Hurrah for Rough and Ready
(sung to the tune of Old Dan Tucker)
When Washington and Jackson fled,
Folks thought our race of heroes dead,
But Freedom to her soil still steady,
Sent gallant Taylor, "the Rough and Ready."
Hurrah, hurrah,
Hurrah, hurrah,
Both night and day with voices steady,
Shout for our gallant "Rough and Ready."
A noble son of old Kentuck,
With a heart like a lion, an eye like a buck,
A head as clear as her skies so free,
And frame as tough as her hickory tree.
Hurrah, hurrah, &c.
In eighteen "12" 'gainst twelve to one,
He bravely saved Fort Harrison,
And made Miami's red skins fly,
From the lead of his guns, and the fire of his eye.
Hurrah, hurrah, &c.
At Florida in '37,
With five hundred men --- the foe eleven,
He burnt "red alligators" Toby,
And conquered at Lake Okeechobee.
Hurrah, hurrah, &c.
There Thompson, Brooke, and a hundred fell,
'Mid the roar of the storm and the Indian yell,
But Taylor gave the cats such cracks,
That they flew from the field like the fur from their backs.
Hurrah, hurrah, &c.
At last against the lurking foe,
The pride of Bandit, Mexico,
He met them five to one quite handy,
And gave them Yankee Doodle Dandy.
Hurrah, hurrah, &c.
He covered Palo Alto's grass,
And Resaca de la Palma's Pass,
With heads and limbs and being winner,
He fed his troops on Arista's dinner.
Hurrah, hurrah, &c.
Then hail to Zach., the first of men,
With sword or word, or with the pen,
To the people ever true and steady,
We'll find him still "Old Rough and Ready."
Hurrah, hurrah,
Hurrah, hurrah,
Both night and day with voices steady,
Shout for the gallant "Rough and Ready."
Come fall in boys, eyes right and steady.
And raise the shout for Rough and Ready,
He licked Old Peg Leg with his Pass
And now he’ll use up Lewis Cass.*
All of the preceding verses are from the Rough and Ready Songster except for this one.
This verse was found in an article in Fort Scott's files.
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