Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-11-17
ava . OMAN or YANnrE
An Interesting Contribution to This Histor.
zeal Question.


tcai Question:
Charlotte Observer.
Major w. A. Guthrie OF Durham, in
addition to being an able lawyer, an
astute politician and an admirable gen.
tleman otherwise, is fond of literature
Of the best class. He likes to search
through rare books and papers. Some
years ago, at the sale of the effects of
some aged citizen, he bought two rusty
looking volumes for mere trifie, along
with other books. On examining the
books he found them to be travels
Through the Interior Parts of America,
in Series of Lectures by an Officer Of
the British Army" They are the lot
tiers of Lieut.. Thomas Auburey. He
was taken prisoner at the battle Of
Saratoga during the Revolutionary War.
From there he was sent as prisoner
to Boston, and later was marched with
many other prisoners OF the British
army, who had been captured at various
places, to Charlottesville, Va. Mr..
Jones, large planter Of Virginia, and
a member Of the Continental Congress,
had rendered his plantation and negro
quarters to the Congress for a prison
camp. From this plantation Aubrey
wrote many of his letters. All tho
prisoners we're paroled. This officer
| spent his time in riding about the
| country around Charlottesville. The
letters were to friend of his in Eng
land. Later the letters were published
in two volumes and were dedicated
to the Earl of Harrington, Viscount
Retersham and colonel Of the Twenty
ninth Regiment of Foot They begin
August sth, 1776, and run to October
Both, 1881.
The letters are full of interesting and
instructive re ding. In volume III,
page 46, written from Cambridge, New
England, November 25th, 1777, is a
history of the word Yankee.
i The letters are full of interesting and
instructive reading. In volume IL,
pages 46, written from Cambridge, New
England, November 25th, 1777, is a
history Of the word Yankee.
Before the Revolutionary War the
Virginians called the New Englanders
Yankees; from then to the civil war
everybody that was not of the New
England States called the New Eng
landers Yankees, and during the civil
war everybody north of the Mason and
Dixon Line was called Yankee.
As to the word, Lieut.. Aubrey wrote
in TIT: 1.-THE lower class Of these
Yankees = apropos, it may not be
amiss here Just to observe to YOU the
; etymology of this term is derived from
a Cherokee word, Eankke, which signi-
, fies coward and slave. This epithet of
Yankee was bestowed upon the in
habitants of New England by the Vir-
ginians for not assisting them in a war
with the Cherokees, and they have
, always been in derision by it. But the
! name has been more prevalent since
. the beginning of hostilities; the sol.
diers at Boston used it as a term Of
, reproach, but after the affair at Bunker
, Hill the Americans gloried in it.
Yankee Doodle is now their PAGAN, a
7 fayorite of favorites, played in their
T army, esteemed as warlike as the
! 'Grenadier's March, 1t is the loom
4 spell, the nurses lullaby.
latter our rapid successes we held
) the Yankees in great contempt, but it
5 was not a little notifying to hear them
. play this tune when their army marched
J down to our surrender.
al Such is the history Of the etymology
Y Of the word Yankee.