The Omaha guide., 1937-01-23
NEGRO SLAVE
co NJ p OSED
NOTED SONG
Compose Swing Low
Sweet Chariot While
Chopping Cotton

The world : famous spiritual,
"Swing Lew, Sweet Chariot" was
composed by an Oklahoma slave
and his wife before the Civil War.
This Illuminating fact is detailed
in The American Guide, an ex-
haustive research into folklore and
history compiled by works progress
administration writer's.
The deeply moving first poured
from the homesick lips of Wallace
Willis, known as "Uncle Wallace
and "Aunt Minerva" on a cotton
plantation in the Choctaw nation,
near the Red river.
This couple also composed, by
singing, two other spirituals pop
ular throughout the world: "Steal
Away to Jesus" and I'm a Rollin'."
The interesting and little known
story Is set forth in this excerpt
from the GUIDE:
In the sultry stiffness of an 1910
August noon, in the extreme south
ern part of the Choctaw nation,
Indian erritory, what is now Choc-
taw and McCurtain counties, a mid
dle-aged kindly faced Negro paused
in his work of chopping cotton to
wipe the perspiration from his brow,
and gather up energy and courage
to go on with his task anew.
As his eyes took in the level
fields of cotton, stretching e~ndlessly
away from the southern plantation
he Strengthened up, leaned on his
hoe, and looked far beyond the hori-
zon to where Red river lay SHIN
mering in the distance. He loved to
look at it, for it brought him mem
cries of his home back on the banks
of the Mississippi. Suddenly a
wave Of inconsistencies engulfed
him, and he wondered if he should
ever be allowed to GO back to the
SCIENCES of his childhood, save in
death. He thought, too, with simple
faith, of the promise of a heavenly
home of rest and happiness. And
as he reflected, he broke into song,
n which was later destined to
become famous, a song containing
all the spiritual longings of a lone
ly soul.
"Swing low, sweet chariot,
Comm fo' to carry me home"
That Negro slave was Wallace
Willis, better known to his master
and fellow slaves as "Uncle Wal
Nearby, his wife, Aunt Minerva,
Joined in low grooming, as she, too,
leaned on her hoe, and looked far
away into the distant blue.
az looked ever Jordan, an what
do l see,
Comm fo' to carry me home
"Swing low, Sweet Chariot"
Uncle Wallace and Aunt Miner
va were Negro slaves, belonging
before the Civil War, to Brit Wills,
a wealthy plantation near Doaks-
vile. Willis had brought the slaves
with him from Hickory Flat, Miss,
where he had owned a plantation
on the banks of the Mississippi.
During the winters, these two
were leased as servants, for a few
vars at Old Spencer academy, a
board school for Choctaw Indian
boys. It was here the Rev. Alex
ander Reid, who was superintend-
ent of the academy in the years
1849 to 1861, heard them sing the
Negro spirituals, which were later
TO become a part of the worlds
music.
Reid relates how on a visit to
New York, he helped the Jubilee
Singers, a Negro troop from Fisk
university, in Tennessee, who gave.
concerts to raise educational funds
for the freedom of the south, by
giving them some of Uncle Wall
when a servent at Spencer AGA
aces songs the slaves had sung
denny.
Three of the spirituals became
very popular, "Swing Low, Sweet
Chariot" Steal Away Jesus" and
"Im a Rollin'."
"Steal Away to Jesus" was one
of the two song sung before Queen
Victoria, who called for az encore
of this song. Professor White, dir
ector of the chorus, assured Mr..