Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1897-09-23
"HOME, SWEET HOME.
The Author was Friend Of Chief Ross
of the Cherokees.

of the Cherokees.
Fort Gibson Post.
Most every one has heard and
admired tne familiar and pathetic
song of Home, Sweet Home" "
which is known and sung where
ever the English language is spok-
en. The author, John Harvard
Payne, was a wanderer most of his
life and had no home. He died at
Tunis, Africa, in 1852, and his
body was removed to America in
1888. Mr.. Payne had lived among
the Cherokees in the old nation
in Georgia, and was a particular
friend of old Chief John Ross. |
have heard it said that he visited
his old friend Ross after his re-
moval here in the new nation, and
that he had been here in Fit. Glib
son, but find this upon investiga-
ton to be an error. although few
people here in the nation have
known Mr.. Payne, among the
number being Mrs. H. w. Hitch
cock of Ft. Gibson, whose father,
Rev. S. A. Worcester, was an in
innate acquaintance of the great
author.
When the Cherokees were being
removed from their old home in
Georgia to this nation-which was
done mostly by force-Mr. Payne
was spending a few weeks with
his life long friend Chief Ross of
the Cherokees. Several promi-
nent Cherokees were in prison,
and that portion of Georgia in
which the tribe was located was
secured by armed squads of the
Georgia militia.
While Ross and Payne were
seated before the fire in the little
hut to which they had fled after
the chief had been forcibly elected
from his house, the door was sud-
denly burst open and eight militia
men entered.
Ross and Payne were arrested
and taken away on horseback.
Rain was falling, and the journey
lasted all night. Towards mid
night, Payne's escort, to keep
himself awake began to sing
Home, Sweet Home" !"
"Little did l ever expect to hear
that song under such circum-
stances" Payne remarked gloom
lily.
81 reckon not," said his escort,
'but it's a good song to make
fellow think of the home he's left
behind him."
"Yes," said Payne. "Do you
know who wrote that song?"
"No; do you?"the soldier asked.
Eyes" said Payne, II wrote it,"
"a lot you didl' returned the
soldier, sarcastically. You can
tell that to some fellers, but not to
me. Look here, if you made that
song-and | know you didn't
YOU can say every word of it.
Now start in and reel it of, or I'll
bounce you from your horse end
lead you instead of'him."
Payne answered the threat by
repeating the words of the song in
a slow, subdued tone, and sang it,
making the woods ring with the
tender melody and pathos of the
words.
As the last notes died away, the
soldier said, kindly, "If ye didn't
write it, ye can sing it; and gra-
cious, / believe you did write it,"
He added that the man who
could write such a song, and sing
it as Payne had done, should not
go to prison if he could help it.
When the party reached Mil
ledgeville, the prisoners, much to
their surprise, were discharged,
after brief preliminary examina-
ton; and Chief Ross always in
sisted that they had been saved
from insult and Imprisonment by
the power of "Home, Sweet
Home" as sung by Payne on that
midnight journey. In no part
of the world is the song of "Home,
Sweet Home" better known and
appreciated than here in the
Cherokee nation.
Can you use some cheap envelopes:
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