Colonel John A. Pattee (1844-1924) was a remarkably interesting fiddler of Michigan claim. I won’t try to copy the work others have done in writing about Pattee’s life, but I would like to make available here some photographs of John A. Pattee which I have collected as well as some links to material about Col. John A. Pattee and his recordings. If any visitors are aware of other good sources of printed or online information about John A. Pattee, please inform me so I can add them (with full credit to the informant).
As a note of interest, John Pattee was from New Boston, Michigan, which was originally named “Catville.” His recording of the “Old Catville Quadrille,” can be better understood in that light.
Obituary
From the New York Times, December 28, 1924.
“Colonel John A. Pattee, old soldier fiddler and favorite of WEAF’s radio audience, will never stand before a microphone again. This unfortunate news came with word of his death which canceled his radio barn dance from WEAF scheduled for Saturday evening, Dec. 20.
Colonel Pattee was 80 years of age and a Civil War veteran, having served in the Twenty-fourth Michigan Volunteer Infantry, called the “Iron Brigade,” which opened the Battle of Gettysburg. On numerous occasions he has appeared on WEAF’s program’s, playing the old dance tunes on his fiddle just as he played them before the Civil War days. His voice, calling out each tune in the fashion of the country fiddler won for him a warm spot in the hearts of radio listeners.”
Links to further Pattee Material
This link is really the best information on Pattee I have found, and it is a shame that the site is no longer maintained and is available only through a web archive. Nevertheless, many of the below photos come from this website:
- Rob Richardson, “John A. Pattee,” The 24th Michigan Infantry Regimental Website, http://www.oocities.com/24th_michigan/jpattee.html
This link contains some information about Pattee. Most appears to come from the Rob Richardson site and the Rusty Williams book. They also host photos of Pattee.
- The American Civil War Shooting Association, “The Old Soldier Fiddlers.” http://www.acwsa.org/Pages/old_soldier_fiddlers.htm
Pattee Bibliography
The following by Greenman and Hendrix contains a short biography of Pattee.
- Greenman, Patti and Glenn Hendrix. Michigan Jamboree: Fiddle Tunes for Rounder and Square Dances Volume 1. 2nd ed. John A.
This book contains a passage describing a performance by Pattee and the Old Soldier Fiddlers, including mention of how they managed to appeal to audience in both the North and the South. This passage can be read through Google Books, to ease expenditure. . .
- Williams, Rusty. “My Old Confederate Home: A Respectable Place for Civil War Veterans.” Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky, 2010.
John A. Pattee Recordings
“Old Catville Quadrille,” from Columbia (231-D) by Col. John A. Pattee in 1924.
“Old Monymusk” from Columbia (231-D) by Col. John A. Pattee in 1924.
John A. Pattee Photo Gallery
I can claim no responsibility for the acquisition/digitization of these photos. Many of them originate from Rob Richardson’s website which is linked above and which gives some background information of various of these photos, as well as some credits for them. Other photos I saved from websites which were selling the original postcards. In either case, I post them out of a sense of preservation and accessibility for those interested in Col. John A. Pattee, the fiddler.
