Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Poetry and Incidents., Volume 1.
Frank Moore, Ed.

17. to the British rifle company.

by George W. Morgan.

Old England sends a Rifle Corps
     To dear New England greeting;
And will, if wanted, send still more,
     At every future meeting;
For, though this ain't our native land,
     It still is very handy,
As riflemen, to lend a hand,
     To Yankee Doodle Dandy.
Chorus--Brother Britons, keep it up,
     Keep the ball in motion,
And show this love of liberty
     Is a British--Yankee notion.

“Down South” they seem to think we are Divided in opinion,
     And that they'll have an easy task
To conquer a dominion.
     They'll find out, though, p'raps to their cost,
In forming such conclusions,
     They've reckoned there without their host,--
Their facts were but delusions.
     Chorus--Brother Britons, keep it up, &c.

They say there's black sheep in our fold,
     And traitors in the city;
We don't believe it, though we're told;--
     If 'tis so, more's the pity.
We'll hold ourselves in readiness
     To paint their black skins white, sirs,
Or else make good large apertures
     That will let in the light, sirs.
Chorus--Brother Britons, keep it up, &c.

And if to Bunker Hill they come,
     To call their rolls of slaves, sirs,
They'll make it their perpetual home
     In mighty pleasant graves, sirs. [14]
Old England and New England's sons
     Are bound as loving brothers;
Both hearts and hands, their swords and guns,
     Alike are one another's.
Chorus--Brother Britons, keep it up, &c.

Boston, April 24, 1861.