History Of A Fife

AC me last noneer mectins; Mr. Lorenzo Davig read the following interesting letter from Mr. Samuel R. Doty, telling of a fife wl-.ich he had intended to dónate to the Pioneer society, but which was, very unfortunately, burned last week. " The Washtenaw Guards were organized in 1838, with Capt. Cobb as flrst Captain. He sent for the instrument for the band. This life was the best of two sent, and several wantcd t, but Capt. Cobb gave it to me, and told me to keep it until he called for it. He went east in the suuimer of 1843, and the last thing he said to me was too keep the fife until he called for t. He never returued as he was lost on the Erie. John C. Mundy was elected captain out of the ranks, and he said the same thing about the fife. I have played on it at two Presidents' funerals- Harrison's, celebrated at Ypsilanti, and Taylor's at Ann Arbor; and also at Col. Abel's funeral and at Col. Slingerland's. This fife h.'is made more music for 4th of July celebrations and political meetings perhaps, than any instrument in the State. There was scaicely a 4th of July for twenty-five years that I did not play on it - martial music being thcn in fashion instead of brass bands. Now, since I have held it in trust all these years, ;and both of the men who committed it to me are gone, the most fitting thing I can do is to bequeath it to the Pioneer Society."