Bill Parker and Orangemen of Emily Township March on Lindsay July 12, 1846

Bill Parker of South Emily By Crown and Throne he swore That the great house of Orange Should suffer wrong no more. By this he meant the order That locally he led For bitterness had filled its cup Since Lindsay lads had roughed him up The lodges noble head.

"Let the Irish by the Scugog Beware my wrath!" he cried "We'll march the Battle of the Bogne With deeds by Scugog's side Let every gallant Orangeman Come join me in the fray, For Parker of South Emily Is on the march today!"

The fife-men and the drummers Came pouring in amain With muskets and militia swords To make their purpose plain. They mustered at "Omeninee" Besides Galbraiths distillery Then on twelve miles of corduroy They sallied boldly, man and boy, Horse, foot and light artillery.

With irate resolution Their cohorts onward stump. Though some were mired at Stoney Creek And some in Scully's Swamp; The hottest sun of summer was blazing in the sky, But neither heat nor primal muck Could melt their zeal or mar their pluck; For Parker all would die.

Meanwhile beside the Scugog The dreadful news was heard. That Parker to destroy the town Had pledged his mighty word; A flying sentry from East Ops Had heard the distant drumming And gasped his frantic tidings out: "The Orange men are coming!'

All who had muskets got them out And lined the river banks; Good Thomas Keenan from his store Supplied the other ranks With Scyths-blades, which, with handles wrapped Could serve as wicked sabers, And pitch forks that gave deadly threats As all-efficient bayonets Amid their martial labours.

Then Lenihen and Connelly Gellogly, Pyre and Greenan Stood stoutly by O'Holloran By Brady, Spratt and Keenan; McBride, McHugh and Thatcher tall Camlin and Liddy too, And Bryce and Twohey, Dunn and Roach Waxed valiant at the dark approach Of all the hostile crew.

Only one bridge the Scugog crossed To give the invaders entry; If this were won, the town was lost, Averred the flying sentry. Two cedar stringers spanned the stream, With shorter cross-logs laid; Four men on the abutments stood To ply the axemens trade.

Then out spake Patrick McEvoy The parish priest was he. From Mayo, Ireland, he'd come Across the hungry sea. "Hew down the bridge, ye spaleens And I, bedad, shall go A half mile hence along the trail Up to Langs Corner, nor shall fail To parlay with the foe."

Then out spake Alex Bryson, A Presbyterian he An elder who, on Frances Street, On Sunday bent the knee; "I'm with you, Father McEvoy Set at your strong left hand; I, too, shall go on foot today And shall have something stern to say To that misguided band."

And now the keen broad axes Bite deeply in the logs As with his straining muscles Each frantic axeman slogs; Then with a rend of timber There comes the final splash And with that last deciding blow The bullfrogs in the stream below Are blinded by the splash.

Meanwhile bold Parker's army The herald voices heard. To Bryson and to McEvoy They answered not a word. Then spoke the gentle Methodist: "Boys, this was badly done! Be sure the judge will pay a call To hold a siege in the fall And if you've killed a man at all, He'll hang you, every one!"

"You're right, bedad,"said Parker then, "I never thought of that An Irishman may love a fight But hangings rather flat. The battle of the Scugog Would at last be hollow When hanging for the lot of us Had made it hard to swallow,"

"Comrades, I thank you for your trust, But home we'll turn our heads. The blood of Sixteen-ninetys fight Must not again be shed. Here in this strange new country Another day may come When Irish of the North and South We'll be less quarrelsome."

And now when Lindsay Rotary That ancient feud remembers, Both Protestants and Catholics Are happy fellow members; And with weeping and laughter The story still is told How long ago at Lindsay town Two armies glowered frown for frown And bullfrogs watched the bridge go down In the brave days of old.


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