The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-07-26
(
"A SOUTHERN SONG.
The Homespun Dress Wrltten by
Mlss Sinclair.
s. ..---.
a soUL SrlRlMo BALLAD
And l's t,lato'y That viii b Read
al Y With Y interest BY Mary Old
Confederate Soldiers
and Olhers.
{ "A soUL SrlRlMo BALLAD
and Olher8.

and Olher8.
!. Tho following story Of popular bal
& lad Of tho war Tor southern indopcnd-
once, which no clip from Tho State will
/, prove interesting to those Of our
readoss who are not old enough to hsvo
\ heard it sung whom its loyal words
Z meant muob, as woll as to tho mon and
womon who remombor with what good
will it was sung in that time. The GO.
count iB contained in tho report Of a
committee appointed for the purpose Of
& asoortaining the authorship of "Iho
Homoepun Dross:'
TIE REPORT.
When the Confederate General Kirby
Smith invaded Northorn Kentucky,
John U1i Lloyd, in common with scv,
oral othor villagers stood in front Of
the grocery pictured in his book,
5"Stringtown on tho Pike" grenn Of
Morgan's oavalrymen awaiting orders
,boing tho attraction. During tho in
terval ono of the party struck up a song
beginning "Oh, yos, am southern
q girl, tho others Joining in the chorus
Wishing to incorporate it in String
town" tho ballad was sought, but with,
4 out avail. Finally memory was trusted
for tho two verses recorded in tho book
Subsequently, however. Professor Lloy d
made printed rtqueat under date Of
Januaoy 5, 1901, Tor tho full poem and
tho name Of its author, Offering a re
ward Of 500 to tho porson first to sup
ply tho ballad and tho coricot namo Of
the author. Unexpectedly, tho offer
resulted in mass Of correspondence
and a number Of claimants for the honor
of authorship.
In this dilemma, second offer Of
$50 was made for tho iudisputable os-
tabiii5hhme ant of tho anthorss namo TO
Z. the satisfaction of oommittoo COM
Y posed ofthreo judges Of tho Cincinnati
court who kindly consented to act.
a Tho result, as pronounced by tho
& Judges, is as follows:
The ballad and tho correct name Of
q tile author were first given by Mr.
Nv illihm j Bryan, No, lib st, Gregory
" street, Mt Adams, Cincinnati; reooiyod
j January 5, Il Q01 b 5 40 p. M, dolivefed
personal ly, award s 100s0 90. IS & 3f Il &.
ssIGhei frat person, giving unoontro
,yt6ss sa6 5ySF SSf ffes spohd dent, Ssssas W
aarles w Ill bner, Carnegie lii
Atlantis, Georgia., roeoived Feb,
r,1901, award, $50 00.
/; gphe total number Of correspond
in! this ,contesti is over 400. The names
Sof forty-eight different authors woro
81 presented, Of whom thirty. two could be
IA ruled dlQut at onco. AS to the remain.
" ing sixteen uuimpeaohable evidence
gives tho credit Of authorship to
S$ MISS CARRIE BELL SINCLAIR,
of. Savannah, Georgia. This namo in
connection with tho ballad was first
g given by Mr.. Bryan. The conclusive
evidence WAS supplied (frst via Mr..
& Hubnor, and subsequently Mrs. N. v.
& Randolph, Of Richmond, Va.) by Mrs.
'3G O. /. Walkor, Of Summerville, s. T.. q
y sister Of tho author, and vas confirmed
in all details by Mrs. Sarah G. Mason.
s of Philadelphia, Pa, another surviving
sister Of the author.
j. Respectfully submitted,
Aaron MoNoill,
David Davis,
May 81, 1901. Howard Forris.
HISTORY OF TIE HoMEsPUN DRESS.
This ballad was written by Miss Sin
clair in midsummer, 1852 (Tostimony
Of hor sister, Mrs. Mason
In this connection, the date is con.
firmed in print by G.. N. Saussy, now Of
Brainbridgo, Ca, a lieutenant. colonel
of the Confederate army, who was homo
in Savannah on furlough after boing
wounded in tho Sharpsburg battle
(Soptombor Is and II, 1862 He was
favored with manuscript copy Of
the poem by the author, Miss Sinclair,
and also heard tho song sung to tho
popular air Of Tho Bonnie Blue Flag. !"
\ by lady mombors Of the 20 loen
Sisters" an English family, thon mold
Ing tho boards Of tho old Savannah
theatre.
Evidence from r. N. Harris, Atlanta
aa., kindly submitted by Mr.. Hubner,
Of Atlanta, throws light on tho history
. Of this song and tho personality of tho
talented author:
Atlanta, Ga, March 81, 1901.
\ Charlep w. Hubnor.
Dear Sir:--As thero has been aomo
doubt expressed as to tho author Of
5aB 'ho Hom0spun Dress," l oan g:yo you
q few facts which | know TO bo true
In August, 1868, | WAS detailed on
special duty in Savannah, and remained
\, there Until the oity was surrcndcfod to
Sherman's army. think it wa3 in
I! Docombor, 1863, that frat mot Mi 80
Sinclair. She remained in Savannah
several months, and it was my good for
4 tunojto moet horlnany times; oho was
q very quiet little woman; aud very
rarolybpQko Of her writings, but ]. re-
mombor :sQnoo ia particular whom sho
told how Che camo to writo "''ho Homo.
4 spun Dress.H She seid i, wae in
s. .Au&ueta,SGa. Thoro was quite a riv.
3 airy with the girls as to who should
have tho oynoataat homospun dross, and
from this incident sho took tho idea
and N.troto that old war song. 1t was
NJf(gpkDllb bliehod in an Augusta paper and
B III SSsfiSa u sl0pied ,in5 Tho Savannah Morning
hIw6. lt..wse ALSO set to music and
55 s,ubliehod by Blaokmar, who at that
4 had music atoro in Augusta.
3 Itle$9 $ar5 ,facts that know TO bo tfuo
from ny own personal knowledge. I
don't wish any newspaper notorloty ia
e regard tc this controversy, but as Miss
IL Sinclair cannot speak for horself +
. want to SEQ justice done her.
!. 5lil I@i Yours truly,
< Il. Il. N. Harris.