Stan Rogers 1983
Lieutenant Colonel John Macdonell of Greenfield (19 April 1785 – 14 October 1812) was an aide-de-camp to British Major General Sir Isaac Brock during the War of 1812, dying in the Battle of Queenston Heights.
Too thin the line that charged the Heights And scrambled in the clay Too thin the Eastern Township Scot Who showed them all the way And perhaps had you not fallen You might be what Brock became But not one in ten thousand knows your name To say the name, MacDonnell It would bring no bugle call But the Redcoats stayed beside you When they saw the General fall Twas MacDonnell raised the banner then And set the Heights aflame But not one in ten thousand knows your name You brought the field all standing With your courage and your luck But unknown to most, you’re lying there Beside old General Brock So you know what it is to scale the Heights And fall just short of fame And have not one in ten thousand know your name At Queenston now, the General on his tower stands alone And there’s lichen on ‘MacDonnell’ carved upon that weathered stone In a corner of the monument to glory you could claim But not one in ten thousand knows your name
