Folk and Traditional Song Lyrics:
Bold Engineer

The Bold Engineer

The Bold Engineer
(OHS)
[Air--Young Lockinvar.]

O bully George B. has come out of the West
Of all that wide border, the scourge and the pest;
For save Abe's good pleasure he conscience hath none--
See his exploits now rival Attila the Hun,
For the vilest of villians from far and from near
Is George B. McClellan, the bold engineer.

But ere at the capital he did arrive,
King Abe had found out that the war could not thrive;
So he gave to McClellan the supreme command
Of the dregs of the prisons of each decent land;
For the greatest of Generals that now we have here,
He thinks, is McClellan, the bold engineer.

He staid not for speech, for with sabre and gun
The "Grand Army" away from the Rebels had run;
But when he'd retreated into Washington,
He cursed the brave Rebels and General Johnston;
For Johnston from far and Beauregard near,
Quite frightened to fits this bold engineer.

So he drew up his forces and loudly did bawl
For his infantry, cavalry, cannons and all;
Then out spake bold Davis, his hand on his hilt,
The hilt of his sabre so massively gilt--
You'll kindly explain what wind blew you here,
Then pack his trunk to clear out will my bold engineer.

Abe's long asked your homage, his suit you've denied--
His much beloved nigger you've thrashed till he cried;
So now I have come with this army of mine,
The rights and the wrongs of the case to define;
You have not a chance, for your stars and your bars
Must pale when they look on my stripes and my stars;
For the biggest of blowhards that 'ere did appear,
Is George B. McClellan, the bold engineer.

So he threw down Abe's challenge, J. D. took it up,
Remarking on slips 'twixt the lip and the cup,
And deigued to his logic the briefest reply,
That the claim was unjust and the proof was a lie;
Then his stove pipes at Munson's full soon did appear,
And scared out of his boots was this bold engineer.

On the very next Wednesday the battle took place,
And the Hessians thought proper to right about face;
For the stove pipes above had a menacing look,
And soon his Dutch courage each Yankee forsook;
And these bold heroes mutter'd, teeth chattering from fear,
That they wished that the devil had this engineer.

One cuff would not do, nor one kick in the rear--
Lord Lincoln commands and his men persevere;
So again to the breezes the standards are flung,
And Fairfax reaches the war trumpet's tongue,
Where the Black Horsemen charging, have routed with fear,
The troops of McClellan, the bold engineer.

There was wild disarray in the rear and the van--
The Virginians they rode and the Yankees they ran;
There was racing and chasing, 'twas pleasing to see
The Hessians well beat as a Hessian could be;
So now we'll take leave with a kick in the rear
Of George B. McClellan, the bold engineer.

O. H. S.
Baltimore, Oct. 14th, 1861.
RG
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