Folk Song "Tom Dooley"

Many of us who were raised in the '60s and '70s know the folk song "Tom Dooley".  The song was popularized by the Kingston Trio and even named one of the "Songs of the [20th] Century" by the Recording Industry Association of America (which sadly has since changed from praising songs to sponsoring draconian limits to downloading).  This also led to many parodies including The Incredible Bongo Band's "Hang Down Your Head, Tom Dooley, Your Tie's Caught in Your Zipper".

I've certainly sung the Kingston Trio version loudly and enthusiastically many times, always assuming the song was being sung by someone telling that obviously horrible Mr. Dooley to hang his head in shame.  Much to my double surprise, the song (first surprise) is actually composed by Tom Dula--singing to himself just before his hanging--and (second surprise) is based on a real conviction from Wilkes County, North Carolina, which occurred just after the Civil War.

Alan Lomax, in his rich volume giving the history of many folk songs along with their tunes, words, and chords (most of these prepared by Peggy Seeger), gives the history behind the song "Tom Dooley" or "Tom Dula".  Apparently, Tom Dula was a bit of a wild young man who sought intimacy with many young women in the Wilkes County lands west of Winston-Salem and Pilot Mountain.

People from that time claim that Tom Dula successfully courted Laura Foster who was "wild as a buck" but, after some sexual activity, his attention turned to Ann Melton who was described by one man as "the purtiest woman I ever looked in the face of".  Tom Dula discovered that he had "caught a disease from Laura Foster" (and, presumably, one that Yaupon tea couldn't repair).  Tom and Ann Melton, his new flame, are thought to have then murdered Laura Foster.

Laura Foster's absence was immediately noticed (especially because she had left her father's home in the company of Tom Dula) but her shallow grave wasn't discovered for another six weeks.  Both Tom Dula and Ann Melton were arrested but only Tom Dula confessed and was convicted.  Local people believed that both were guilty but Dula insisted he had acted alone, even writing the night before he was hung "I declare that I am the only person that had a hand in the murder of Laura Foster, April 30th, 1868."  Ann Melton did get a short sentence in the jail but only Tom Dula was executed for the murder but not before leaving us with these words sung by and to himself...

Hang down your head, Tom Dooley,

Hang down your head and cry,

Hang down your head, Tom Dooley,

Poor boy, you're bound to die.

Bibliography

• Lomax, Alan.  1960.  The Folk Songs of North America in the English Language.  Double Day & Company, New York.

Serendipitous Yaupon

Ilex vomatoria is the thought-provoking scientific name of the Yaupon (or Yaupon Holly).  Ilex because the shrub is one of the Hollies and vomatoria because... well... here's the story.

Yaupon is mentioned again and again in writings about the European exploration and recent history of North Carolina.  I have been intending to explore Yaupon in more depth and was jarred out of my procrastination yesterday by a piece of Yaupon serendipitously washed up on Hatteras beach.  Sometimes the sea gives us reminders of what we need to attend to next. 

Click here to see other pictures of Yaupon.

John Lawson in his 1709 journal, Voyage to Carolina [republished in 1967 by UNC Press and also available as a free download from the Gutenberg Project by clicking here] reports that Yaupon "is the Indian Tea, us'd and approv'd by all the Savages on the Coast of Carolina, from them sent to the Westward Indians, and sold at a considerable Price" (p. 98 of the 1967 edition).  This endorsement obviously offers the hint of the basis for a strong marketing campaign if the demand for Yaupon tea ever takes off again...

In Lawson's telling, the Yaupon leaves are crushed in a morter, baked and stirred in pot until the crushed leaves begin to smoke, and then are dried in the sun.  Lawson claimed that the Native Americans drank this as a tea and that the Spanish colonists along the coast of Florida drank this, after pounding it to a powder which was filtering, as a coffee.  Lawson says that the Spanish preferred their Yaupon beverage "above all Liquids, to drink with Physick, to carry the same safely thro' the Passages, for which it is admirable, as I myself have experimented" (p. 98 again).  The purgative nature of Yaupon beverages is the basis for the specific name vomatoria and one has to admire Lawson's dedication and willingness to experiment with such potentially "explosive" substances.

