Dunn, Gilbert, and Ben Hall (1932)
An Old Bush Song
Come, all you lads of loyalty, and listen to my tale,A story of bushranging days to you I will. I unveil;
'Tis of three gallant heroes, we'll toast them one and all,
And we'll sit and sing long live the King, Dunn, Gilbert and Ben Hall. Those three they were well mounted, it was their hearts' delight;
They stuck up all, both great and small, by day as well as night,
They rode through every township, and visited every ball-
It was nothing but diversion for Dunn, GilIbert and Ben hall. To see those mounted troopers a-scouring of the the bush,
Like diggers in the golden days a-hastening to a rush.
But our Australian heroes, they do deceive them all,
There's a thousand pounds alive or dead for Dunn, Gilbert, and Ben Hall. As Ben rode out one evening, all trade being rather slack,
On private information, the traps got on his track,
Saying, "Hall, you are my prisoner; surrender unto me,
Ben bolted from his saddle and climbed into a tree. With rage and disappointment the troops they cursed and swore,
They moped and poked, about there, they tracked him o'er and o'er,
They kept their watch till daylight, but still no Ben was found,
Until they spied his cabbage tree which lay upon the ground. They found his place of ambush, and on him they did creep,
And stealing on by treachery they shot him in his sleep.
His body was pierced with thirty bullets, and two were through his brain,
And on the ground a target his body did remain. For the troopers are but paper men, that carry a carbine.
They are something like the olden troops we had in '39;
For a man that was travelling on the roads was taken from his dray,
With bracelets fastened on his wrists he was captive led away. And now to capture Morgan, with, the shining boots and spurs,
Away goes eight or ten of them like so many yelping curs,
But their horses they knocked up at last, he cannot captured be,
They come track from their fruitless chase, and Morgan still is free. And now my song is ended, I think I will resign,
We'll toast those, gallant heroes with a glass of sparkling wine.
We'll give them three times three, my boys,
We'll toast them one and all,
We'll drink and sing long live the King, Dunn, Gilbert, and Ben Hall.
--Author Unknown [The above is one of the many songs that was composed and sung after the death of Ben Hall, the bushranger. Hall was surrounded in his camp and shot by a party of police, who riddled his (body with bullets. being afraid to approach him. This took place on May 5, 1865, and the date of the song must have been some time later. Morgan was shot on April 10, 1865, Gilbert on May 13, and Dunn was executed on December 24, of the same year. The song is quite accurate in saying that a thousand pounds reward was offered far the apprehension of any one of the three-Dunn, Gilbert or Ben Hall. For Morgan also £1,000 reward was offered.--Ed. "G.]. Notes From the NSW Newspaper The Windsor and Richmond Gazette 25 Mar 1932 p. 10.