Michael - thanks for posting this wonderful song. At first I thought it an original song of 1812/13; the simple and unbraided lyrics are just fitting the European folk tradition.
There is an old German song of these times of which Knopfler's lyrics reminded me: "Mit Mann und Ross und Wagen hat sie der Herr geschlagen ..." (With man and horse and wagon the Lord has hit them hard ..."
Poor boys, and now a similar adventure is going on between the Rivers.

Wilfried