Apparently, however, Yaupon makes a tolerable tea in milder doses.  Ben Dixon MacNeill, in his engaging history of Hatteras Island, reminds us that for many years after the Revolutionary War, European-descended inhabitants of the new United States lost much of their desire for British tea and, at least to some extent, substituted yaupon tea.  British tea made a comeback but, for much of this time, the two main exports from the Outer Banks of North Carolina were fish and yaupon tea.  With the Civil War and the Union blockades of the Confederate ports, coffee was scarce and yaupon tea once again became the stimulant beverage of necessity (perhaps not of choice) in parts of North Carolina.  MacNeill goes on to say (p. 105) that "20,000 Federal troops quartered on the Island at one time or another [during the Civil War] drank yoepon [sic] tea because there was nothing else to drink, and it did assuage dysentery.  Afterword there came letters from Indiana, from Massachusetts and New York--these I have seen--inquiring if it were possible to get some of that tea the writer had while he was stationed around here."

It's been some 300 years since the explorer Lawson experimented with Yaupon tea and 150 years since Yankee visitors did the same.  It's probably time again for some of us to become acquainted with the flavor and other, uh, properties of the tea from this native species.  I'll keep you posted on the results.

Note added 28 February 2012.  After writing the above, I came across another blog with a contemporary recipe for Yaupon tea.  Here is the recipe from Mary Warshaw's blog.

"Yaupon tea is still enjoyed by some long-time residents of remote coastal areas. This recipe below is from Mr. Ira Lewis, Harkers Island, NC, courtesy the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center.

PREPARING YAUPON TEA

LEAF PREPARATION: Strip the outer, small leaves of the branch. Chop leaves & twigs with hatchet removing any larger twigs.To parch: Heat leaves in medium-to-hot (400 degres) oven in a dry skillet or pan, turning often for about 15 minutes or until leaves turn to light – medium brown color. If leaves start to smoke, remove from heat immediatly. Remove form oven to cool.

BREWING STAGE: Add one cup yaupon leaves to 1 to 1 ‡ quarts boiling water. Cook on low biol until water turns dark amber in color. Remove from heat and strain the mixture into another heat-resistant pitcher. Brewed leaves may be discarded, or used again for a smaller, weaker quantity of tea. Add sugar and/or lemon before chilling. Can be drunk hot or cold. Milk may be added to the hot mixture – much like you would drink coffee."

Bibliography

• Duncan, Wilbur H., and Marion B. Duncan.  1987.  The Smithsonian Guide to Seaside Plants of the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts.  Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C.
• Lawson, John.  1967.  A New Voyage to Carolina edited with an Introduction and Notes by Hugh Talmage Lefler.  University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill.
• MacNeill, Ben Dixon.  2008.  The Hatterasman [Fiftieth Anniversary Edition], edited by John F. Loonam, Jr. with a new introduction by Philip Gerard.  The Publishing Laboratory, Wilmington, NC.

White Ibis and Public Space

Two days ago, a Great Egret and four White Ibis were feeding in my front yard ... except I realized it's not a "yard", it's probably not "front", and it's certainly not "mine".

I notice, when I'm here by myself, I get a lot of practice debating.  I'll think something or even say it out loud.  Then I'll come up with a persuasive rejoinder.  I rebut the rejoinder and so on.  The dialogue continues back and forth until I finally defeat my opponent with some unassailable point.  The two dogs listen politely and agree with both points of view; the two cats don't seem to care about either.

In this vein, when I saw the four Ibis with their pink decurved bills, I thought how amazing it was to have these glorious and spectacular birds in my front yard.  (This next photo isn't mine... it's a public domain photo from www.bestphotos.us... to whom I am grateful!).

Then, as I said above, I realized they're standing in a marsh, not my front yard... and it's more out back of the house than in front... and it's a wetlands which I view but don't control.  Hmmm.  I apparently get a lot of joy from using and looking at things that aren't mine.

Many of us humans tend to view the world from such an ownership perspective.  "That's mine."  "That's yours."  This seems to start at a very young age as we learn and develop.

Using things which we think are "ours" is actually a big point of contention out here on Hatteras Island right now.  Much of the land on the Island is part of Cape Hatteras National Seashore (since 1953).  For almost 60 years, the Park Service has allowed residents and visitors to drive for free on most of the National Seashore beaches here.  However, about five years ago, Defenders of Wildlife and the National Audubon Society sued the National Park Service (NPS) because the plaintiffs felt NPS wasn't meeting their legal obligations with regard to habitat and wildlife protection.  The courts agreed with the plaintiffs and, after 15 March 2012, beach driving will be limited... vehicles will need to purchase a permit, a limited number of permitted vehicles will be allowed on the beach at any time, and certain beach areas will be newly off-limits to vehicular traffic.

These new restrictions have resulted in an indignant outcry from many Island residents and visitors.  (Those who aren't outraged are staying cautiously quiet, generally seeing little to be gained by helping the courts defend their ruling or by helping the Park Service explain why they have to do what the courts required). 

