Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-04-20
HOME, SWEET HOME.
The Magic of Music-A Reminiscenee
of John Howard Payne.
Little Rock Co.. Chicago Times

Little Rock Co.. Chicago Timesl
From gentleman who just reached
this city from Indian Territory, the
Times correspondents learned of a new
and interesting chapter in the his
tory of the life of John Howard Payne,
author Of Home, Sweet Home" Payne
was warm personal friend of John
Ross. who will be remembered as Gel
ebrated chief eff the Cherokees. At the
time the CherokeeS were removed from
their homes in Georgia to their present
possessions west of the Mississippi Riv-
er, Payne was spending few weeks in
Georgia with Ross, who was occupying
a miserable cabin, having been forcibly
elected from his, former home. A num-
Der of prominent Cherokees were in
prison, and that portion of Georgia in
which the tribe was located was secured
by armed squads of the Georgia militia,
who had orders to arrest all who refused
to leave the country. tf
While Ross and Payne were seated
before the fire in the hut. the door was
suddenly burst open and six or eight
militia men sprang into the room. Ross
wife was seated on trunk containing
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 Ian
guage, telling her to be seated, as she
would thus save the contents of the
trunk. and, as she sat down again, the
iHtruders told Ross that both he and
Payne were under arrest and must pre-
pare TO accompany the squad to Mil
ledgeville, where they would be impris-
oned. The soldiers lest no time
in taking their prisoners away. Ross
was permitted tc ride his own horse,
while Payne was mounted on one led
by a soldier. As the little party left the
hovel rain began falling and continued
until every man was drenched thor
oughly. The journey lasted all night.
Toward midnight Payne's escort, in or
der to keep himself awake, began hum
ming, "Home-home-swe
home,' when Payne remarked:
Little did l expect to hear that song
under such circumstances and at such a
time. Do you know the author ?"
NO." said the soldier. do your?
"Yes," Payne answered; 81 composed
it."
"The devil you did, You can tell that
to some fellows, but not to me. Look
here, you made that song you say if you
did-and L know you didn't-you can
say it all without stopping. 1t has some
thing in it about pleasure and palaces.
Now pitch in and reel it off; and if you
can't, I'll bounce you from your horse
and lead you instead of it.
This threat was answered by Payne,
who repeated the song in slow, sub
dued tone, and then sang it, making the
old words ring with the tender melody
and pathos of the woods. 1t touched
the heart of the rough soldier, who was
not only captiyated but convinced, and
who said that the composer of such a
song should never go to prison if he
could help it. And when the party
reached Milledgeville they were, after a
preliminary examination, discharged,
much to their surprise. Payne insisted
it was because the leader of the squad
had been under the magnetic influence
of Ross conversation, and Ross insisted
that they had been saved from insult
and Imprisonment by the power of
Home, Sweet Home" sung as only
those who feel can sing it. The friend
ship existing between Ross and Payne
endured until the grave closed over the
mortal remains of the latter.