not sure if this play party song has been posted to this thread yet. I decided to post it not only because a Canadian place name is mentioned in its lyrics, but also because of its' source-a 1905 paper about life in early Illinois {hat tip to Peace for posting this link in the Mudcat thread about the game song "Oats, Peas,
Beans, and Barley Grow"}.


We are marching down towards Old Quebec
Where the drums are loudly beating,
The Americans have gained the day
And the British are retreating.
The wars are o'er and we'll turn back
No more forever to be parted;
We'll open the ring and choose a couple in
Because they are true-hearted.

-snip-

Here's a pertinent excerpt from that historical paper:

"A large share of the amusements and entertainments indulged in and practiced by the early population of Central Illinois consisted in social singing of play or forfeit songs, illustrating the evening entertainment of home and fire-side, for girls and boys. Singing of well-known hymns to familiar tunes used at church and religious meetings enlisted the aged also of both sexes. So it often happened after the light aand frolic plays of the youth had ended in sale and redemption of all play-forfeits and pawns in affection and hilarity, some elder witness of the youthful jollity would raise a tuneful voice of psalmody, reciting in solemn melody the words of some "Hymn, devout or holy psalm," in which all, young and old, would join to make a benediction to close the evening's entertainment.

I wish to enlarge somewhat on this branch of old fashioned earlytime youthful entertainment. Each play or individual entertainment was introduced by a song or words in jingling rhyme sung in chorus by all taking part in the play. These words explained and carried forward as it were, the movement and progress of the play to its own close, when another song for like purpose would start and carry forward another play."

http://riverweb.cet.uiuc.edu/Archives/transactions/1905/IL-social_20life.html

Transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society--1905-Social Life and Scenes in the Early Settlement of Central Illinois (By James Haines.)