1.Oh，were you ne'er a schoolboy，And did you never train，And feel that swelling of the heart You neˊer can feel again.
2.Did you never meet，far down the street，With plumes and banners gay，While the kettle，for the kettledrum1，
Played your march，march away.
3.It seems to me but yesterday，Nor scarce so long ago，Since all our school their muskets1 took，To charge the fearful foe.
4.Our muskets were of cedar2 wood，With ramrods bright and new；With bayonets3 forever set，And painted barrels4，too.
5.We charged upon a.ock of geese，And put them all to.ight-Except one sturdy5 gander
That thought to show us.ght.
6.But，ah！we knew a thing or two； Our captain wheeled the van6；We routed7 him，we scouted8 him，Nor lost a single man！
1Muskets，a kind of gun.
2Cedar，a very durable kind of wood.
3Bayonets，a sharp piece of steel on the end of a gun. 4 Barrels，the long metal tube forming part of a gun. 5 Sturdy，stubborn，bold.6Van，the front.7Routed，put to.ight. 8 Scouted，made fun of.
7.Our captain was as brave a lad As e'er commission1 bore；And brightly shone his new tin sword； A paper cap he wore.
8.He led us up the steep hillside，Against the western wind，While the cockerel2 plume that decked his headStreamed bravely out behind.
9.We shouldered arms，we carried arms，We charged3 the bayonet；And woe unto the mullein4 stalk.That in our course we met！
1 Commission，a writing to show power. 2 Cockerel，a young chicken-cock.3Charged，made an onset.4Mullein，a tall plant that grows in neglected.elds.
10.At two oˊclock the roll we called，And till the close of day，With fearless hearts，though tired limbs，We fought the mimic fray1，-Till the supper bell，from out the dell，Bade us march，march away.