Home > A rare, patriotic, satirical ballad written by Benjamin Franklin... Great on the British evacuating Boston...

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A rare, patriotic, satirical ballad written by Benjamin Franklin... Great on the British evacuating Boston...

Item # 704673

March 30, 1776

THE PENNSYLVANIA EVENING POST, Philadelphia, March 30, 1776

* American Revolutionary War
* Great year to have (1776)
* Benjamin Franklin song

The front page begins with a wonderful letter beginning; "The Ministry have boasted much of their regular, their disciplined troops, which they fancied capable of beating all the irregulars in the world. One would wonder how men of any attention to what has passed, could deceive themselves into such an opinion when so many facts, within the memory of men not very old, evince the contrary. The falling Hanky song gives us a pretty little collection of those fact..." with more.
Include in full is this 'Yankee" song titled; "The King's Own Regulars, and their Triumph Over the Irregulars. A New Song, to the tune of 'An Old Courtier of the Queens...".
See the photos for the full text of the song, which praises the previous military victories of England, yet showing them falling short in the current war. Nice to have such a rare item as Franklin rarely wrote song lyrics.
While unsigned (as was typical of Franklin), most scholars attribute this ballad to Ben Franklin, as does "The Papers of Benjamin Franklin", edited by Leonard W. Labaree (Yale University Press).
Pages 2 and 3 contain a great and very detailed account of the British evacuating Boston, nothing near the beginning: "Last sabbath the British army in Boston, under General Howe, consisting of upwards of 7,000 men...disgracefully quitted all their strong holes in Boston...fled from before the army of the United Colonies..." with much more (see the photos).
Four pages, 8 1/4 by 10 1/2 inches, never-trimmed margins, some archival strengthening at the blank spine, great condition.

AI notes: Benjamin Franklin’s satirical song, “The King’s Own Regulars, and their Triumph Over the Irregulars” (1775), humorously mocks the British Army during the early Revolutionary War, highlighting their difficulties in facing the unconventional tactics of colonial militias. Set to the popular English tune “An Old Courtier of the Queen’s,” the song recounts a series of military setbacks, including retreats and failed assaults at locations like Prestonpans, Falkirk, Monongahela, Fort George, Oswego, and Ticonderoga, emphasizing the contrast between the disciplined British regulars and the agile, unpredictable “Irregulars.” Through exaggerated and comic lyrics, Franklin (to whom the song is attributed) portrays British officers—such as Lord Percy—as struggling to maintain control while colonial forces exploit their rigidity, turning every engagement into a humorous tale of British misfortune. The piece reflects Franklin’s wit and propaganda skill, serving both to entertain colonial readers and to bolster morale by celebrating the resourcefulness and resilience of the American forces.