Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-01-07
YANKEE DOODLE.
HISTORICAL FACTS IN REGARD TO
 THE ANCIENT TUNE.

Synopsis of an Essay Read Before the
 Historic Genealogical Society of Bos-
 ton-Origin of the Word "Yankee."
 The Primary Expression.
 At recent meeting of the Historic Gene ilogical society Dr. George H Moore, of New York, was introduced to read an essay on "The Origin of Yankee Doodle.n The tune, he said, is familiar all over the known world, and the phrase "Yankee Doodle' is on the lips one time or another of all English speaking people; but of the origin of it flow people know anything.
 In considering the question it is manifest that there are two elements in it, one being the meaning and derivation of the word Yankee, and the other of the song and tune. One explanation given of the word Yankee dates back as far as 1713, when there was a farmer living at Cambridge named Jonathan Hastings. He was a familiar acquaintance of the college students of that period, and it was reputed that he invented the word. At any rate he used it constantly in the presence of students and others as an adverb to signify high degree of excellence-for example, "a Yankee good horse,n "Yankee good cider" This use, it is said, the students adopted, and after leaving college spread the knowledge of it in places near and distant
 Its first appearance on record, SO far as the essayist knew, is of date 1725, when an ad- vcrtisernent appeared of the sale of the effects of an English gentleman in Morpeth, Eng land One item of the list was, "One negro, named Yankee" Many plausible sugges- tions have been made, some in earnest and some apparently in frolicsome spirit. that the word is of Indian origln. By some it has been traced to the Cherokee Indians and by others to those of New England Among those who manifest sincerity in this way the essayist mentioned the author of @ history of the Moravian missionaries in ISIS, a writer in the North American Review about the same time, and of more recent date, Dr. Trumbull, the philologist.
 The theory is that "Yankeen is an attempt of the Indians to pronounce the word .sEng- 1ish." The essayist held that these are mis- taken. judgments on the case and that the writers have been misled by resemblance, real or fancied, in the sound of certain In- dian words. He held it to be impossible to believe that the word is of Indian origin, when it is considered that none of the early accounts of the dealing of white men with Indians, from the Fifteenth century forward make any mention of it Neither Capt John Smith, nor the father of New England, nor Roger Williams, nor Joi,u Eliot, nor Hutchinson, nor Belknap evtr appear to have heard of such a suggestion
 The essayist found perfectly intelligible and natural explanation of the origin and primary significance of the word in the Dutch word, of which the substantive form is tanker" and the form of the verb sjanken.n .n The meaning of the verb is to grumble, to snarl, to quarrel, to scold; the meaning of hn fc bA,x - barker. As used it is expressive of contempt, derision, or objurgation. To call man a barker or howler is equivalent or is exactly the same as to call him O dog, and in almost all languages and among all nations such an appellation is one of Encouragement and abuse.
 The essayist gives luminous account of the rivalries, jealousies, controversies, and clashings which occurred in early times be- tween the Dutch settlers of New Netherlands and the English who inhabited New England and had any occasion to deal with the Dutch in any form. The feeling of antagonis,n and contempt for the English colonists continued long after the territory of New Netherlands had come under English dominion, and, the essayist added, that to this day in some of the families of New York of ancient Dutch origin, the Yankee is regarded with feeling at least of distrust
 The word tanker" and other words de rived from it are not, the essayist said, any part of the language of refinement among the Dutch. The primary word is low word, used by the mob; it is slang of rather a vile sort. A gentleman might think himself jus tified in using it under great provocation, or amid very exciting circumstances, but it would not be ordinarily part of his speech.
 Various facts were given in the essay going to show that in its early use, whether by the Dutch or others, including the English at home, the word Yankee was expressive of contempt. Accordingly it came very natur- ally into service when, upon the occasion of the assembling of an army near Albany for a campaign against the French and Indians, the New England contingent of troops ap- peared, and the New York troops and British regulars felt disposed to ridicule these New Englanders.
 As the essayist described the New England troops they were indeed a ridiculous lot, so far as looks went. A little later, when they bore the brunt of battle and struck the en- emy his deadliest blows, that appearance did not cling to them. But they came to the rendezvous without uniforms, wearing all sorts of outer garments, dyed of various hues. They were comparable only to the army of Falstaf as to outside appearances.
 Dr. Richard Shuckburgh, then resident in Albany and later in New York, gave voice to the camp feeling of contempt for the New England contingent. He composed certain verses of derision and adapted the air known in England as "Fisher's Jign This tune was printed in England for the first time, so far as known, in 1750. The verses of the original song are now unknown, but there can be no doubt that they were the merest doggcrel. They have been superseded and their sue cessors have been superseded by others of various merit, more than 700 in all, it is said But there is no particular set which can be called distinctively the song of "Yankee Doodle"
 The word Yankee was a.snicknamc de rision for New Englanders long Def, the revolution. The tune and the original words antedate that period, and they were intended for ridicule. It is not probable that in the Continental armies the tune was ever a popn- lar one with the troops. A collection of fife music used in that army does not contain it. It was a tune of British origin, and for O long while played only by British bands. When the Second brigade marched out of Boston on the day of the battle of Lexington to the relief of the First brigade of British troops, they played "Yankee Doodle" as they marched.
 Tho American musicians used it only ap- parently by way of retaliation. When the British troops surrendered at Yorktown they turned their faces away from the Americans
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