The Washington herald., 1909-08-22


otherwise. 10 which e has been put.
and the many falsehoods related re-
garding II. continues TO be recog-
nized among our national songs Of
no mean merit. at least so far as a
spirited marching song IS concerned
It's value, as such. has been tested
through five wars and has come out
urscathed. and remains for further
use. should requirements demand.
No one has ever been able 10 find
tho origin Of the sprightly music.
One might as well venture the guess
as 20 who was "Junlus" or Who
struck Billy Patterson as 10 ar
rive al a satisfactory conclusion as
TO who wrote the music OF Yankee
Doodle"
One account says the tune was
originally known as Fishers jig"
and was named after Kitty Fisher.
a beauty Of Charles IFS time. Others
have credited II 10 Dutch origin.
claiming that the harvesters Of Hol-
land being partly paid with the
buttermilk as they could drink,
voiced their joy in these words, sung
to the Yankee Doodle" tune
Ynnker. dudel. doodle down.
Diddle. dudel lantbeE.
Yankee, viver. TooTeT ToVu,
Boter milk and tauther.
Another claim made for It is that
in Cromwell's day the soldiers
sang;
Yankee Doodle came 20 town.
On little pony.
he stuck feather in bis cap.
And called it Maosro1k
The hero was supposed TO be
Cromwell and the '.Macaroni" had
reference 10 HIS single white plume.
Another stanza probably had its
origin about the same time, and may
have referred in derision 70 the sim
pie country life affected By the
Puritans:
Yankee Doodle came % town,
Wearing leather trousers
he said he couldn't sae the town.
There were 50 many houses.
The song long continued popular
In England. and during the early
years OF the last century a musical
clock attached TO a church in the
city of London. in the neighborhood
Of the famous Bow bells" played
every day at the hour Of noon 20 the
tune Of Yankee Doodle"
Efforts have been made 10 trace
IL to Spain. 20 italy. Hungary. and
almost every cOuntr.- on the Cont
nent. but about the only warrant Tor
anything approaching the date OF
its birth. was that the old nursery
rhyme:
Lucy Locket lost her pocket.
Kitty Fisher found II;
Not q bit Of money IN It.
Only binding around il
was sung 20 the tune before the
writing Of the words. as we know
them. was accomplished in America.
One account says the air was com
posed by Dr. Richard Shuchburg in
1855, when the colonial troops unit
ed with the British regulars near
Albany. preparatory 10 the attack
on the French posts OF Niagara and
Frontenac. and that 1t was produced
in derision OF the old-fashioned
equipments OF the provincial SOL
diers as contrasted with the neat
and orderly appointments Of the
regulars
In musical magazine printed an
Boston some years ago. this was
the account given Of the famous
song: During the attacks on The
French outposts in 1855. Gems. Shir-
ley and Jackson led the force d.
rected against the enemy. in the
early part of June the descendants
OF the Pilgrim Fathers locked IN
from the East. Never was seen
such a motley regiment as took up
its position on the left wing OF the
British army Their band played
music as Anticipated and outre as their
uniforms; officers and privates had
adopted regimentals. each man after
mis- own fashion; one wore a fiow-
ing wig, while his neighbor re-
jolced IN their cropped close 10 his
head: this one had n coat with
wonderfully long skirts. while his
fellow marched without his upper
garment; various rs the color Of the
rainbow were the clothes worn by
the gallant band II so happened
that there was a Dr. Shuchburg. wit,
musician, and surgeon, and one
evening after mess he produced a
lCorrrirht 100 IN