Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-01-18
COUSIN SALLY BILLIARD.
Who She Was and Where She
Hailed From.

Not n Tar Heel, but One of the +. f.
Vs-The Original StOry-One WHO
| Heard IL.
From the Petersburg (Va-) News.
The authorship of that amusing and
oft-told tale, MY Cousin Sally Dill
lard" has long been attributed by
North Carolinians, and / doubt not
honestly, to the late Hamilton G. Jones.
of Salisbury, a celebrated humorist, a
distinguished lawyer, and for years the
reporter of the Supreme Court Of that
State.
HE was fellow of infinite Jest, of
most excellent fancy" He has made
us laugh "a thousand times" but he
1ods not the author of my Cousin Sal
ly billiard, +" for often heard it told
more than sixty years ago, and before
the inimitabls North Carolinian was
old enough to relish joke, or to APP
preciate well conceived tale.
Be it known, therefore, by every
North Carolinian and Virginian, and
by "all the rest of mankind that the
late Richard Claiborne, formerly of
Dinwiddie county, Va, who lived near
Gums HILL" TN the road leading
from the courthouse Of the said county,
to Harper's bridge, on the Nottoway
river, was the veritable author of this
celebrated narrative of a scene which is
said to have been witnessed in the old
District Court of Brunswick county, in
this State, IN which Judge Tucker pre-
sided.
M TIoibo,,o ,,-o, ~, ,,,,.lo r. IL.
father Of your townsman, DR.. J. Her.
bert Claiborne, and was a member of
the bar in attendance on that court at
the time of the examination of the wit
nesses who afforded so much merriment,
on the occasion which he has made
memorable by recital of the incident
by winch 1t was distinguished It hap
pened IN tins wise: An individual was
prosecuted IN that court for IAN as
sault with intent to kill"
The witness in question was called
on to tell what he knew Of the sfair.
and proceeded thus: r.
well, you see, there was a treat gin
over at Captain Rice's, and my wife
and my cousin Sally billiard they want
ed to go, and my wife she axes me, she
did, if my man Nose mought 90 along
with her, for there was a creek to cross
on a log, and my wife she could never
walk log IN her life, so she wanted me
to let my man Nose 60, so as he could
hope her over the log. And so IteIls my
wife, seeing as how that my cousin
Sally billiard was going, 1 suppose
that l must let my man Nose go,
though the Crap was powerfully III the
grass, which my man Nose was the
foreman In the Crap. So off they
starts, and when they gifts to the creek,
my man Nose he hopes my wife over
the log; and my Cousin Sally billiard
she offs with her shoes and stockings,
and ups with her petticoat, and wades
across"
The Judge becoming inpatient at
the circumlOcution of the witness, in
terrupted him by saying, 1--WE do not
care TO hear how your Cousin Sallie
billiard got along, or whether they
ever reached the place at all. Tell us
what you know of the assault, and
nothing else.'
"Oh, yes" said the witness.
"Well, sir" said the Judge, proceed
with your statement, and confne it to
the circumstances of the assault"
"Well; as l was telling an ye, You
see, there was treat gin over at Capt.
Rice's and my cousin, Sally billiard.
was at our house"
"Stop, sir" said the Judge, did not
1 tell you to confine your statement
to the circumstances of the assault"
"Oh! yes" said the witness.
"Well, SIR" continued the Judge, |
"Let US hear no more of your wife and |
your cousin, Sally billiard. Begin at |
the commencement of the assault, after
you arrived at Capt. Rice's."
"Oh, yes" said the incorrigible wit
ness. "Well, as l was a telling an We,
you see there was a treat gin over at |
Capt. Rice's and my Cousin Sally Dill
lard was at our house"
'.Sit down, sir," said the Judge, and,
appealing to the Attorney for the Com
nonwealth, who had introduced the
witness, he told him that he thought it !
unreasonable that the time of the court |
should be consumed by the testimony
of such simpleton, and that he would !
not hear MIN further.
May it please your Honor" replied |
the Attorney, 81 regard the evidence
of this witness as very important, and