The Washington herald., 1908-03-08
THE HISTORY OF, DIXIE"
HOW DAN EMMETT"S VERSES BECAME
WAR SONG OF THE SOUTH.

was in Dixie" Like fash the thought suggested
the first line Ct the waliVaround and a little later
the minstrel eddie IN hard. was working out the
melody. which, coupled with the words. made
Dixie" genuine s0rE # the people almost from
the instant l. first surg from the stsge of
Bryaut's Minstrels the6 az s72 Broadway. New
York. on the u5ght Of Monday. September ls loh =
On airs. Emmetrs suggestion the song
was dubbed Dixie Firth Pond & Co
bought the copyright. paying. il is said.
500 for IL, and published il as No. ! Of
six Of EmmettS songs which were
grouped under the title. "Emmetts
Inimitable Plantation Songs, Written
and Composed for Bryants Minstrels, OF
New York. by Dan D Emmett"
Last year the Howard Memorial Ii
brary. Of New Orleans. reproduced in
facsimile what ar. William Beer, the
librarian. was inclined 70 think was the
first publication OF the song which has
taken possession OF the hearts Of the peo-
pie Of the South as completely as the
"RakOczy" march has those Of the Hun
garians or the -AIarseiIlaise-' those OF
the French republicans. The fact that
Mr.. Beer associates the publication with
an incident which happened early IN
the war. however while Firth. Pond &
Co issued their book OF Emmett-s songs
IN 1859. disposes Of that notion. The
Sroadside IS nevertheless amusing as
well rs interesting. and the Tribune is
much beholden 10 Mr.. Beer and the How
ard Memorial Library for the privilege
OF reproducing H. There are two stories.
apparently relating 10 the same incident,
which tell OF the beginning OF the great
popularity OF Dixie in the South. Mr..
Beer says:
Early in the war q performance was given in New
Orleans. and eTcTy part had been Successfully taken
exceFtinr that e a war song for the large chorus
II so0n spread u the streets and the battleaeld
and became the great song q the Southern soldier
II was the inspiring song q the southerner az
Gettysburg.
a more detailed account is that recent
~ printed in the programme book Of the
Boston Symphony Orchestra by that
amisble musical annalist of encyclopae-
die mind. Mr. Philip Hale. His account
runs thus;
In the spring Of 1861 Mrs John Wood was playing
in PocahCntas' az The New Orleans Varieties The
aier. 4 z0uaTe march vas introduced IN the last
scene. f0r which a tune wanted Carlo PATTI.
the conductor Of the orchestra. finally decided On
Dixie The z0uaFes marched or led by Susan
Denim. singing Emmett song The audience vas
mad with enthusiasm. the song vert over the
! South; il was arranged for a quickstsU: II vas
PLAYED before Pickctts charge az Gettysburg THIS
the anomaly was presented Of a song written and
composed by a man who born in the North.
and who. matter Cf fact. sympa .hized With the
I North beComing the WGT song Of the South
! Mr. Hale also refers TO a song whose
words. claimed as original. was published
I IN New Orleans In 1880 by ] NewcOmb.
I Mr. Beer says the broadside, 10 which he
does not attempt 70 assign a date. was
printed by John Hopkins. who afterward
/ included il in his Hopkins New Orleans
scent SongbOok." Carlo Patti. by the
way. was brother OF the great Adelins-)
/ L IS likely that the Stanza beginning
4 vish IN de lard % cotton.
Ciulm0n tor cinnamonl seed an sandy bottom.
had q Southern origin. for it was not En-
NETS first stanza- This was omitted AT
I the first performance because BRYANT
feared that il might give offense TO some
I OF his patrons. II ran thus:
Dis vorl' was made in Hss SIX days.
An finished up in various WAYS;
/ Lock SWAY Look away. Look zEzyI
Dixie Land,
Dey den made Dixie tim and nice.
I But Adam called Il '-Psradise'
Look away Laok away Look SEayi
Dtxie Land.
A
! Obviously it was only the refrain and
the tune which had the first inSpiriting
effect upon the people OF the South: but
soon Southern patriots sought 10 consort
these with a text OF more serious import
/ The Natchez Courier on April 50. 1861
printed a song to the melody OF Dixie. -
OF which the words were written By Gen
AlbeTt Pike. and this. perhaps, may be
! set down as the real Dixie" war song.
IL ran:
| Scuthrous. hear ycur country call you
! Up lest worse than death bsfan you
/ To arms, To arms. To auas IN Dixie!
| 70. al The beacon fires are lighted;
| Let all hearts be BOW united
I To AIMS, To arnsl To arms n Dixie!
/ Advance the flag Of Dixie,
Huuah Hurrah.
For Dixie's land We take our stand
And live OF die for Dixie
To arms. To arms. and conquer peace fer Dixiei
Mr. Hale calls attention 10 the fact that
three years ago the Alabama Department
Of Archives and History published the
words OF over twenty poems set IN the
South 10 Emmetts tune. Mr. Beer con-
tributes the interesting intelligence that
hopkins was sent 70 Ship Island by Gen.
/ Butler for printing the words OF The
Bonnie Blue Flag" Though Dixie
came 10 be looked upon as characteristics
! ally a song Of the South. the hearts OF
| the Northern people never grew cold to-
ward II. President Lincoln loved Il. and
! to-day IL is the most popular song in the
country. irrespective of section.