Sing Us Ho me

Does a spiritual that many consider

a national treasure have origins in

Indian Territory? a Choctaw slave-

turned-freedman may hold the key.

By Susan Dragoo

ome things in life—anniversaries, birthdays, and taxes— are certain. In others, mystery beckons with whispers of pos- sibility and glimmers of resolution. Its shadowy lanes some- times lead to answers and other times to more questions. As

Wallace Willis’ final resting place is does history—full of unknowns, its people and events are veiled by layers of uncertain. Some claim he is buried in S an unmarked grave at the abandoned time. Absolute proof can be elusive, and embracing mystery can be a way of Wilson Cemetery near Old Boggy Depot, where his granddaughter honoring the vagaries of truth. Close to home, one such instance involves a Frances Banks also may be buried. Wallace and his wife Minerva were spiritual and a nineteenth-century man who lived on the land that reported to be living in Old Boggy Depot after 1861. susan dragoo became southeastern .

58 January/February 2015 OklahomaToday.com 59 Swing low, sweet chariot, “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” was Delighted with the offer,W hite arranged for the Jubilees to meet in Coming for to carry me home. one of many born of the Brooklyn with Reid, who taught the troupe six songs he had heard Wal- owerful notes roll union of American , African lace sing. Reid specifically mentioned from the throats of an two, “ to Jesus” and “I’m a African American quartet tradition, and the Christian religion. Rolling,” in the letter to his colleague. from Fisk University on a White later assured Reid that they were Pscratchy 1909 recording of one of the the most valuable contribution made to best known songs in the American Fisk by any one person. folk canon. Its release marked one of The Singers performed the the first times a record label presented tradition, and the Christian religion. first heard singing “Swing Low, Sweet spirituals throughout the country and a performance of serious music by a First known as slave hymns, cabin Chariot.” He and his wife, Minerva, in Europe, and they soon became black ensemble. The Victor record songs, and plantation melodies, this came from in the Indian standard material for the group, label’s wide distribution of the song music emerged primarily through word Removal of the 1830s with their Choc- whose popularity grew. Various ac- elevated its popularity, but “Swing of mouth, since few slaves were given taw owner, Britt Willis, who settled on counts suggest that Reid arranged to Low, Sweet Chariot” already had a the opportunity to learn to read and land south of Fort Towson. have photographs made—stories differ nearly four-decade public history, first write. As a result, the words and tunes For a few years, Wallace and Mi- as to whether they were of Wallace and appearing on the ’ of spirituals tended to change depend- nerva worked at Spencer Academy, Minerva or of their children—which concert program in the early 1870s. ing upon the singer or singers. a Presbyterian boarding school for he planned to send to Fisk in honor of It was one of many spirituals born of One of those singers was Wallace Choctaw boys north of Fort Towson. the couple’s musical contributions to the the union of American slavery, African Willis, who was a slave when he was The Reverend Alexander Reid, a native susan dragoo university. Regardless whom the photos depict, they have since disappeared. Scot, was superintendent of the acad- to until after the war, Some doubt their existence, but one emy from 1849 to 1861. At Spencer, when he moved to New Jersey. Oklahoma music historian does not. Reid often heard the couple sing songs “Many years ago, I was at Fisk Uni- that spoke of hard times and oppres- isk opened in Nashville, versity and visited the library,” says Guy sion. It may have been there that they Tennessee, in 1866 to pro- Logsdon of Tulsa. “I saw the photos came to be known as “Uncle” Wallace Fvide a liberal arts education to hanging on the wall near the entrance. and “Aunt” Minerva. African Americans. Within five years, A few years ago, I returned to see the Interviewed by the WPA in 1938, the school was in dire financial straits. photos and make copies. They were not Frances Banks, Wallace and Minerva’s George White, Fisk treasurer and music there. The librarians denied knowing granddaughter, spoke of them pass- teacher, created a choral ensemble of anything about them, but I saw them.” ing the time singing while they toiled students, the Jubilee Singers, and took in the cotton fields. “Grandfather was them on tour around the country to hat happened to the a sweet singer,” she said, mentioning raise money for the university. photographs? It is difficult “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” and “Steal Reid and his sons attended one of to question their existence, Away to Jesus” as songs he wrote. their performances in Newark, New given Logsdon’s eyewitness account. When the Civil War began in 1861, Jersey, in late 1871. The boys thought the ThisW mystery leads to a larger one, Spencer Academy was temporarily singing was good, but as Reid recounted because there are other origin stories closed. Wallace, Minerva, and some of in an 1884 letter to a colleague, they said for “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” The their children were taken to Old Boggy they often had heard better at Spencer, best-documented comes from Ella Depot southwest of present-day Atoka. “that Uncle Wallace and Aunt Minerva Sheppard, one of the original Jubilee Reid continued to serve as a missionary could beat the best of them.” In the same Singers. Born in 1851 the daughter Above: A stone marker commemorates letter, Reid wrote that White told the of a Tennessee slave, Sarah Hannah the former location of Spencer Academy, audience the Jubilee Singers had so few Sheppard, Ella credits her mother with where Wallace Willis worked and Spencer plantation songs, there would be no new composing “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” superintendent Alexander Reid first heard him singing spirituals, six of which he program for the concerts later that week. and singing it to her as a lullaby. later gave to the Fisk Jubilee Singers. “It at once flashed into my mind In Dark Midnight When I Rise, a 2009 Left: In this photo from the Jubilee that I could furnish him some pieces— history of the Jubilee Singers, Andrew

e Library & A rchives t e Library Singers’ first year as a performance group, a Ella Sheppard is seated at the piano. genuine plantation songs—equal to any Ward attests that Ella Sheppard brought Her mother, Sarah Hannah Sheppard, I had heard that night, and thus help the song to White at approximately the sometimes is credited with writing “Swing on the good cause of education among same time Reid brought the six songs he Tennessee St Low, Sweet Chariot.” Freedmen,” wrote Reid. had learned at Spencer Academy. Music

