On Deborah Gannet

The American heroine, who on Tuesday last presented a petition to Congress for a pension, in consideration of services rendered during the whole of the late war, in the character of a common follower in the regular armies of America

Ye congress men and men of weight, Who fill the public chairs, And many a favor have conferr'd On some, unknown to Mars; And ye, who hold the post of fame, The helmsmen of our great affairs, Afford a calm, attentive ear To her who handled sword and spear, A heroine in a bold career, Assist a war-worn dame.

With the same vigorous soul inspired As Joan of Arc, of old, With zeal against the Briton fired, Her spirit warm and bold, She march'd to face her country's foes Disguised in male attire: Where'er they prowl'd through field or town With steady step she follow'd on; Resolved the conflict to sustain, She met them on the hill, the plain, And hostile to the English reign, She hurl'd the blasting fire.

Now for such generous toils endured, Her day of warfare done, In life's decline at length reward This faithful amazon: She asks no thousands at your hands, Though mark'd with many a scar; She asks no share of indian lands, Though lands you have to spare:

But something in the wane of days To make her snug, and keep her warm, A cottage, and the cheery blaze, To shield her from the storm; And something to the pocket too, Your bounty might afford, Of her, who did our foes pursue With bayonet, gun, and sword.

Reflect how many tender ties A female must forego Ere to the martial camp she flies To meet the invading foe: How many bars has nature placed, And custom many more, Lest slighted woman should be graced With trophies gain'd in war. All these she nobly overcame, And scorn'd a censuring age, Join'd in the ranks, her road to fame, Despis'd the Briton's rage; And men, who, with contracted mind, All arrogant, condemn And make disgrace in womankind What honor is in them.

These odes first appeared in the Time-Piece, where they were published in rapid succession between October 16 and November 13, 1797. Three of them--the fourth, sixth, and eleventh--were republished, greatly revised, in the edition of 1809. The eighth, tenth, and thirteenth were used in revised form in the 1815 edition. The others are here republished for the first time.

The first ode, which is manifestly an adaptation of Dr. Watts' well-known hymn, seems to have been objected to in some quarters, for in the Time-Piece for December 22 appeared the following:

"Some serious animadversions appear in the Connecticut Courant on the first number of the Book of Odes, published in the Time-Piece of the 14th ult. being a profane parody, as the writer insinuates, on the first Psalm of David--where the aristocrat corresponds with the saint in the psalm, and the democrat with the impenitent sinner. These gentlemen writers ought to consider that the parody in question (as they choose to call it) was not meant to be sung through a deacon's nose, to the sound of the organ: nor yet to the timbrel of seven strings: it was merely intended to be harped upon out of doors, for the benefit of all good democrats, and the utter astoundment and confusion of the contrary character. In the name of common sense how did the printers of the Connecticut Courant dare to act so irreverantly as to place the parody before the psalm? Are they trampling on all sanctity; or what do they mean? Let them beware--serious times are coming on, gentlemen:

'Your life is but a vapour, sure, A mere old woman's qualm-- And good king David's lyric harp, May close it--with a psalm.'"

Time-Piece, October 18, 1797.

The Time-Piece, October 20, 1797.

From the edition of 1809, the text of which I have followed in all but the title which is "To a Democratic Editor." This poem first appeared in the Time-Piece, October 23, 1797, with the following introduction: "'He that first put a real mark upon the forehead of the BEAST was the inventor of Printing. This mark was impressed deeply, and becomes deeper from day to day.'--Erasmus."

The Time-Piece, October 25, 1797. William Cobbett, an English adventurer, settled in Philadelphia in 1792. Under the signature "Peter Porcupine" he wrote many political pamphlets, and edited a paper called Porcupine's Gazette. He left America in 1800 after having been convicted of libel. His works in twelve volumes, including many selections from the Gazette, were published in 1801, in London. He was an avowed enemy to the Democrats of America; he opposed the French interests, and abused roundly Dr. Priestly, Benjamin Franklin, and Dr. Rush.

Text from the edition of 1809. Originally in the Time-Piece, October 27, 1797, with the following introduction:

"Let but a dancing bear arrive, A pig that counts you four or five, And Cato, with his moral strain, Shall strive to mend the town--in vain."

From the Time-Piece, October 31, 1797.

From the 1815 edition. The Time-Piece version, November 1, 1797, bore the title "To Thos. Swawgum, a Wharf Builder," with the following introduction:

"'And Alexander built a solid mole from the coast, even unto the isle of Tyre, through the deep waters of the channel between: and people said it would be everlasting; and yet at this day it is overwhelmed, and few vestiges left thereof.'--Modern Travels."

From the Time-Piece, October 31, 1797. The following account of the launch is given in the same issue:

"BOSTON, October 23, The Launch! On Saturday last at fifteen minutes P. M. the frigate CONSTITUTION was launched into the adjacent element, on which she now rides an elegant and superb specimen of American naval architecture, combining the unity of wisdom, strength, and beauty. On a signal being given from on board, her ordnance, on shore, announced to the neighboring Country, that the CONSTITUTION WAS SECURE."

From the edition of 1815, with the exception of the title, which is, "The Millennium--To a Ranting Field Orator."

From the Time-Piece, November 13, 1797.

Text from the edition of 1809. The title of the newspaper version was "To the Philadelphia Doctors," with the following motto: "And he said unto him, Physician Heal Thyself."

Published in the Time-Piece, December 4, 1797, and reprinted in the edition of 1815, the text of which I have used, though I have retained the title of the newspaper version. In the 1815 edition the title is "The Heroine of the Revolution. To the men in power," with the note "On December 23, 1797, Deborah Gannet presented a petition to congress for a pension, in consideration of services rendered during the whole of the American Revolutionary war, in the rank of a common soldier in the regular armies of the United States. The above lines were written on this occasion, at the request of the heroine. It is needless to say, she had a competency bestowed on her during her natural life." Freneau's daughter has thus recounted the circumstances under which the affair became known to the poet:

"While editor of the Time-Piece his office was thronged with visitors mostly wanting favors of one kind or another. One day he came into dinner and told Mrs. Freneau that there had been rather an eccentric character in the office that morning, telling him that she had served through the Revolutionary War in man's attire and had received several wounds and showed the scars. All he could do for her was to send her to Washington with a petition, which he did. Her name was Deborah Gannet. She went to Congress, presented her petition, and received her pension. Though he put not his name to it, it was immediately known, as many of the members were his correspondents, also Thomas Jefferson, the President."