Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-04
WHAT 1A,,nAs.Y IS.

. WHAT TAaanAMY -. f :
What the Famous New York Society To-
and How II started.
The questions are often asked, when was
he Tammany society founded and whence
lid it derive ih name? And rs the recent
'olt of the sschem from the New York state
excites q renewed interest in ito /.
it may not be amiss to publish the
traditions concerning its origin
md lappellation. a!s .taTlsL
The 7Tammsny society was founded in :
1889, IS is duly witnessed BY the pediment
Which surmounts the front of Tammany :
Hall. In it's earlier years its meetings we're
held in tavern halls, and were famous for
heir conyivial character, five may credit
the verse of Halleck
There 8 a barrel OF porter in Tammany Hall,
And tn e Bucktatls are swinging 1t all the
In the TIME Of my childhood twas pleasant to
For a seat and cigar midi the iovial throng.
At that time there were many St. Tam
many societies throughout the country, and
there is no reason to believe that the sole
differed from them in the original
~ bHOVC0 W. ~ VbkAu1A0S1Obls AJuS kuO Ok0GI0I
died, and the New York. society became .
democratic political institution-a fate far
worse than death.
Tammsny was an old Indian chief, whom
it 10 by no means easy 10 idenify, but he
was beat known in the revolutionary times
as an ancient Delaware Sachem. who came
of victorious in a terrific fight with his
satanic majesty which was ~obs:inately
contested, and up 10 the last moment it was
doubtful to which side victory would in
cline. Tammany was q skilled fighter, but
his opponent was equally adroit, and after
the battle had lasted all summer the com-
batants were somewhat tired, but like More,
of More Hall, and the dragon Of Want
ley,
Though their strength n it was great, their skill it
was neat,
They never had one wound
They played sad havoc with the forest,
converting large districts oft into prairie,
and such it still remains At length, after
months Of severe fighting, the sachem threw
the devil equarely on his back, and, says the
historian, would then and there have taken
his scalp had he not succeeded, owing to
the victor's great exhaustion, in extricating
himself and escaping over into New York,
where he was hospitibly received by the
natives, and has continued to make his
home" The same historian says the Tam
many Society was primarily, no more of a
New York institution than the great Saga.
more himself. Its origin is to be traced to
the patriot revolutionary army, which, hav-
ing no patron saint to fight under after the
protection ofSt. George was drawn to the
enemy, cast about among the country's ma
tive men for some n worthy
l - -.---:-- - a--A~-~n- -.
ed the warrior who had whipped the
devil" ~ pre- eminently deserving being Get
against hiu, who had vanquished the dra.
gon. The Pennsylvania troops of WASH
ington's command were the first to inscribe
"st. Tammany" On their banners, and they
selected the 18th Of, Nav, which tradition
assigned for the new saints nativity, for ap.
propriate celebration. A wigwam, was
erected, a pole, crowned with q liberty cap,
and bearing aloft q ~tomahawk, wampum
and other Indian pa~raphernalia, was plant
ed int the earth. and around this after the
representative Of the great eachem, who was
p~srsonified BY a comrade, duly acooutersd
and painted for the occasion, had emerged
from the wigwsm, to'which he again retired
and delivered I talk" full Of exborsations
to love Of liberty and courage in battle,
they all danced, with feathers in their caps
and bucks tails dangling down behind
The practice spread throughout the army
St. Tammany and his natal day were both
adopted !; forts we're chris.ened with his
name. and the, 18th of NAV was regularly
commemorated until, shortly before the
war with Great Britain, by order Of the
fsecfetsry Of val, Gen. Dearborn, the festi.
val was forbidden. attending 10 dsbauchery
among the troops. q via das
But St. Tammany's early popularity xa.
not confined to the army. Civilian societies
bearing his name sprane eup-in mahy
localities The object vas sit1Ply .~festivity.
There Wa . procession ofmen, Nomss and
1chhdrun ail,decked out With .bucks' tails
and other forest adornments, to a.grove
where the wigwam and liberty.pole bad
BEEN erected, and where after an address
IRON 81 Tanmauy' sssptsssntativsths!t
Was spent in games and dances on the
green. At one time il, appeared likely that
st. Tammany's day would excel the Fesfsh
of July in popular regard, but It lackedone
sndurisg element of Popularity-in obsery.
ancs iva mot psrticpated. in By fashionable
tpeopls. The nsalthisr portion of thslcotn;
munity turned up their noses ct the vu99SIss
parade, and asa consequence the celsbra-
ton ofths12th Of Nay soon died cnt;ssnd
thslSt. Tammany societies disappeared, sx-
ceptrthat Of New York, which still observes
thefl2th Of May within the order.