Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1852-06-16
MISCE L A N Y.
Cur National Airs.

A correspondent of the New York Cour'-
er 6 Enquirer asks what is the origin Of the
tunes of Yankee Doodle, Hail Columbia,
and Star Spangled Banner? The Editor
answers, as follows
The air of Yankee Doodle was sung by
the English peasantry 800 years ago, and
many political songs were written to it,du-
ring the days of the Cavaliers. Of course,
the air and songs were known among the
American Colonis!s. With regard to the
song as we now have il, the following relation
which we find in Arvine's Cyciopedia OF
.anpcdotes. will be found interesting to our
correspondent and his friends:-
During the French war of 1855, the pro-
vincal army sent against Niagara and From
tenac, was commanded by Gov. Shirley, of
Massachusetts. and Gen. Johnson, of New
York. Through the early part of the seas
on, the army lay encamped on the the Hud-
son, a little below Albany. While the troops
were in this position, they were continually
receiving recruits from the New England
States in the form of drafts and volunteers.
They came in, company after company, just
as they had issued from their farms and
firesides, and their appearance is said to have
equalled any specimen of the ludicrous ever
exhibited save and except the famous com
pany of Sir John Falstaff Some of them
had long hair, some hair short and some
wore enormous wigs. Some had black suits,
some had blue, and some had gray. Some
had long coats, some had short ones, and
some had no coats at all. Their accoutre-
ments were equally varied and altogether
furnished the most grotesque and amusing
spectacle that can be imagined, and abund-
ance of sport for the British regulars.
The music played by the volunteers was
such as had been out Of date in the British
army for centuries, and assisted finely to
add point to the amusement afforded by the
whole scene. In the British army, at that
time, was one Dr. Shackburg, who was a
skillful musician and great wag. The
doctor immediately turned his sttention to
the Yankee volunteers, and determined to
pass off Joke by composing tune for their
particular use, He accordingly remodelled
the old air of .Nankce Doodle, and called it
Yankee DoodIe, and with all the gravity i'm
aginable, recommended it to the new COM
ers as one Of the most celebrated airs that
his country had ever produced.
The volunteers admired the tune; and
notwithstanding the hearty laugh aud noisy
ridicule of the regulars, it soon became a
general favorite through the whole Ameri-
can camp.
The air of Hail Columbia is not so old.
To any musician it contains internal EVIL
dence that it was written within the last
hundred years. 1t was evidently written
for military band by some inferior COM
poser of military music. During the first
year of our national existence 1t was known
as the Presidents March, and did not re-
ceive It's present ma ne until 1893, when a
Mr.. Hopkinson undertook to write patri-
otic song for young singer who was to
sing it on the occasion of his benefit. The
popular Presidents March was the air chos-
en-, and the words produced were Hail Co.
lumbia. The song Immediately attained a
popularity which it has preserved.
The air Of the Star Spaugled Banner is
again English, and is known in the mother
country as "Anacreon in Heaven The
words which give it its American name
were written by Mr.. Francis Key, not very
many years ago.
While alluding to the subject, we cannot
fosbear an expression of regret that those
airs which we have assumed as national or
which have been fastened on US as such,
should be so positively paltry as music, and
so utterly deficient in that strong, decided
character, which in national air makes
amends tor the lack of all that polished
grace of cultivated taste in its. composition.
A national air should properly be of un-
known origin; it should have sprung from
the people, and lave been sung by lovely
women and brave men, from time wher-
of the memory Of man runneth not to the