The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1852-07-17
on NATIONAL AIRS.

\ correspondent of the New York Courier
ak, what is the origin of the tunes of Yam
Lr. Doodle. Hail Columbia and Star Span
rlrd Banner: The editor of the Courier an
>wcrs o> follows:
The air Of Yankee Doodle was sung by the
Eugli>h peaSantrv three hundred wears ago
and many political songs were written to it
HurnI the DAYS Of the Cavaliers. Ofcoursc,
III" ar and the songs were known among the
lmcrIcan Coloni>ts. With regard to the
-ong as we now have it, the following relation
which we find in Arvinc's Cvclopm1ia of An
,clotrs. will be found interesting to our cor
respondent and his friends:
During the French war of 1865. the pro
-rncial army sent against Niagara and Fonte-
nae was commanded by Governor Shirley
Of Massachusetts, and General johnson of
New York. Through the early part of the
season the army lay cncampcd on the llud-
.on little below Albany While the troops
were in this position, they were continually
States in the form of drafts and volunteers
They came in, company after company. ust
A. they had issued from their farms and fire
SIDES, and their appearance is said to have
cpuai!ed anv specimen of the ludicrous ever
cAA.bilch, save and except the famous COM
pany OF FalStaff. Some of them had long
hair. some had short and some had enormous
WIGS Some had black suits. and some had
tlue, and some had grey. Some had long
coats. some had short ones, and some had no
coats at all. Their accoutrcments were e.
qualv varied. and altogether furnished the
most grotcsque and amusing spectacle that
ran I've imagined. and made abundance 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such as had been out of date in the British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
Toint to the amusement afforded by the whole
scene. In the British army at that time was
one DR. Shackburg, a surgeon. who was a
>kItul musician and a great wag. The doc
tor Immediately turned his attention to the
Yankee volunteers. and determined to pas.
vt loke by composing tune for their par
n"nIar use. lie accordingly remodelled the
"Id ar Of N0,,lce Do0d|e and called it Ian
'.| I'"oi'', and with all the gravity magina
h.e, recommended it to the new comers a
90" o' the most celebrated airs his countr,
.ai ever produced.
The volunteers admired the tune; an,
notwithstanding the hearty laugh and nois
r'rnle Of the regulars, it soon became
gouoraI tasorte through the whole America
camp
HE Air Of Hail Columbia is not so old
10 any musician ii contains internal evidcnc
that It was written within the last hundre
.'arS II was evidently written for militia
:! band by some inferior composer of militia
FF music During the first wear of our nj
uohal existence it was known as the Pres
dents March. and did not receive its nre.
mt name until las, when Mr. Hopkinso
undertook to write A patriotic SONG for
Young singer. who was to sing it on the occf
ion Of his benefit. The nonul,r President
March wa, the AIR chosen and tho words nr,
"accd Were Hail Columb;, The soma in
'accarclv attained a ponular;tv which il h,
lrr>cr,cd
The airof the Star soapgI.d Banner Is
yam English. and is known IN .be moth,
country as .Anacreon in Heaven r,
words which ,1ro :, ;,s ,,,,ou; nam, .,