Fire Marengo from Burlesque by Bellowhead

Fire Marengo

Whilst fierce debate rages over whether or not this is a hauling shanty or cotton-screwing shanty, it was almost certainly sung on ships docked in the southern USA as well as further afield, latterly in a session attended by Jon at ‘The Colpitts’ in Durham which has now been banned by the brewery.

One possible, if slightly tenuous origin for the chorus line may be the Battle of Marengo. On 14th June, 1800, Napoleon and his general Desaix narrowly avoided defeat by the Austrians under General Melas. During the action in northern Italy the Austrians suffered 14,000 casualties, and the French 7000.

Napoleon named his most famous horse after the day. Marengo went on to carry him at a number of subsequent battles, and is thought to be the horse in David’s Napoleon Bonaparte Crossing the Alps of 1801. Captured by the British after Waterloo it was put on show in England, and after its death the skeleton was displayed in the National Army Museum. Hamilton, Jill, Marengo: The Myth of Napoleon's Horse (London: Fourth Estate, 2000) contains more equine information.

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