The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1901-08-02
ORIGIN OF YANKEE"
HOW NEW ENGLANDERS ACQUIRED
THE TITLE is NOT DEFINITELY
KNOWN.

B0stOnGl0De.
In one sense or another the word
"Yankee" or "Yanky" is to be found
in British literature for at least two
centuries and it is pretty clearly de-
fined, but the origin Of its application
to the New Englander is the despair
Of philologists. From time to time
for more than hundred years, expla-
nations have been advanced for this
use of the word but though plausible
they have not passed beyond the stage
of speculation or conjecture.
The earliest known instance Of its
use by an American is that cited by
the late D. Trumbull in 1857, from a
poem written by an American but
published in Lopdon in 1865. The
date Of this instance of the use of the
word, together with the ordinary ac-
compartment OF doodle" or Doodle
doo,"-an old English refrain-renders
plausible the theory that the word
"Yankee" was brought to this coun-
try by the British regulars who came
to fight the Canadians in the last
great war with France. That the
tune of yankee Doodle" as martial
music was played by the English as
early as l775 appears by the accounts
of the battle of Lexington, from
which time tradition certainly con-
meets 1t with the tune we now know
by that name. 1t is also certain that
the phrase yankee Doodle" appears
in AN American stage play in 1867, and
that the "Yankee Doodle Song" was
the martial music of the British
forces that came to Boston in l76S to
quell the disturbances provoked by
the stamp act. This tune presum.
ably was the same that was played at
Lexington several years later.
Soon after the commencement of
hostilities In the American revolu.
tiOn the word yankee" and the tune
of "Yankee Doodle" seem to have got
ten a foothold here, for as early as
Feb. 16, 1776 it is recorded that an
American privateer called the Yam.
kee Hero, which about four months
later was captured by the British had
already brought Il valuable prize into
Newburyport, and upon the capitu-
lation of Burgoyne the next year, the
victorious army saluted the conquer.
ed troops Of Burgoyne with the tune
of Yankee Doodle" as they proceed
ed through the American camp near
Fish creek to take up the line of
march to Cambridge.
venture the opinion that both the
tune and the words may yet be found
to have been one Of the ephemeral airs
popular In London, which the soldiers
OF London, Abercrombie or Amherst
took with them on their departure
for America.
One OF BUst0n's bright scholars
noted for his perseverance and thu
wide range and thorouehness OF hi
pathological researches, has been in
quiring into this subject with ardo
and we hope that before long boil
the verses and the music Of "Yanke,
Doodle" which Rear Admiral Prebl
calls "a musical vagabOnd" and .;
literary Bohemian" have been trace
to their original starting place.
Though applied by our enemies II
derision 1t soems to have been adop
ted by the Americans In a spirit O
bravado after they had won their flrs'
signal victories. Thus In the ballad
1.-THE fall Of Burgoyne," supposed K
have been composed by Rev. Wheeler
Case 10 1878 the rhymestcr exclaims
Prisoners to rebels, Yankees, too,
oh, mortifying stroke.
II the above conjecture as to tht
| flrst application Of the word is cor
rect, and those who werc frst called
Yankees were therank and Ole Of thu
colonial forces by whom the invaders
we're confrontod It follows that thu
name ID not extensively applicable II
noraona az ouir1y English descent