The labor world., 1899-12-23
Where the Tune OF Yankee
Doodle Was Written.


Upon the right bank of the Hudson,
opposite the city Of Albany. stands an
ancient mansion known since l1OS as
the Greenbush Manor House, before
that as the patroon's fort, Crailo, says
a writer in the Philadelphia Press.
Recently it has been called the YAM
kee Doodle House," from the fact that
the lines of the famous song were COM"
posed there.
Fort Crailo, as it now. stands, is
massive brick structure, consisting OF
three stories. The third story has dol
mer windows, and an attic with il Sll:E-
gle roof. \
The rude fOrtress-like walls of the
main building, still pierced by stone
portfolios, amply bear out the assertion
that it was used for purposes of de-
fense in early colonial days. The
bronzed tablet, on the front wall OF
the Crailo, above one Of the ancient
stone portfolios, gives the date of erec-
ton, 1642, as cut in the stone on the
cellar wall. 1t also states that the
lines of Yankee Doodle We're composed
there. ..-.
General James Abercrombie, with his
staff, made the Manor house his head
quarters OH his way to defeat at the
hands of Montcalm, at Ticonderoga,
July 8, 1858. ....,. -e 81. :
The British officers were the guests
of Colonel Johannes Won Rensselaer,
and his lovely wife. Angelica Living
ston, daughter of Robert Livingstone,
jr., for nine years mayor of Albany.
On Abercrombie's staff was young
surgeon, whose derision was excited
one day by the sight of the raw Amer
lean recruits straggling in from the
country side, clad in all kinds of motley
garb. ...sa% f NI =
Sitting. on the edge OF the we'll in
the rear of the house, he scribbled the
few lines Of doggerel which alone pre-
serve his name, and We're destined to
be adopted and proudly sung to tho
stirring quickstep which ledss so many
of these despised country lads TO- vic
tory when the spirit of '76 called and
found their glad response. @l..:.I. S, "A I; al*
The authors name is given, yarioNsly
as Schuckbergh, Shackberg, and Stack
pole j N1~ ILL., s$5=,.. s.f..
-
twelve feet to the rear of the house,
but it's high stone curb, which may ne
seen in an old picture, has long ago
been demolished. It is hoped that some
day it may be restored by patriotic
hands In the cellar is a secret pas
sage connecting with the we'll, and in
the floor a trap door is shown, sup-
posed to have been designed to engult
a stealthy anoi unheeding foe.
In June, l775, t." Continental army
held it's cantonment il. the gardens back
Of the Manor house, or its way to Ii
conde derosa Il tfaa ken by a handful OF
Americans under The gallant Ethan
Allen, May 1O,1775. The despised yam
kee Doodle had gone to the front with
a vengeance. &
Welcome guests were these to: the
proprietor, Colonel Johannes Van Rens-
selaer, who had ranged himself with
the radicals in the twenty-frst provin-
cial assembly as far back as 1887. He
| had seen Abercrombie march by while
yet he owed allegiance, grudging'y
given, to an English sovereign. He
was captain of company Of foot in
|51743. Now his country was struggling
to cast off the hated yoke, and to him
| and his compatriots it often seemed
| as though there, were naught to gain
| and all to lose.
To old himself for active service, his
three sons, Hoberts, Henry, and James
held commissions in the Continental
army, as brigadier general, colonel, and
major, respectively. Killan, the
youngest brother of Colonel Johannes,
held commission as second lieutenant
in his brothers company Of foot, No
ven1ber TO-, 1743, under the royal gov
ernor, George Clinton and received his
commission as colonel from 'feorge
Clinton, governor Of the state OF
New York, in April, ITS. i,
All of these, with others too num-
merous for detailed mention here, were
born in the old Manor house, and went
in and out on their couatry;s errands
until the end of the war.
A brother, therefore, three sons, and
eight nephews of Colonel Johannes an
Rensselaer, served in the Continental
army; some with distinction. all with
credit. The active part in military seI-
vice taken by so many, members Of the
family and his relationship as son- III
law to the aged proprietor, would nat
urally operate in the selection by Cen
eral Schuyler of this old house as his
headquarters when the American army,
moving north under his command,
took UP it's temporary station upon the
Greenbush estate.
The many scions of the younger
branch all looked to Grecnbusn manor
house as the ancestral home, and WEI
welcomed within it's walls, when bap-
tismal or marriage feasts called toseth-
er joyous company. General Wosb-
ington dined there, and Lafayette also,
while in later times Daniel Webster,
Harrison Gray Otis. and many other
celebrated men were numbered among
it's guests.
Fort Crailo passed by peIuest from
it's last owner in direct descent, Dr.
jeremiah Van Rensselaer,, to his widow.
By subsequent purchases it passed
into the hands of real estate dealers,
to the great regret Of relatives, who
were ignorant of the intention to sell,
and who might have rescued the old
birthplace of their race at that time. 1t
was leased to different persons and
continuously occupied until few
years ago.
The failure of the owner precipitated
the f0rnc1OS1ra nf the 1t