Ode to George Washington–Bill Lawrence
“Twas the night of Christmas
When all through the camp
Not a Hessian was sober
But all lit like a lamp
Their clothes were all hung
By the fire without care
Never dreaming that Washington
Would ever come there.
And while they lay sleeping
All snug in their beds,
Visions of beer sausages
Danced in their heads
When outside the barracks
There arose such a clatter
They sprang from their bunks
To see what was the matter
And what did their bloodshot
Eyes there behold,
But a small little army,
Two thousand all told.
It swarmed in all screaming
So swift and so bold,
The Hessians in their underwear
Rushed Out in the cold.
More rapid than eagles,
The Americans they came
And a man whistled and shouted
And called them by name:
“Now Stirling and Sullivan.
Now Knox and Nat Greene,
Move quickly, brave lads,
And a victory’ll be seen.
Up over the ramparts
And up Over the Wall,
Dash out! Dash, out!
Dash out their brains all!”
With this the Hessians,
Now lively and quick,
Knew that their visitor
Wasn’t jolly St. Nick.Twas the Old Fox himself
With his bag full of tricks
Who’d crossed the broad Delaware
Their wagons to fix
His uniform was wet,
And all dirty and wrinkled
But on spying the Hessians
His eyes how they twinkled
So the old fox the Hessian stockings
Did fill
While scarcely a drop of Patriot blood
Did he spill
For a mere two men
Were lost in the fight
And, sad to relate,
Both of these from frostbite
Then he sprang to his horse
To his troops gave an order
And away they all marched
To the New Jersey border
He was heard to exclaim
As he rode out of sight
“ Merry Christmas to all
And to all a good fight”
