Peter Williamson, 'indian Peter' (A Ballad)

Peter Williamson 'Indian Peter' (1730 to 1799) Frae Hirnlay by Abyne there cam A crofter's loon baith stoot an fair Sent tae an aunt in Aiberdeen Tae holiday an takk the air His name wis Peter Williamson An tae the harbour side he gaed An there wis kidnapped bi a gang Fa mony's the likely bairn waylaid A piper drooned their skirlin oot In Aedie's hoose the lee-lang nicht Bit in The Planter's derksome hold Young Peter wis kept ooto sicht Noo Captain Ragg the maister wis A cheil baith sleekit, coorse an hard Aff tae Virginia he set sail The clink o siller his reward Eleven wikks the voyage tuik A storm blew up, the ship wis wracked Nearhaun New Jersey aff the shore Bairns cooried as the mainsails cracked The crew deserted them till dawn Fin, seein that the ship bedd hale They rowed oot tae The Planter's side An freed the trappit loons for sale Tae Philadelphia he wis taen The kidnapped loon wis auctioned there Hugh Wilson, a Scot like himsel Bocht him, an treated Peter fair Fin Wilson deed, Peter wis free His maister left him aa his gear At 21, a wadded man, He settled on the Berks frontier His wife wis veesitin her kin Fin Indians frae Delaware Attacked his cabin, captured him He wis their slave, wi nane tae care He saw the Cherokee, their wyes Watched horrid torture, scalpit heid Ae nicht he slipped aff in the derk His hame wis brunt. His wife wis deid He jyned the British airmy neist Agin the French an Mohawk there Catched!Tae prison sent awa Sae Peter he wis jyled aince mair Some time wore by, an he wis freed An back tae Britain's shores he cam In the French vessel Le Renomme Neist year in York, he hatched his plan He selt a pamphlet o his fate Rigged like a Cherokee, rael mean He daunced the rain daunce roon the toons Tae traivel back tae Aiberdeen O a the hunners kidnapped there Bi merchant an bi magistrate Wi press gangs, anely ane returned Young Peter. Wid they compensate? In Aiberdeen they brunt his buik They fined him. Sae he quit theport He left fur Embro, there wis telt Tae takk his case tae Session Court In Embro's court, Justice at last! An Aiberdeen maun bear the cost Provost, fower Bailies, Dean of Guild Argyed, bit their defence wis lost Noo Peter bocht a coffee shop In Parliament Hoose he kept an inn An hingin judges gaithered there Tae spikk o judgements they hid gaen He set up Embro's penny post He screived a street directory An aften wauked the cassies dressed As Indian Peter, Cherokee An fin he deed, this lad o pairts Wis beeriet in his fey rigoot Moccasins, leggins, feathers tae A wondrous cheil wioot a doot