The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #21634   Message #888175
Posted By: Malcolm Douglas
11-Feb-03 - 09:50 PM
Thread Name: Info requested re: 'The Deserter'
Subject: RE: Info requested re: 'The Deserter'
The only published set collected by Gardiner has the "Prince Albert" verse you quote, so no joy there; thanks, though. All the broadside examples I've been able to see so far are split between Prince Albert and the Duke of York. Still looking for General Wolfe, then. Perhaps Gardiner got another, unpublished set that included him.

Returning to Toadfrog's comments earlier; there wasn't a "Press Gang" for the army. Technically, everyone was a volunteer until conscription was introduced in the 20th century. However, it was a common practice of recruiting parties to sign up drunks (often made drunk deliberately, it seems) who later regretted bitterly their rashness; as here.