Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-05-24
SONGS OE The SOUTH.

With the advent of war, poetry and song
began in one shape or another to find their
themes throughout the south-the woman
at her hearthstone and the soldier in the
field; to represent all aspects of popular
feeling-the enthusiasm of victory, the de-
spondonCy Of defeat, the pride that exulted
in the hero and the grief that mourned
his loss.
Three distinctive songs, however, quick
ly became sectional and were adopted as
expressive Of the popular feeling" Dix
lie, My Maryland" and The Bonnie
Blue Flag" The history of each is in
teresting, especially that of the first, which
appears to have taken place with The
Star Spangled Banner" and Yankee
Doodle" Its author is Dan Emmett,
who still lives at the ripo old age of 70.
Recently, being asked TO relate the cir
Cumstances Of its composition, he said:
I'm the spring Of 1859 was in tho en-
ploy of the Bryant ministries in New York,
at 472 Broadway, and my particular bust
ness was to invent walk arounds.' One
Saturday night Jerry Bryant came to mo
and asked if l couldn't write a 'hurrah'--
something to make noise with and get
the people stirred up. told him thought
l. SOhlh' NrAiANttAg iJS4llS q ldi4ly hhJ, IT.
manned at home and composed what then
named Il Wish l Was In Dixie's Land
Nobody ever knew how it came to be called
Dixie Well, Jerry was so delighted
with it that he made us rehearse all day
Monday for the evenings performance.
The song was go right from the start
Bands played it. Musical people in Gin
Cinnati, Louisville and New Orleans crib
bed it, and lawsuits followed until Firth
& Pond published it under my own name
and SO settled the dispute as to author
ship" 1t was first sung in New Orleans in
1860, the original words, from which all
other versions sprang, being as follows:
J wish l was in the land oh cotton;
Old times dar am not forrotten
Look away, look away, look away Dixie LAND.
In Dixie land, whar was born in,
Early on one frosty mornin,
Look away, look away, look away Dixie land.
Den wish was in Dixie,
Hooray, hooray
In Dixie land I'll took my stand,
To lib and die in Dixie.
Away, away, away down south in Dixie;
Away, away, away down south in Dixie
Old missus marry "Will de weaber,"
"A4AltlILl NCS "a Say utGCtibGl'
Look away, etc
But when he put his arms around FER,
He smiled as fierce as a forty pounder
Look away, etc.
Den wish l was in Dixie, etc.
His face was sharp as butchers cleaber,
But dat did not seem to greatly greab er;
Look away, etc.
Old missus acted the foolish part,
And died for the man who broke her heart.
Look away, etc.
Den wish l was in Dixie, etc.
Now, here's health to the next old missus,
And all the gals that want to kiss us;
Look away, eta.
But if you want to drive away sorrow,
Come and hear dis mig tomorrow;
Look away, etc.
Den wish was in Dixie etc.
Oars buclSwheat cakes and Ingen batter,
Makes you fat or a little fatter;
Look away, etc.
Den hoe it down and scratch your grabble;
To DiXies land I'm bound to trabble;
Look away, etc.
Den wish 1 was in Dixie, etc.
When the war broke out, other lines
were written to fit the measure, and the
stirring melody at once became the chief
war song of the south. 1t is said that Pres
ident Lincoln requested band to play
Dixie" in 1865, short time after the
surrender of Appomattox, remarking that
las we had captured the rebel army we
had captured also the rebel tune"