Nancy, Nancy Please come home...My bonnie Nancy...
Nancy, Nancy where do you lay
on the bottom, the shallows of Nottawasaga Bay
Nancy, Nancy when will you come home?
here all along, where would you think I'd roam?
Nancy, Nancy; a fur trader's daughter; stem to stern one fine lady
to carry stronghold of troops, provisions; stores fully ready
Nancy, Nancy why 6-pounder guns and two 24-pounder carronades?
geared for battle; the only British ship allowed on Upper Great Lakes trade
Nancy, Nancy what pray tell me what happened exactly back then care to talk?
as mother provisioner of the 41st Regiment 60 men and Sir Isaac Brock
Nancy, Nancy in the War of 1812; how many battles did you ensue; was there no end?
to name a few; The Seige of Detroit and Fort Meigs, the Battle of Lake Erie and Mackinac Island
Nancy, Nancy please tell me how did you suffer?
musket fire from the shore, battered by storms, sails broken now who's tougher?
Nancy, Nancy what plans had they for you?
frightened by US Lieutenant Sinclair's 5.5-inch mortar or two
Nancy, Nancy how did you die; how did you transpire?
at four o'clock, my Lieutenant Worsley scuttled me
a line of powder running to the blockhouse and lit me afire
Nancy, Nancy how did you fare?
Salvaged and restored a fine figurehead today along with many other fine wares
jj
"Her figure-head, carved by Skelling of New York, was "a lady dressed In the present fashion with a hat and feather." The Nancy was probably named for either the wife or daughter of John Richardson."*
"The schooner Nancy was built for the fur trade which she served by carrying goods including food, clothing, rum, meat, powder, blankets, tools, trinkets, weapons and ammunition up the lakes and then returning with furs. At this time, there were two main ports in the West. Sault Ste. Marie governed access to Lake Superior and the North. Further west, in the Straits of Mackinaw, Fort Michilimackinac was a trading post, which commanded Lake Huron, Lake Michigan and the West. This was the center of activity in the northerly Great Lakes and the Northwest. It had been maintained by the French as early as 1687, but the British, in 1761, had been the first to build proper fortifications."*
*http://www.battleofgeorgianbay.huronia.com/wasaga/historyhmsnancy.htm and thanks to Google images CCL
●♥Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ♥●•٠●♥For more tales of the magpie known simply as "mag" please go here: http://magpietales.blogspot.com/2010/06/mag-17.html●♥Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ♥●•٠●♥
Golly. I made a replica of that ship. I think it is the US Constitution, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I answered your question on the blog where you asked it about my making the drawing>>>
√ Reply to chiccoreal...
No, there were no photos. I had to set and listen to the engineers talk and the scientists too, and while they were talking I tried to keep things they'd need straight in my head. Since the government has specs for everything, an engineer often doesn't know that you can use this cabinet or that table or that stool. So while they talked, I made notes and when the meeting was done I began to draw or sketch and what I came up with was what they ended up making only because the guts were hidden in the cabinet they had to use.
Chiccoreal this was great! Great poetry piece, great imagery & also a great history lesson. Very clever indeed!
ReplyDeleteThank-you for your lovely comments Abe and Katherine! Abe: that is amazing! So you had to draw as the engineers did the talking. Sort of reminds me of the court illustrator who has to draw life-like pics of the accused in limited amount of time. However, technical drawings are like this;I have had some drafting classes; eg Orthographic views etc. Although I have never heard of this particular method before where you draw concepts as people are discussing them. I have sketched from life in art class but never in an engineering establishment. That would be awesome!You have to blend drafting and art. These drawings remind me of "how to" illustrations in textbooks. This would be conceptual art then? BTW: The HMS Nancy does look like the USS Constitution although not originally made for canon fodder. They have a War of 1812 re-enactment every year here. A lot of folks come from the States dressed in 1812 battle fatigues, very impressive. It is quite a sight!
ReplyDeleteMoving poetry. We look back in the history texts, reading names and dates of tragedies. But once beating hearts were torn and bruised by those events. You made those hearts live once again with your words. Great job, Roland
ReplyDeleteHar har me lovelies....! Okay - I'll leave the sailor touch to you! But what a refreshing change to the prompt!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story about the Nancy! I am so ignorant of that time in history -- as well as the area. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYes, I really enjoyed the history behind this poem and the emotions which echo in similar situations today.
ReplyDeleteWonderful. I love your nautical themed Magpies. You've gotta be a water sign.
ReplyDeleteI hear the call,
ReplyDeletewhat a smart and thoughtful magpie!
you wove that together so nicely and i appreciated the citations there at the end as well...very nicely done!
ReplyDeleteA delightful piece of history written with fine imagery and lovely cadence. Love it!
ReplyDeletewow what a wondeful poem
ReplyDeleteand tale
http://itistimetothinkformyself.blogspot.com/2010/06/jingles-june-follower-awards-week-1.html
ReplyDeleteJune awards 4 u,
Enjoy!
;)
I am your follower.
Interesting history, heartfelt!
ReplyDeleteThank-you all so most most kindly; I am so bashful!I WANT TO HUG ALL OF YOU!!! AT THE SAME TIME!!! GROUP HUG!!!●♥Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ♥●•٠●♥SMILES!
ReplyDelete