Offset for the Chesapeake, or The capture of Fort George, and repulse of the enemy from Sacket's Harbor:

After the taking of York by the combined forces of General Henry Dearborn and Captain Isaac Chauncey (with the unfortunate loss of General Zebulon M. Pike), the raiding force returned to Niagara. Colonel Winfred Scott succeeded Dearborn and led an attack on Fort George. British troops evacuated the fort and its sister Fort Erie to the south, but a counterattack by the British regained Fort Erie. At the other end of Lake Ontario the British forces under Sir George Prevost attempted to land at Sackett’s Harbor, a strategic location near present-day Watertown, from which 1,600 troops had embarked on the York campaign. Under General Jacob J. Brown (1775-1828), the remaining American forces repulsed the landing on May 28-29, 1813.

In referring to “Tories” in the text of the song, “Offset for the Chesapeake,” the author reveals his slant as a Democratic-Republican. In their eyes, those not with us must be against us, and thus any Federalist can safely be called a Tory. The lyric begins with the tragedy of the Chesapeake and her unfortunate commander, James Lawrence (see Written and Corrected by James Campbell, Brilliant Victory, and Another Glorious Victory). To “offset” this loss, the new victories are welcome.

In 6/8 rhythm with a chorus like Decatur’s Victory, the tune for this text is probably “Paul Jones’s Victory.” Here the chorus is the same throughout. Line 4 in the fourth verse may be a reference to the chorus of “Yankee Frolics,” but it does not help with a tune match.