The Groton, CT chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution
(DAR) is named for Anna Warner Bailey, also known as Mother Bailey,
the heroine of this song. After the American Revolution, the
young nation was not yet able to manufacture sufficient quantities of
goods for her people and unwilling to depend on the English to meet
their needs. Shortages of essential goods, including textiles,
were common. So, in 1813, when British ships seemed about to
blockade New London Harbor, the soldiers at Fort Griswald went
searching house-to-house for fabric to make cannon wadding.
Mother Bailey offered this memorable solution.
The pronunciation of "Thames" in the first verse of
this song differs from the river, Thames, in England. During the
Revolution, Americans changed the way they pronounced many place names
as an act of defiance against the British. The events in this
song take place in Groton, Connecticut, USA.
©2006 Kay Pere - Effusive Music Publishing
