Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1873-04-11
5rlcttc0 nlistcIlallD.
John Howard Payne
REMINIsNCENCE OF THE AUTHOR OF "IIoME,
SWEET HOME"

1t was in the winter Of 1923, when
| had rooms in the tower of the New
York University, facing Washington
Square, that frequently met John How
ard Payne, the author of 4" Home, Sweet
Home" He had lodgings on or near
Fifth avenue, farther out, and in the
morning. on his way down town, he
would almost invariably call between ten
and eleven A. NJ, talk awhile, and then
together we moved slowly toward the
centre of the city, he stopping to see
every curiosity as we passed, as highly
elated as grown boy from the country
would be at every new surprise, though
at that time he bad been traveller over
most Of the world. had seen every variety
of life, and was in the meridian of his
manhood. His temper and uniform out
ward mood was as smooth and gentle as
a summers lake at eve, not even, like,
disturbed by the gentle zephyrs.
We had not met since 1871, when
was one of the managers of the Ameri-
can Institute CHANGED to be introduc-
ed to him quite accidentally, at the old
City Hotel, u very handsome brick build
ing Of that day, standing on the right
hand side of Broadway, going down, just
this side of Trinity church, at the head
of Wall street, kept by Jennings d VIII
lard
In the spring of '43. as I commenced
to say, John Howard Payne gave me an
account Of his adventure in Georgia
among the. whites, bordering on their set
Elements alongside the Choctaw and
Cherokee Indians
Payne, like many of our literati of
small letters, had strong sympathy for
the red mems rights and home, and,
without thought Of exciting anger, cx-
pressed his kindly feelings to any and
every one.
1t was at the time when the people of
Georgia, Of the Indian country, had suf-
fered by massacres and night-fres and
murder, till they could endure the out
RACES no longer, and President jackson
was favoring the removal of the tribes to
the west Of the Mississippi.
Travelling alone as Payne was, with
out much baggage, so simple and out
spoken in his manner it was not long
before he excited suspicion as an In
dian spy; and when they reached the
next stopping place it was whispered
about that he was an enemy, in sympa-
thy with the Indians who had so often
committed such terrible outrages upon
the white population as to exasperate
every one to bitter enmity to them and
all their friends.
Not dreaming of the cause, they took
Payne, tied his hands behind him-the
most girlish man in the world-and
marched him off between two strong,
fully armed men lie saw his situation,
and began to tremble and to beg and
protest and explain who he was, but to
no effect. On they marched for perhaps
half mile, through thickcts and fields.
passing toward an unusually lighted and
respectable appearing log cabin. 1t was
quite late in the night, still the inmates
seemed to be moving. and as the party
approached nearer they hear singing -
finally Payne could distinctly recognize
the music Of
Home, Sweet Home"
He protested and tried to break loose
and get to the house. They held him
back. One of the guard went to the
house, in compassion for the prisoner. to
get some water for he had tainted.
Meeting an officer from the house
which proved to be the headquarters of
some of the United States soldiers not
long there-he said he had brought one
Of the spies of the Indians, who claims
to have written some song about Home,
which | never heard tell on.
The officers curiosity was excited. who