Battle of Boulogne, The

DESCRIPTION: "On the second of August, eighteen hundred and one, We sailed with Lord Nelson to the port of Boulogne." The forces attack a strongly entrenched position, and suffer heavy casualties. Nelson and crews work for better times for the wounded
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: before 1826 (broadside, Bodleian 2806 c.18(216))
KEYWORDS: sea sailor battle death ship
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
Aug 2, 1801 - Battle of Boulogne
FOUND IN: Britain(England(North),Scotland(Aber))
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Stokoe/Reay-SongsAndBalladsOfNorthernEngland, pp. 178-179, "The Battle of Boulogne" (1 text, 1 tune)
Greig/Duncan1 145, "The Battle of Boulogne" (1 text)
Ashton-RealSailorSongs, #17, "The Battle of Boulogne" (1 text)
Palmer-OxfordBookOfSeaSongs 78, "The Second of August" (1 text, 1 tune)
ST StoR178 (Partial)
Roud #3175
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, 2806 c.18(216), "A new song, composed by the wounded tars at the seige of Boulogne" ("On the second of August eighteen hundred and one"), Angus (Newcastle), 1774-1825; also Firth c.13(46), Harding B 11(3670A), Firth c.13(45), Firth b.25(81), "The Battle of Boulogne"; Harding B 25(139), "The Battle of Boulougne"
NOTES [68 words]: For a conflict involving Lord Nelson (1758-1805), most histories have little to say about the Battle of Boulogne -- many histories of the Napoleonic Wars don't mention it at all. Nelson, always aggressive, attempted an attack on the French fortifications, and was bloodily repulsed, much as described in the song.
This song is known primarily from broadsides, but Greig at least had a traditional version. - RBW
Last updated in version 4.4
File: StoR178

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