A good interview up at: http://www.brokenpencil.com/view.php?id=4201

I found this interesting song on the burial of “Uncle Ned”–interesting regarding the realistic details of what can probably be viewed as a typical plantation interment–and interesting in the assumptions of the song’s author, A. J. H. From the Clarksville Jeffersonian for 1/22/1851.

The Burial of Uncle Ned

As sung by Misses Martha Johnson and Emily Tally, at Mrs. Wendell’s Concert, in Clarksville, Tenn.

I.

Not a sigh was breathed, not a word was spoke,
As his corpse through the cornfield we hurried–
Not a darkie the solemn silence broke,
O’er the grave where Uncle Ned we buried:
We buried him deep in a lonely spot,
The turf with our shovels turning;
While the owl hooted low his funeral note,
And the fox-fire lamp was burning.

II.

No cherry coffin confined his breast,
Nor in white folk’s shroud we wound him,–
But he laid there peacefully taking his rest,
With his old blanket coat around him;
But half our heavy task was done,
When the horn told the hour for retiring,
And we knew by the sound of the old shot-gun
That master at the crows was firing.

III

Slowly and softly we filled his bed,
Not an eye was dim with sorrow,
But we mournfully gazed on poor Old Ned,
As bitterly we thought of the morrow.
Lightly they’ll talk of Old Ned, now gone,
And o’er his old clothes upbraid him–
But he won’t care for that if they’ll let him sleep on,
In the grave where his brethren have laid him.

A.J.H.