Col. Tench Tilghman DAR Chapter-Tilghman's Ride

Caroline F. Loughborough was a member of the Col.Tench Tilghman Chapter. She published a book of poetry entitled Fragments. Her poem is reprinted with permission of the family.

TENCH TILGHMAN'S RIDE

It was a son of Maryland,
Tench Tilghman was his name,
Who with the glorious tidings once
To Philadelphia came.

He rowed him to the Eastern Shore,
Across Chesapeake Bay,
By hoof and spur he must travel then
All the rest of the way.

Bleak and dark and sleeping was
The land through which he rode
But he made it bloom like a garden bright
With the jubilance he sowed.

Rap, rap, rap, on a farmer's door,
The folk came dazed and awed;
"Listen, the Lord Cornwallis' self
Has yielded up his sword.

A horse, a horse for the Congress,
I ride to tell them all,
Stint me no mount till my race is done
At Independence Hall."

They stinted him not. "God speed yen fast;
Here's a horse and food and drink."
They held their lanterns high for 'his start.
On, on, -- with never a wink.

Till after four days of riding hard,
Into the Quaker town
He rattled safe with his mighty news,
"Cornwallis has gone down."

'Twas then a baby nation grew
Suddenly tall and straight,
And kicked its cradle over - "Behold
I'm come to Man's estate."

'Twas then the silent watches heard
Old Independence Bell
Boom the message that ringeth yet,
"Midnight, and all is well."

Maryland State Society DAR

NSDAR Home

The DAR Insignia is the property of, and is copyrighted by, the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Web hyperlinks to non-DAR sites are not the responsibility of the NSDAR, the state organizations, or individual DAR chapters.
Site maintained by Karen Rosen.
Date this page was last updated: September 15, 2009.