The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1874-02-05
COUSIN SALLY DILLARD.
who She Was and Where She Hailed
From.
From the Petersburg (va.) News

From the Petersburg (ya.) News.
The authorship of that amusing aud
oft-told tale, "My Cousin Sally Dill
lard" has long been attributed by
North Carolinians, and l doubt not
honestly, to the late Hamilton G. Jones,
of Salisbury, a celebrated humorist,
distinguished lawyer, and for years the
reporter of the supreme court of that
state.
"EIe was fellow of infinite jest, of
most excellent fancy" He has made
us laugh "a thousand times" but he
Was not the author of "Mv Cousin Sal,
ly Dillard," for often heard it told
more than sixty wears ago, and before
the inimitable North Carolinian was
old enough to relish a joke, or to APP
precate well conceived tale.
Be it known, therefore, by every
North Carolinian and Virginian, and
by call the rest of mankind" that the
late Richard Claiborne, formerly of
Dinwiddie county, Va, who lived near
"Gunn's HILL" on 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 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.
Mr.. Claiborne was IN uncle of the
father of yonr townsman, DR.. J. Her.
bert Claiborne, and was member Of
the bar in attendance on that court at
the time of the examination of the wit
ness who afforded so much merriment,
on the occasion which he has made
memorable by a recital of the incident
by which it was distinguished. 1t hap
pened in this wise:
An individual was prosecuted in that
court for can assault with intent to
kill" The witness in question was
called on to tell what he knew of the af-
fair, and he proceeded thus:
Well, you see, there was treat
gin over at Capt. Rice's, and my wife
and my cousin Sally billiard they
wanted to go, and my wife she axes me,
she did, if my man Nose mought go
along with her, for there was creek to
cross on log, and my wife she could
never walk log in her life, so she
wanted me to let my man Nose go, so
as he could hope her over the log. And
40 tells my wife, seeing as how that
my cousin Sally billiard was going,
suppose that | must let my man Nose
90, though the crap was powerfully in
the grass, which my man Nose was the
foreman in the crap. 50 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, ard wades across"
The judge becoming impatient Mt the
circumlocution of the witness, inter.
rupted him by saying: "Ne do not
care TO hear how your cousin Sallie
DIllard 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, "pro.
ceed with your statement, and confpe
it to the circumstances of the assault ,
"Well, as l was telling an We. Won
see there was treat gin ever at Cant
Rice's and my cousin Sally billiard
was at our house."
"Stop, sirl" said the judge, "did no,
I tell you to confine your statement te
the circumstances of the assault ?"
ooh, yes" sal il the witness.
"Well, sir" continued the Judge
"let us hear no more of your wife ant
vNur cousin Sally billiard. Begin a
the commencement of the assault, aftel
you arrived at Capt. Rice's."
"Oh, yes" said the incorrigible wit