The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1882-05-13
The author Of Sweet HOms.

Ihe Author OF Sweet Home.
Little Rock Cor. Chicago Times.
From a gentleman who reached
this city from Indian Territory,
the Times correspondent learned
of new and interesting chapter
in the life of John Howard Payne,
author of "Home, Sweet Home.n
Payne was warm personal friend
or John Ross, who will be remem- I
bered as a celebrated chief of the I
Cherokees. At the time the Cher |
okees were removed from their /
homes in.Georgia to their present
possessions west of the Mississ-
ippi river, Payne was spending a
few weeks in Georgia with Ross,
who was occupying miserable
cabin having been forcibly elected
from his former home. a number
of prominent Cherokees were in
prison, and that portion of Geor-
gia IN which the tribe was located
was secured by armed squads of
the Georgia militia, who had or.
ders to arrest all who refused to
leave the country.
While Ross aud Payne were
seated before the fire in tho hut,
the door was suddenly burst open
and six or eight militia men sprang
into the room. Ross's wife was
seated on a trunk containing many
valuable papers and small amount
of money, and at the unexpected
intrusion she sprang up and
screamed wildly. Ross spoke to
her in the Cherokee language; tell.
ing her to be seated, as she would
save the contents of the trunk
and as she thus sat down again,
the intruders told Ross that h,
; and Payne were under arrest ant
must prepare to accompany the
squad to Milledgeville, where they
were to be imprisoned. tn,
soldiers lost no time in taking theil
prisoners away. Ross was per
mitted to ride his own horse Will,
Payne was mounted on one led b,
! a soldier. AS the little party lcf
, the hovcl the rain began falling
, and continued until every man wal
drenched thoroughly. The JON
ney lasted all night. Toward mid
, night Payne's escort, in order T.
!, keep himself awake began hum
+, ming "IIome--home-sweet-
{ sweet-home,' when Payne rC
a marked:
q "Little did expect to hear tina
song under such circumstance
n and at such time. Do you kn0'
the author!"
t "No,n said the soldier, I'D
J. your"
"Yes," said Payne, 81 compose
Y it.n
@ "The devil you did. You ca
/ tell that to some fellow but not I
0 me. Look here; you made tha
a song, you say; if you.did and
0 know you didn't-you can say
4 all without stopping. 1t has some
Y thing in it about pleasure an
s palaces. Now pitch in and reel
!. off; and If you cant, III bounc
Q you from your horse and lead yo
!. instead of it,"
( The threat was answered b
Payne, who repeated the song in
s slow and subdued tone, and the
}. sang it, making the old words rim
i with the tender melody and patho
!. of the woods. 1t touched tn
n heart of the rough soldier, VIII
f was not only captivated but col
n vinced, and who said the comp,
/. ser of such a song should neye
t go to prison if he could help ]
!. And when the party reached Mil
G edgeville they were, after prel
Y minary examination, discharge,
}. much to their surprise. Payne il
|. sisted it was because the leadc
d of the squad had been under til
r magnetic influence of Ross's col
n ve1sation, and Ross insisted tha
|. they had been saved from insu
Il and Imprisonment by the power ,
$ Home, Sweet Home" sung a
/. only those who feel can sing |
d The friendship existing betwee
II Ross and Payne endured until tn
y grave closed over the mortal n
!. mains of the latter.
> Bishop Green, Of Mississippi.
II Vicksburg Commercial.