Vermont quarter dollar coin
Ho—all to the borders! Vermonters, come down
With your britches of deerskin, and jackets of brown;
With your red woolen caps, and your moccasins come
To the gathering summons of trumpet and drum
Come down with your rifle!—let grey wolf and fox
Howl on in the shadow of primitive rocks;
Let bear feed securely from pig-pen and stall;
Here's two-legged game for your powder and ball
[Chorus]
And cheer, cheer, the green mountaineer!
And cheer, cheer, the green mountaineer!
[Verse 2]
On the south came the Hessians, our land to police;
And, armed for the battle, while canting of peace;
On our East came the British, the red-coated band
To hang up our leaders and eat up our land
Ho—all to the rescue! for Satan shall work
No gain for the legions of Hampshire and York!
They claim our possession,—the pitiful knaves—
The tribute we pay, shall be prisons and graves!
[Chorus]
And cheer, cheer, the green mountaineer!
And cheer, cheer, the green mountaineer!
[Verse 3]
We owe no allegiance; we bow to no throne;
Our ruler is law, and the Law is our own;
Our leaders themselves are our own fellow-men
Who can handle the sword, and the scythe, and the pen
Hurrah for Vermont! For the land that we till
Must have sons to defend her from valley and hill;
Our vow is recorded—our banner unfurled;
In the name of Vermont we defy all the world!
[Chorus]
And cheer, cheer, the green mountaineer!
And cheer, cheer, the green mountaineer!
And cheer, cheer, the green mountaineer!
“Song of the Vermonters,’’ by John Greenlead Whittier (1807-1892), Massachusetts poet and abolitionist.
