The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-05-22


NIGHr." -WILLTAM ALLAN BUTLER had
some trouble in establishing the fact that he
was the author Of "Nothing to Wear y;
and Crock Me to Sleep, Mother" was
claimed by various persons as the produc-
too OF their pens. However, since 1t is
not settled that HOMER wrote the Had, it
need cause no surprise 10 know that
the authorship Of any poem is dis
puted. We published yesterday long
article intended TO show that "Al'
Quiet Along the Potomac Tonight" was
written by a Mr.. OLIVER. Some ten or
twelve years ago we considered this claim,
and reached the conclusion that there was
no foundation for it. The internal evidence
seems to us to be clearly in favor OF the
theory that the poem originated In the
North. Ii was written in 1861 when the
TIVE .armies were lying upon the banks OF
the Potomac. At that time the Yankee
correspondents kept the whole North in
a constant state Of excitement about
"masked batteries" and such like things,
including an oft-repeated story that the
" rifemen" of the South were on their own
account picking off the Federal soldiers one
by one as they went on picket duty. 1t was
upon this last rumor that the disputed poem
was founded. That poem is not the story
OF thefate Of southern soldier at all, but
Of the fate OF northern soldier. All the
Federal soldiers were armed with muskets.
They were in the land OF their enemies.
Their lives were in hourly peril from the
native "riHemen." The one alluded to In
the poem was slain, not by soldier,
but by " rifeman "a private individual.
No southern picket was ever in any danger
OF ever being shot by " riheman as con-
tra-distinguished from soldier with a
"musker"; for the former was among
friends. Every private individual was on
his side. Not so with the Federal soldier.
He haze been represented to the northern
people 10y the lletter.writers travelling with
the Federal army as In danger at every
moment Of hisskfe from the " stray bullets !"
OF the Virginia - riAemen." The poem is
published an the book entitled "The War
Poetry Of the South as the production Of
the pen Of LAMAR FONTAINE. But for the
same reasons for which we deny Mr..
DIVERS claim we deny Mr.. FoNTAlNE's.
We quote the only words OF the poem that
seem to US to give clew to it's authorship :
AN quiet along the Potomac tc -nishtl"
Except here and ,here stray WICKET
Is shot, as he walks,en his beat u, AID fro
BIZ a rfferaan mia in the thfcltet.
The rideman hid In the thick,h was cer-
tainly southern man. The W prds can't
be made to apply to northern saan, be-
cause there were no northerners along the
Potomac, nor to southern soldier, because
the fatal shot was not fred by sl'ieier at
all, nor from musket, but by ga r. 'nsmsn
hid In the thicket."
" His nauskst falls slack his face dark and uraa
Grows gentle with memories tender"
The victim carried "musket the IL
Heman carried ;" rlne." The author ke' 'ps
up that distinction, though the Mimic mtS-
kets were Of couas Sc rifed mIskets.
" Harsi was 1T the nirhtIwind tsas rustled the
Was IL moonlight 50 wondrousiy flashing?
IL looked Ike a rifle: fla Mary, good bye!'
Aud his Iife-biood isebbine aud spsshisg.
All quiet along the Potexaac tonight!
No sound save the rush Of The river
While soft falls the dew On the face OF the deal,
And the ptckefs OF duty forevcri
The author draws line OF distinction
between "the rifieman" and "tbe picket"
The riGeman was a southerner inflamed to
madness against the invaders Of bis eoup-
try. The picket was Federal soldier, and
was slain by ri1eman "hfd in u Michst,"
not by q Confederate soldier on duty.