60 January/February 2015 OklahomaToday.com 61 62 January/February 2015 January/February Willis’ familyareburied. Towson, wheremembersofBritt Old DoaksvilleCemeterynearFort slave andfreedmengravesatthe wife Minervarestintheunmarked others contendthatheandhis is buriednearOldBoggyDepot, While someclaimWallace Willis and is written down,and iswritten authorshipofmany one person emerges from initsentirety concept ofauthorship, asong inwhich circulated widely. UnliketheEuropean lations were notstaticandtheirsongs slave popu- because individual spirituals impossible, of theorigin todetermine say itisdifficult,Music historians ifnot and supports and supports Singers in2009, has read Ella’s diaries Jesus”:Singing for Fisk Jubilee Original The Anderson, whowrote“Tell Them Are We andprofessor historian Can both accounts be true? Perhaps.Can bothaccounts betrue? W ard’s view. T oni Passmore community. Iimaginethatboth S communityto been passedaround from who knows how long andhad already song. existedfor thespiritual I believe Uncle believed truly ming,” Anderson. says “ itintheirprogram- troupe toinclude some version of it—and encouraged the alreadyprobably thetuneandsang knew ‘S existing songs tomakethemtheirown. dividual orgroupaltering amplifying theresultslave songs ofanin- waslikely wing L “ eid did share isthat Reiddidshare My hunch ow’ withtheJubilees—who W allace ‘wrote’ the e may have He may have arah arah books and taught as part ofthena- books andtaughtaspart music inpublicschool it wasincluded the 1909recording ofthelatter song, that fittheemotion ofthemoment.” versions new ofanold song—a version tunestocreate even phrases andpossibly their own experiences. borrowed They created aversion of ‘S Hannah S around theworld. Jesus” and “S spirituals, including “ S their 143-year tradition ofsinging T oday, the JubileeS ncle heppard andUncle wing L W ow, S wing L ithin decades of of ithin decades ingers continue teal Away to weet Chariot,” ow’ outof W allace allace

susan dragoo tribution, “S W Gospel S was namedtheofficialO your own version ofcreation.” isaform way helikedtosing,” shesays. “ song, Anderson says. one event, hedidinasensecreate the hecomposed thesong inunlikely version sungtoday. And whileitis the song may well bereflected inthe ofgreat significance. suggests agift his contributionstotheJubileeS ers inDecember1871, and shared sixsongs withthe JubileeS things seemcertain. AlexanderReid ofrecording.across acentury ofitsinfluence andimpact because N ofCongress was listedon theLibrary the 1909F Baez, EttaJames, andB.B. King—and Joan hundreds ofartists—including tion’s heritage. folk Ithasbeensungby credit given himby George mances. Reid’s statementaboutthe - thesong inperfor began toinclude around thattimetheensemble Chariot” among them. waslikely Itwas W tion ofhisgrave isuncertain.Some egistry in 2002 in2002 ational RecordingRegistry In recognition of “ The mark In thegenesis ofone spiritual, afew illis’ version of “S e probably changed it to sing it the changed ittosingthe He probably ong in2011. incl and encouraged thetroupe to share ‘Swing “My hunc isk Jubilee Quartet version isk JubileeQuartet wing L W the early1880s. Theloca- probably allace Willis allace ude itintheirprogramming.” ow, S W wing L allace W weet Chariot” klahoma S illis putonillis h istat Reidiinee ow, S lived into W W W allace allace illis’ con- aking Making hite for hite for L weet weet ingers ingers ow’ with the Ju ing- tate tate gov/jukebox/recordings/detail/id/1797. of Low,“Swing Chariot,” Sweet visitloc. bilee Quartet’s 1909 labelVictor recording property. To University Ju- heartheFisk Depot islocated onprivate Old Boggy php. near The abandonedWilson Cemetery cemetery. okhistory.org/sites/ftdoaksville. homa Historical Society, to isadjacent the archaeological site, operated by theOkla- unmarked.are The Doaksville interpreted graves well-marked; slave andfreedmen 70. Willis family’sThe Choctawgraves are fifteen mileseastof Hugo on U.S. Highway town, of part approximatelythe northwest thecemetery.section of isin The cemetery older Doaksville graves inthenorthern are within theFort Towson Cemetery. The for the benefit of their race.” thebenefitoftheir for ing upagreat institution oflearning were notalittletobuild- contributing their simplesongs,” Reidwrote, “they that,realize inworshiping theL of “S der Reidinhis1884letter, isthelegacy with inhard times. impossible toconfirmordispute. marked grave,makingeithertheory Towson. Neithersiteincludeshis Doaksville CemeterynorthofFort African AmericansectionoftheOld are convincedhisremainslieinthe southeast ofWapanucka;others cemetery nearOldBoggyDepot believe heisburiedinanabandoned The Old Doaksville Cemetery islocated The OldDoaksville Cemetery “ W How littledidthose. . . slaves wing L hat isindisputable, toAlexan- even ow, S weet Chariot,” asong bilees OklahomaToday.com . ...

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