, Sept. 21, 1737; graduated at Princeton in 1763, and in 1765 was admitted to the bar. His republican principles caused his removal from a lucrative office in
.
He was a member of Congress in 1776-77, and was distinguished during the Revolution by political and satirical writings.
His best known is
May 9, 1791.
, sent floating down the stream some torpedoes in the form of kegs filled with gunpowder, and so arranged with machinery that on rubbing against an object they would explode.
It was hoped that some of these torpedoes might touch a British war-vessel, explode and sink her. One of them, touching a piece of floating ice in front of the city, blew up, and created intense alarm.
For twenty-four hours afterwards not a thing was seen floating on the bosom of the river without being fired at by musket or cannon.
This event greatly amused the
Battle of the kegs.
Gallants attend, and hear a friend
Trill forth harmonious ditty;
strange things I'll tell, which late befell
In Philadelphia city.
'Twas early day, as poets say,
Just when the sun was rising,
A soldier stood on log of wood,
And saw a thing surprising.
As in amaze he stood to gaze
(The truth can't be denied, sir),
He spied a score of kegs, or more,
Come floating down the tide, sir.
A sailor, too, in jerkin blue,
The strange appearance viewing,
First d—d his eyes, in great surprise,
Then said, “Some mischief's brewing.”
“These kegs, I'm told, the rebels hold,
Pack'd up like pickled herring;
And they've come down t'attack the town
In this new way of ferry'ng.”
The soldier flew, the sailor too,
And, scared almost to death, sir,
Wore out their shoes to spread the news,
And ran till out of breath, sir.
Now up and down, throughout the town,
Most frantic scenes were acted;
And some ran here, and others there,
Like men almost distracted.
Some “Fire!” cried, which some denied.
But said the earth had quaked;
And girls and boys, with hideous noise,
Ran through the streets half naked.
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Sir William
1 he, snug as a flea,
Lay all this time a snoring;
Nor dream'd of harm as he lay warm
In bed with
Mrs. L—ng.
2 Now, in a fright, he starts upright,
Awaked by such a clatter;
He rubs both eyes and boldly cries,
“For God's sake, what's the matter?”
At his bedside he then espied
Sir Erskine,
3 at command, sir;
Upon one foot he had one boot,
And t'other in his hand, sir.
“Arise!
arise!” Sir Erskine cries;
“The rebels—more's the pity—
Without a boat, are all afloat,
And ranged before the city.
“The motley crew, in vessels new,
With Satan for their guide, sir,
Pack'd up in bags, or wooden kegs,
Come driving down the tide, sir.
“Therefore prepare for bloody war;
These kegs must all be routed;
Or surely we despised shall be,
And British courage doubted.”
The royal band now ready stand,
All ranged in dread array, sir,
With stomach stout to see it out,
And make a bloody day, sir.
The cannons roar from shore to shore,
The small-arms loud did rattle;
Since wars began I'm sure no man
E'er saw so strange a battle.
The rebel dales, the rebel vales,
With rebel trees surrounded,
The distant woods, the hills and floods,
With rebel echoes sounded.
The fish below swam to and fro,
Attack'd from every quarter;
Why sure (thought they), the devil's to pay
'Mong folks above the water.
The kegs, tis said, though strongly made
Of rebel staves and hoops, sir,
Could not oppose their powerful foes,
The conq'ring British troops, sir.
From morn to night these men of might
Display'd amazing courage.
And when the sun was fairly down,
Retired to sup their porridge.
A hundred men, with each a pen,
Or more, upon my word, sir,
It is most true, would be too few
Their valor to record, sir.
Such feats did they perform that day
Against these wicked kegs, sir,
That, years to come, if they get home,
They'll make their boasts and brags, sir.
