One of my ancestors, Captain John Cutler Braddock, fiercely loyal to the American cause in the Revolution, commanded the Georgia Rebel galley _Lee. _His uncle, Captain William Lyford Jr., a remarkable man, was just as fiercely loyal to the British cause, and paid a great price for his loyalty.
CAPTAIN LYFORD, THE LOYALIST
Bahamas born—
New Providence—
With steadfast will
And Neptune’s sense,
He followed in
His father’s wake,
A man of iron—
Make no mistake—
Who ruled his decks,
Sometimes with fist—
Captain Lyford,
The Loyalist.
On merchantmen,
On privateers,
Before the mast
He had no peers
And cruised the isles
And crossed the main
To distant shores
And back again
In calm and storm,
In fair and mist—
Captain Lyford,
The Loyalist.
Harbor pilot,
Best by far,
In mastering
Savannah’s bar;
Rebellion came;
Unflinching, he
Refused to change
His loyalty;
They seized his wealth;
His life he risked—
Captain Lyford,
The Loyalist.
​
On men-of-war,
He served the Crown;
He helped Deveaux
Save Nassau town,
And at an age
When most men quit,
He still strove in
The thick of it
Making marks which
Shall long exist—
Captain Lyford,
The Loyalist.