Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1856-04-02
YANKEE DOODLE.

1n1755, simultaneous attacks were made
upon the French posts in America
That aginst Fort Du Quesne 1.-THE pres
ent site Of Pittsburgh } was conducted by |
General Braddock; and those against
Niagara and Fontenac by Gov. Shirley, |
Of Mass, and Fen. Johnson, Of n. Y.
The army of Shirley and Johnson, du-
RUG the summer of 1855, lay on the
Eastern bank of Hudson, little south of
the city of Albany. In the early part of
June the troops of the Eastern Provin-
ees began to pour in, company after
company; and such a motley assembly
of men never before thronged together
on such an occasion, unless an example
may be found in the ragged regiment Of
Sir John Falstaff. 1t would have relax
ed the gravity of an anchorite to have
seen the descendants of the Puritans
marching thro' the streets of that an
cient city (Albany,) and taking up sta
tons 10 the left Of the British army
some with long coats, some with short,
and others with no coats at all-with col
ors as varied as the rainbow; some with
their hair cropped like the army of Crom-
well, and others with wigs, the locks Of
which foated grace around their slhoul-
ders. Their march, their accoutrements.
and the whole arrangement of the troops
furnished matter Of amusement to the
rest of the British army. The music
played the airs oftwo centuries ago; and
the tout ensemble upon the whole, exhib-
tied sight to the wondering strangers,
to which they had been unaccustomed.
Among the club Of wits that belonged 10
the British army, there was DR.. Shack
burg, attached to the staff, who com
bined with the science of a surgeon the
skill and talent of musician. To please
the new comers, he composed a tune,
and with much gravity recommended it to
the officers as one of the most celebrated
airs of martial music The joke took
to the no small amusement of the British.
Brother Jonathan exclaimed, it was
nation fine; and in few days nothing
ws.s heard in the provincial camp but
the air of Yankee Doodle. Little did
the author, in the composition, then sup
pose that an air made for levity and
ridicule, should ibe marked for such
high destinies. In twenty years from
that time, the national march inspired
the heroes of Bunker Hill, and in less
than thirty, Lord CORVALLIS marched
into the American lines 10 the tune of
Yankee Doodle.
This tune, however, was not original
with DR.. Shackburg. He made il from
an old song, which can be traced back to
the reign of Charles the First; q song
which has in its day been used for a
great variety of words. One CT these
songs written in ridicule of the Protec-
tor, began with this line
.sThe ROundheads and Cavaliers"
Another set of words to the same tune,
was entitled "Nankee Doodle" and ran
thus
"Nankee Doodle came 10 town.
Upon little pony,
With feather in his hat,
Upon maecaroni."
The first American parody upon the
original which we have seen, was en-
titled Lydia Fisher" an aged and re-
spectacle lady, born in New England,
says she remembers it well, and that it
was common song long before the Rev
oluticn. Itwas also favorite New Eng
land Jig. Before the war, it was Gus
tomary to sing the tune with variOns i'm
promptu verses, such as
Lydia Loeket lost her pocket,
Lydia Fisher found il,
Not a bit Of money in it,
Only binding round it"
Perhaps there may be something in
this, for within our recollection the "gals
and boys" of Massachusetts had some
thing like it it in their sports. But our
version is a little different fiom the old
lady's and runs thus
Lucy Lockss lost her pocket
In rainy shower
Philip carteret ran artsr il.
And found it in an hour
At later period, the Tories had a
song commencing
yankee Doodle came to town
For to buy arelocki
We will tar and feather him
So We viii John Hancock"
This version has strong resemblance
to the original--the first line being the
same with the exception of the N, for
which the Y is substituted. The occur
renee of the word "feather" in the next
line is no less remarkable. A long string
of similar verses are known to exist;
which are supposed to allude to the
coming of Oliver Cromwell ION a small
horse into Oxford, with single plume,
which he wore fastened in a soit of knot,
which the adherents of the royal party
called ga mscearoni," out of derision,
What renders the history of this tune
still more remarkable. is that to this very
day the words of Lydia Locket'' afio'
"Lucy Locket" are sung to it BY school