The Humourous Poetry of the English Language

324
Borne before her on a shutter,
Like a well-conducted person,
Went on cutting bread and butter.
THE YANKEE VOLUNTEERS.
W. MAKEPEACE THACKERAY.
["A surgeon of the United States army says, that on inquiring of the
Captain of his company, he found THAT NINE-TENTHS of the men had
enlisted on account of some female difficulty."]--Morning Paper.
Ye Yankee volunteers!
It makes my bosom bleed
When I your story read,
Though oft 'tis told one.
So--in both hemispheres
The woman are untrue,
And cruel in the New,
As in the Old one!
What--in this company
Of sixty sons of Mars,
Who march 'neath Stripes and Stars,
With fife and horn,
Nine tenths of all we see
Along the warlike line
Had but one cause to join
This Hope Folorn?
Deserters from the realm
Where tyrant Venus reigns,
You slipped her wicked chains,
Fled and out-ran her.
And now, with sword and helm,
Together banded are
Beneath the Stripe and Star-
embroidered banner!