Broadside ballad entitled 'The Battle of Balfron'

Transcription

The Battle of Balfron

PRICE ONE PENNY

The circumstances which gave rise to the following song,
are simply these :?On the morning of the 8th of March. 1859.
the inhabitants of Balfron, were apprehensive of riotous pro-
ceedings by the navvies employed at the Glasgow Water
Works, who had visited the town in great numbers. A de-
tachment of military was telegraphed for from Stirling, but
before their arrival, about 11 o'clock forenoon, the navvies
had decamped and left the town. The song is the production
of Mr William Sinclair of Stirling. Copies can only be had,
in the Poet's Box, 6 St Audrew's Lane, Glasgow.

Air?Guy Fawkes.

Hlgt glory to the old Black Watch, & dauntless Sevonty-One
And glory to the Ninety-Two. who have such laurels won.
And honour to the illustrious few who bravely led them on,
To the deathless & the bloodless field of the battle of Balfron.
Twas the morning of the 8th of March, & seven by the chime.
When rushed down from the Water Works some hundreds

in their prime,?

Two hundred lrish labourers and Highland navvies ran,
Like a torrent from the Water W orks to the'battle of Balfron.
And some were armed with picks and spades, and some with

bludgeons too,                                          (they flew :

And cart-wheel spokes, and good oak rungs, all gathered as
Loud yells & ories rang to the skies, as the navvies hurried on.
Hurrah for the Glasgow Water Works & the battle of Balfron.
Up started from their dreamy beds the good folks of the tuwn,
But little reck'd they such a host was on them coming down;
Alarm'd they heard the lrish yell & the thund' ring Gaelic toue.
And wished they werel000 miles from the battle of Balfron.

They came in wild confusion, with many a loud hurrah,

All shouting cries of battle, all eager for the fray?
Snobs, fleshers, tailors wondered, while all cried out Ochone,
Out, out from every window looked the good folks of Balfron.
Still. still the Gælic mingled with the lrish yell and cheer;
I wish, cried out a farmer, we had the Scotch Greys here,
Or the fighting Enniskillens, who at Balaklava shoue,
With the bold dragoons from Dublin, at the battle of Balfron.
One louder than the rest exclaimed, friends, this will never do,
We'll all be broiled & swallowed up in such an Irish stew,
So let us send tor the Forty-Twa who have great battles won,
And our town shall be famed in ages for the buttle of Baltron.
Then swift as rushing lightning, on letters all of tire,
The order to old Stirling flash'd on the telegraphie wire.
And in a trice the Righlanders the railway line were on,
With rifles, powder, balls and all, for the battle of Balfron.
No sooner did the Irish boys and stalwart navvies kuow
That the Forty Twa, from Stirling town, had been invited so,
Than they cried, och, by the powers, my boys, we'll let them

fight alone,

And have all the glory to themselves of the battle of Balfron.
Hurrah for the Glasgow Water Works, with many a shout
and cheer,                                              (longer here !

They cried, as they shouldered spade and rung?We'll be no,
And off they sallied, as they came, hurrahing all, well done,
We were first to reach and leave the field, of the battle of

Balfron.

How shall the Muse presume to sing of how the Forty-Twa.
Did celebrate a victory. such as they never saw ?
Instead of fire locks, Pipes of Peace were lighted one by one.

And tobacco smoke?not gunpowder?ascended o'er Balfron.
Great whangs of cheese, and cakes and ale, were by the

neighbours brought,

For such a bloodless battle ne'er was in old Scotland fought,
And medals on the spot wore struck ere yet the feast was done
In honour of the victory of the battle of Balfron.
Then glory to the old Black Watch & dauntless Seventy One,

And Honour to the illustrious few who bravely led them on,
To the deathless & the bloodless field of the battle of Balfron,

Saturday Morning, May 7, 1859.

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