Click here to learn more about this site Click here to return to our home page Click here to visit our "clickable" map of local historic sites Click here to visit Part I of our huge two-part Table of Contents Click here to visit our Gift Shop. The perfect place for unique and wonderful things! Click here to search the site Click here to learn about using the images and materials published on this site Click here to contact us

The Online Resource for Historians, Educators, Students and Visitors since 1997
This is a graphics-intensive publication, to fully experience the site we recommend you have JavaScript enabled.
 Permission to reproduce material from this site must be obtained from the publisher. See copyright notice. Privacy Policy

Looking for a great read about lake history?
Click HERE for more information or to order!		 Praise for Jim Millard's new "Bastions on the Border..."
 "It is really a terrific book... [Millard's] exhaustive study of the documents connected to the forts and masterful presentation of the materials is laudable...quality and variety of the images is terrific..." Dr. Russell P. Bellico- Historian/Author
"Sails and Steam in the Mountains: A Maritime and Military History of Lake George and Lake Champlain" and other titles

  Bookmark and Share  Email, Bookmark or Share this page on Facebook, Twitter or other sites

Commodore Thomas Macdonough
Commodore Thomas Macdonough, USN
 Benson J. Lossing		 Dear Lucy

A Love Song for the
Battle of Plattsburgh

by Thomas Ventiquattro
 
Click HERE to listen to Tom Ventiquattro and Dan Wills' wonderful recording of Dear Lucy- a love song about the Battle of Plattsburgh. Learn more about the artist here.

Note: the music file is in Windows Media Format (.wma) and slightly over 600k in size. Users with slower connections may have to wait for a portion of the song to download before they hear anything. Users of browsers other than Internet Explorer may not be able to play the song.

Let us just imagine that Commodore Macdonough wrote a love letter to his wife immediately after the Battle of Plattsburgh with the shock of cannon fire still ringing in his ears...
 

September 1814, on the waves of Lake Champlain

Commodore Thomas Macdonough took a victory sail to fame

...and after the fight of his life, our hero wrote home to his wife...

 

"Dear Lucy, now it's over, and this crazy rage is done

I'll soon be sailing back to you, dear Lucy, we have won

But all my friends and all my foes are bruised and battered men

Dear Lucy, now I pray for those who'll not come home again

 

No disrespect to my defeated enemy...

May God give peace to Captain Downie's soul

But stars and stripes forever fly in Plattsburgh

Dear Lucy, may this pride forever grow

 

Dear Lucy, now I'm weary of the living hell of war

Lucy, I can't wait to feel your loving arms once more

I see the tide of freedom on that sunny Champlain shore

Dear Lucy, we must not forget the cause we're fighting for

 

No disrespect to my defeated enemy...

May God give peace to Captain Downie's soul

But stars and stripes forever fly in Plattsburgh

Dear Lucy, may this pride forever grow

Oh, stars and stripes forever fly in Plattsburgh

Dear Lucy, may this pride forever grow... my dear Lucy"

 

Help Support This Site. Visit our Book Shop!

 

 

 

Published by Newbraugh Brothers Music (BMI)
Copyright © 2005 All Rights Reserved
Used with permission of the artist

Samples of recordings and more information about Tom and Dan can be found at http://www.cdbaby.com/ventiquattro.

As of 05/01/06, a donation of part of the proceeds from the sale of the "Dear Lucy" album will go directly to the Battle of Plattsburgh Commemoration Committee. This will apply to CD sales at live music shows, CD sales on the internet at http://cdbaby.com/cd/tom24danwills  and CD sales at stores (such as Peacock Music and the Corner-Stone Bookshop, in Plattsburgh)

Above left: The Stars and Stripes (15-star 1814 flag) flying at Plattsburgh, New York 2003.
Photo by Jim Millard

*America's Historic Lakes is a favorite of educators around the world. You can feel confident that the material
on this site is accurate, well-researched, properly cited and presented.

Copyright © 1997, 2010. All rights reserved.
America's Historic Lakes
The Lake Champlain and Lake George Historical Site
Post Office Box 262
South Hero, Vermont 05486-0262
 mail@historiclakes.org

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Please check your JUNK EMAIL or SPAM filter for our reply.
We NEVER spam but have discovered our messages are sometimes discarded by spam filters.
Be sure to add mail@historiclakes.org to your address book or list of acceptable senders.

We regret that we are unable to accommodate personal requests for information or research.

Electronically published materials are protected by the same copyright laws as conventional or printed works.
Permission to reproduce material from this site must be obtained from the publisher.

Disclaimer of Liability

The historical information on this web site is provided as a public service by America’s Historic Lakes. America’s Historic Lakes has attempted to be as accurate as possible in our presentation of this historical material. However, we make no claims, guarantees or promises about the accuracy, currency, or completeness of the information provided. In no event shall the publishers; America’s Historic Lakes or their agents, be liable for any errors or omissions with respect to any information on this site. This website occasionally provides links to sites of other organizations maintained by third parties. These links do not constitute an endorsement of the content, viewpoint, accuracy, opinions, policies, products, services, or accessibility of that website. Links to third-party websites are provided as a public service and convenience to users of our site; America’s Historic Lakes does not control, endorse or recommend the content on sites we may link to. Once connected to another website, you are subject to the terms and conditions of that website.