Such is the knowledge we have concerning Phile’s life. Let us consider what are his claims to the authorship of the “President’s March.” As in the case of Roth, the march was claimed for Phile by his friends; but in his case there are two different accounts of its origin as follows: 1. First it was claimed for him by his son, who says he was present when it was played. He says that the march was composed by his father, and played at Trenton Bridge in 1789 in honor of Washington, who was on his way to New York to be inaugurated.[255] 2. Second, it is said by the nephew of Washington, G. W. Custis (1860), that this march was played in the John St. Theatre, N. Y., Nov. 24, 1789 in honor of Washington, who was present that evening. The composer is said to be a German named Feyles.[256] “Feyles” is a corruption of Phile and we also find it spelled Philo, Phylo, Phyla, Phyle, Phyles, Fyles, etc. There are, then, two different statements as to the composition of this piece by Phile, which would lead us to think, that, in the minds of the people it was a doubtful question as to how and when this march was composed. To add to this, the claim that Philip Roth composed this march, only makes the situation more confused. Sonneck has pointed out in his article “_Critical Notes on the Origin of Hail Columbia_,”[257] that there was no account in the daily papers of that time concerning this march, as there probably would have been, had it been composed in honor of so important a man as Washington. He, however, inclines to the belief that Phile did write the march; but until a manuscript with the name of the composer thereon is discovered, we cannot say with surety who did write it.[258] We have, then, these two composers before us and can pay our money and take our choice. Concerning the compositions of these two men we know little. The overture composed by Roth in 1771 has already been mentioned. Sonneck also gives a “Hunting Song” set to music by Mr. Roth in 1790. Sonneck credits Phile with the following compositions. 1787 1. Violin Concerto by Mr. Phile. 1790 2. Harmony Music, Phile.[259] In addition to these we have: 1791 3. Overture by P. to be played at Vauxhall Concert, May 27.[260] 4. Concerto Violin by Mr. Phile. At Vauxhall Sept. 2.[261] FOOTNOTES: [233] Sonneck, _Early Secular American Music_, Index. [234] See Above, p. 54. [235] Cf. _City Directory of Philadelphia_, 1785. [236] Peter Markoe (1768-1792) born at Santa Cruz, West Indies, educated in Eng., died at Phila. [237] Son of Francis Hopkinson mentioned above as an important figure in Phila. musical development, Cf. Above, pp. ff. [238] Poulson’s _Daily Advertiser_, Jan. 13, 1829. [239] Cf. Above, p. 54. [240] _Pa. Jour._, Sept. 10, 1788. [241] _Pa. Jour._, Jan. 7, 1789. [242] _City Directory_, 1791, p. 110. [243] _City Directory_, 1795, p. 81. [244] Cf. Above p. 77. [245] Cf. Above, p. 89. [246] _City Directory_, 1806.