Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1864-04-02
Origin OF Yankee Doodle.

n"o"h matter OF history, that IN
the early part Of 1855, great exertions
we're Aade BY the British ministry, at the
hsAd a which was the illustrious Earl of
Chathsm, for the reduction of the French
power in the provinces of the Canadas
To carry the object into effect, General
Amherst, referred to in the letters of Ju-
MUS, was appointed to the command Of
the British arms in Northwestern Am meri.
ca; and the British colonies in America
were called upon for assistance, who con.
tributed with alacrity their several quotas
Of men to effect the grand object of Brit.
ish enterprise. 1t is fact still within
the recollection Of some of our Oldest in.
habitants here, that the British army lay
encampcd, in the summer of 1755, on the
| eastern banks Of the Hudson, n little south
of the city Of Albany, ON the ground now
belonging to John l. Van Rensselaer,, Esq.
TO this day vestges Of their cncampment
remain, and after a lapse Of so many
years when great proportion Of the &C.
tors Of those days have passed away, like
the shadows from the earth, the inqusitive
traveller can observe where they boiled
their camp kettles. It was this army,
that, under the command of Abercrombie,
was foiled with severe loss in the attack
on Ticonderoga, where the distinguished
Howe fell at the head of his s,roops, in
an hour that history has consecrated to his
fame. In the early part Of June, the east.
ern troops began to pour in, company
after company; and such motley assem-.
bladge never before thtonged together on
such an occasion, unless an example may
&c found in the ragged regiment Of Sir
John Fa!statF, Of right merry and face,ious
memory. 1t would, said my worthy an
cestor, who related to me the story, have
relaxed the gravity Of an anchorite to
have seen the descendants Of the Puritans
marching through the streets Of cur an
cient city, to take their stations on the left
side Of the Briti4 army, some with small
coats, and others with no coats at all, as
varied as the rainbow, some with their
hair cropped, like the army of Comwell,
and others with wigs whose curls flowed
with grace axound their shoulders Their
march, their accou.remen,s, and the whole
arrangement of the troops, furnished mat
Ter Of amusement to the wits Of the Brit.
ish army. The music played the airs Of
two centuries ago; the tout assemble exhi.
bited sight to the wondering strangers
that they had been unnccustomed TO in
their native land. Among the cub of wits
that belonged to The British army, there
was physician attached to the staff, by
the name Of Doctor Shack burg, who com
bined with the science of :he surgeon the
skill and talents of musician.
To please brother Jonathan, he com.
posed a tune, and with much gravity re-
commended it to the officers, as one Of the
most celebrated airs of martial music
The joke took, to the no small am usernent
of the British corps. Brother Jehnaton
exclaimed it was nation fine, in o few days
nothing was heard but Yankee Doodle.-
Little did the author and his coadjutors
then suppose that al ais made for the rur'
pose Of levity aud ridcule would be marked
for such destinies. In twenty years from
that time, our national march inspired the
hearts of the heroes Of Bunker Hill, and,
in less than thirty, Lord CORVALLIS and
his army marched into the American lines
to the tune Of Yankee Doodle
"WlLL You GO WEST, ?'-Not
far from Central New Jersey lived two
young lawyers, Archy Brown and Thomas