Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-01-18
THE STORY OF "0LD SHADY, ;,
Facts Generating Song often Snnc
by the Late G.. n. wisweu


The fact that the late George Y Wis
well had so often sung "Old SHADY, for
so many of the Republican conventions
OF TINS state adds timely interest to the
account given, as well as to the words,
Of the song as they appear in Col. Nicho-
las Smiths Stories of Great National
Songs" Col. Smith says:
Perhaps the most fun-provoking son.
OF the Civil war is Old Shady With
tine bass or baritone voice behind il, it is
overrunning with laughter. To announce
the piece at a war song concert, or az a
public entertainment of any kind, is to
create a fiutter of pleasant anticipations
and TO signify 70 the auditors that merri-
ment may lave full swing.
During the siege of Vieksburg, in
May and June of 1868, a great many
slaves had escaped within the Union
lines. Some of them were hired by the
officers in various departments of the
army. and many others Were given free
transportation north. Among those serv-
ing as cooks was a slave, almost white,
who was known by the name of odd
Shady. He was employed at the head
quarters of Gen. Mcpherson during the
siege, and was a fine specimen of sim
pie, honest manhood. Gen. Sherman, in
an article in tie North American Re
fACWs says OiI 1cuduy WAS poet III the
rough. After supper, the officers at
headquarters, including several generals.
and Mrs. Grant and Mrs. Sherman,
would assemble to hear him and his
chorus of darkies sing. One of the songs
became very popular, and was personal
to the negro cook, entitled, Day of Jub;-
lee but now better known as old
Shady, which ran thus:
,.Oh, yah; yah: darkies laugh wild me.
SO do3t you see dat de jubilee
Is crfaing, coming-Hail, mighty day.
Chorus.
Den aGay, den away, | can't stay here
no longer,
Den away, den away, for am going home.
"Oh, mass got scared and so did his lady,
Dis chile breaks for ole Uncle Ably:
Open de gates, out here's Ole Shady,
A-eoming, a-comin2-Hail, mighty day.
"Goodby, Mass JEFF, goodby Nfis'r stephens,
'Scuse dis niggah fur takin' his leavin's.
'Spect purity soon you'll hear Uncle Abrams
Coming, coming-Hail, mighty day!
"Gcodby. hard word, wild never any pay,
I'ze gwine up North where de good folks
Dat white wheat bread and dollar a day
Are coming, coming Hail, mighty day.
"oh,, I've got wife and I've got a baby,
Linin' up yonder in Lower Canady.
won I uey ldukn Wuen OeN see we SHADY
A coming eomlng-Hail mighty day!
"Gen. Sherman, speaking of old
Shady, says: L do not believe that
since the Prophet Jeremiah babe the
Jews to sing with giadness for Jacob,
and to shout among the chiefs of the ma
tions, because of their Geliverance from
the house Of bondage, any truer song of
gladness ever assembled from the lips of
man than at VicksDurg, where "Old
Shady sang for us in a voice of pure
melody this song OF CieliYerance from the
bonds of slavery
THE general was a great admrer of
the negro character, because. as rule,
the colorcd people were kind and re-
spectful: ard he quotes Henry Clay as
saying that his colored boy, whose name
is now forgotten, was the most. accom-
plished gentleman in America. Gen.
Sherman then adds: What more beau
tiful sentiment than that of my scquaint-
ance, odd Shady: Goodbye, Masss
Jeff; goodby. Massa Stephens Scuse
dis niggah fur takin' his leavin' s'-po-
lite and gentle to the end. Burns never
said anything better
The name of Old Shady was d.
Blakey Durant. and after the war he
got LxbA.wife and nice little baby out of
lower Canady' and worked on an up
per Mississippi steamboat. Gen. Sher-
man once met him on one of the river
steamers, when he sang from the hurri-
cane deck that good old song, which
brought tears TO the eyes of the passen-
gers. ] believe him now dead. but, liv-
ing or dead, he has the love and respect
of the old Army of the Tennessee which
gave him freedom. 'GoOdby, Massa Jeff;
ful expression of the faithful family sery-