'THE BALLAD OF KITTY WELLS' - Hand-Written CIVIL WAR ERA SONG

Book. Good. No Binding. Publication date 1858. 'THE BALLAD of KITTY WELLS' --rare copy of a Civil War-era LOVE SONG-- handwritten on Union stationary. This rendition of 'Kitty Wells' has lyrics attributed to Thomas Sloan, Jr., music by Charles Atherton. 'The Ballad of Kitty Wells' is in the collection of American Song Sheets, Library of Congress Rare Books and Special Collections. NICELY PRESENTED --MATTED & FRAMED in SILVER METAL-- the item measures 16"x 22.5"-- a thoughtful, careful display of the fragile song sheet. 'The Ballad of Kitty Wells' is a Civil War-era song of 'lost love'-- a Black man grieves her death while remembering life with his beloved Kitty Wells. Tremendously popular as a minstrel song in 19th century American popular music, the song may perhaps have had English origins. 'When the birds were singing in the morning/ and the myrtle and the ivy were in bloom/ and the sun on the hilltops was a dawning/ twas there we laid her in the tomb.'/ 'But death came in my cabin door/ and stole from me my joy my pride/ and when I heard she was no more/ I laid my banjo down and cried'. Undated song-lyrics were handwritten on stationary stamped with a Union logo. Framed presentation is matted to showcase 3 separate items: the original lyrics; a typed-transcription of the lyrics; and a Civil War-era envelope stamped with a Union logo. 'The Ballad of Kitty Wells' is 5 verses, complete: the first (3) verses are shown; and the last (2) verses were wrapped beneath the song-sheet. Domestic s&h $35. .