TOLEDO WAR SONG

Come all ye Michiganians, and lend a hearing ear;
Remember, for Toledo we once took up sword and spear,
And now, to give that struggle o'er and trade away that land,
I think it's not becoming of valiant-hearted men.

In eighteen hundred thirty-five there was a dreadful strife
Betwixt Ohio and this State; they tallied of taking life.
Ohio claimed Toledo, and so did Michigan;
They both declared they'd have it, with its adjoining land.

There was Norvell and McDonell, and several other men;
They were all "Hurrah for Jackson! we won't give up that land;
We will fight that rebel Lucas with his millions of men;
We know that we can flax him out with one man to his ten."

Old Lucas gave his order for all to hold a court;
And Stevens Thom Mason,-he thought he'd have some sport.
He called upon the Wolverines and asked them for to go,
To meet this rebel Lucas, his court to overthrow.

Our independent companies were ordered for the march;
Our officers were ready, all stiffened up with starch;
On nimble-footed coursers, our officers did ride,
With each a pair of pistols and sword hung by his side.

There was Wayne, Macomb, and Oakland, Monroe, and Washtenaw,
They held a general muster to see what they would do;
They drew on the militia and fitted them for war,
With musket, ax, and bayonet, with sword and shield and spear.

On the thirteenth of September old Lucas set his day,
He thought to take Toledo from Michigan away;
But may it be remembered, it justly happened so,
On the first week in September we marched for Toledo.

We held a general muster; we trained till past sundown.
At the head of all the Wolverines marched Mason and old Brown,
A valiant-hearted General,—a Governor likewise —
A set of jovial Wolverines, to bung Ohio's eyes.

When we got down to Toledo old Lucas was not there;
He had heard that we were coming, and ran away with fear;
To hear the wolves a howling scared the poor devil so,
He said, before he'd fight them,, he'd give up Toledo.

We staid at this Toledo the space of three long days;
We thought it would be foolish to make a longer stay;
On two most splendid steamboats, the Brady and the Jackson,
We took a soldier's passage and slowly moved along.

We came into a village, I think they called Monroe,
At four o'clock on the same clay that we left Toledo;
And early the next morning we formed a hollow square,
And listened to a speech made by our Governor.

His speech was not so lengthy as to occupy much time;
We then packed up our little all and bade them all good bye;
On the thirtieth of September we reached our native home,
Which ended the immortal war of Lucas and Mason.

But mark the alteration that has lately taken place;
John Norvell and McDonnell, and all that noble race,—
Such valiant-hearted soldiers, such noble-hearted men,—
That styled themselves Republicans, the friends of Michigan.

Mark the republic spirit that they have now displayed;
At first they'd have Toledo or lose their lives in aid;
But now the song they sing to us is: "Trade away that land
For that poor, frozen country beyond Lake Michigan."

They say that we must surely trade, or we shall be cast out;
That we shall lose our five per cent as sure as we do not;
That we can't be admitted into the bold union,
But that we must, like the fifth calf, stand back and just look on.

And if we're not admitted, a member we can't send,
All for to represent us to be good and honest men,—
As honest as John Norvell, McDonnell, and some more;
If their good names were mentioned, there would be half a score.

Then let us drink a health to those honest, upright men.
To all those true Republicans, the friends of Michigan;
And when we have another war for the disputed land,
May they be ready, cocked and primed to fight for Michigan.