Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1891-09-22
MISCELLANEOUS.
Home Sweet Home"
An Occasion IRhen John Ho,card
Payne Sang the Song Under
w Compulsion.

Twas once acquainted with Swede
who had been adopted by the Usage
Indians. He was friend of John
Ross, the celebrated chief of the
Cherokees, and gave his name in the
Cherokee language-it was written j
Q. & j. O., pronounced Koh-weh-s-
koh-weh, and means swamp sparrow.
His brother, Lewis Ross, was named
Te-tah tie, which means spoon. My
informant was himself called by the
Cherokees Te-kaw- whar lees-ky, which
signifies " The man who writes orders
for -four
John Howard Payne, the author OF
{" Home Sweet Home, was warm
personal friend of John Ross. At the
time, the Cheerokees were removed
from their homes in Georgia to their
present home west of the Mississippi
River, Payne was spending a few
weeks in George with Ross, who was
occupying a miserable cabin, having
been forcibly elected from hisiformer.
A number of prominent Cherokees
were in prison, and that portion of
Georgia in which the tribe was 10.
Gated was secured by armed squads
of the Georgia militia, who had or
ders to arrest all who refused to
leave the country.
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's wife was seated ON a
trunk containing many valuable pa
pers and small amount of money,
and at the unexpected intrusion she
sprang up and screamed wildly
Ross spoke to her in the Cherokee
language, telling her to be seated, as
she would save the contents of the
trunk. She sat down again and the
intruders told Ross that he and Payne
were under arrest and must prepare
to accompany the squad to MiIledge-
vile, where they were to be impris-
oned. The soldiers lost no time in
taking their prisoners away. Ross
was permitted to 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 con-
tinued until every man was drenclied
thoroughly. Towards midnight,
Payne's escort, in order to keep him
self awake, began humming " Home,
home, sweet, sweet home" when
Payne remarked:
T" Little did expect to hear that
song under such circumstances and
at such time. Do you know the
author?"
mo-" said the soldier, "do you ?''
(" Yes" answered Payne, 9 COM
posed it."
"T The devil you didl You can tell
that to some other fellow but not to
me. Look here, you made that song,
you say; if you did-and Ikuow you
didn't-you can say it all without
stopping. It has something about
pleasures and palaces. Now pitch
in, and reel it of, and il you can't
I'll bounce you from your horse and
lead you instead of it,
The threat was answered by PAYNE,
who repeated the song in slow, sub
dued tone, and then sang it, making
the old woods ring with the tender
melody and pathos of the words. 1t
touched the heart of the rough SOL
dier, who was not only captivated
but convinced, and who said The com
poser of such song should never 90
to prison if he could help it. And
when the party reached AIilledgeville
they were, after a preliminary exam
ination, discharged, much to their
surprise. Payne insisted that it was
because the leader Of the squad had
been under the magnetic influence OF
Ross conversation, and Ross In
sisted that they had been saved from
insult and imprisonment by the power
of s Home, Sweet Home, J" sung as
only those wEo can feel can sing It.
The friendship existed between
Ross and Payne until the grave
closed over the mortal remains OF tht
latter.