Charles Olson, the poet from Gloucester, Massachusetts, once wrote "What does not change is the will to change."  Although that's true for us when we are in an adaptive frame of mind, it seems often just as true that resistance to change is the only thing which doesn't change.

That's where we are on the Outer Banks right now.  On these Islands made of sand (with no underlying bedrock for thousands of feet), held together only by plant roots and the tolerance of the wind and currents, we are temporarily upset about change.  There will be back and forth on the new rules, new procedures will be established and become part of the local culture, and then those will change again and new invective will be hurled at those deemed responsible for the new state of affairs.

In the meantime, if we are lucky, the White Ibis will continue to grace us with their presence, the Island will shift its contours, and we'll either resist or adapt with the changes.

Did John Lawson ever visit the Outer Banks?

You are probably thinking "Why should I care where some guy vacationed?" but that's not the story here.

John Lawson was born in England (probably) sometime around 1680 and was killed by Native Americans in 1711 as the purported first casualty in what would become "the Indian Wars" when eight tribes banded together to (unsuccessfully) drive out the Europeans who were irreparably altering native communities. 

John Lawson is remembered mainly because a journal he published.  A New Voyage to Carolina; Containing the Exact Description and Natural History of that Country: Together with the Present State thereof was originally published in London in 1709.  The journal described Lawson's 550-mile trek from Charleston (leaving 28 December 1700) upland and upstream to the Uwharrie Mountains in southcentral North Carolina and then east to English settlements on the banks of the Pamlico River near present-day Washington, NC (arriving 23 February 1701).  The state of North Carolina provides a map of Lawson's journey which is reproduced here.

Many writers, scholars, amateur historians, and other interested people have read and reread Lawson's New Voyage in no small part because, in the words of Douglas Rights, "Lawson is among the best of the early writers on the subject of the Indians". 

"OK," you think, "but why the Outer Banks?  Lawson's journey ended on the west side of Pamlico Sound!"  And, of course, you're correct.  There is nothing in his published journal which describes him visiting the sand islands comprising the Outer Banks.

However, Lawson is widely quoted for writing that "the Hatteras Indians... tell us that several of their Ancestors were white People, and could talk in a Book [read], as we do; the Truth of which is confirm'd by gray Eyes being found frequently amongst these Indians, and no others."  (p. 69 of the 1967 edition of Lawson's Journal edited by Hugh Lefler).  This passage has been the basis of several claims and conjectures that the inhabitants of Roanoke Island's "Lost Colony" were never really lost... they just left and intermarried with the native people of the Outer Banks (for example, Marjorie Hudson's 2002 story about trying to unravel the mystery of the Lost Colony).

Did Lawson actually see and speak with these Hatteras Indians or is this passage just the retelling of stories which others had relayed to Lawson?  The answer to this question will influence whether we read Lawson's passage as a supporting evidence or merely conjecture regarding who the fate of Sir Walter Raleigh's colony.

I have heard local historians tell that Lawson landed on Hatteras Island while he was en route to Charleston, prior to beginning his famous journey.  And, as reported in his New Voyage, Lawson sailed from London to New York (a voyage of over two months), and then down the coast to Charleston (in 14 days).  Other writers contend that Lawson was relying on hearsay for this passage.  For example, one history of Hatteras Island says bluntly "Lawson never actually visited Hatteras Island".  Indeed, to my knowledge, there is no record of his vessel stopping in Hatteras on that trip.  Perhaps an extended study of the ship's logs can resolve this question.

Bibliography

• Hudson, Marjorie.  2002.  Searching for Virginia Dare: A Fool's Errand.  Coastal Carolina Press, Wilmington.
• Lawson, John.  1967.  A New Voyage to Carolina edited with an Introduction and Notes by Hugh Talmage Lefler.  University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill.

Making Sarsaparilla flavoring with Catbriar (Smilax) tubers

This all started yesterday while I was planting some banana trees beside my home in Hatteras, NC.  (Bananas aren't really trees, they're herbs, but more on that in a later post).  While digging the holes for the two bananas, I dug up several tubers in the sandy soil.  I had no idea what these were...

Because there were several Catbriar (Smilax spp., also called Greenbriar, Horsebriar, and Rip-your-thumb) vines growing nearby, I went inside and googled "catbriar tubers" and discovered that... Catbriar grows from tubers!  (In fact, part of the reason Catbriar is challenging for gardeners to eradicate is that, indeed, it grows from tubers, not just simple roots.  When an ungloved gardener risks thumb-ripping and pulls out a Catbriar, the tuber is left behind and simply sends up a new shoot.)

In reading about Catbriar, I also learned that you can eat several parts of the plant (which seems more respectful to the plant than using herbicides to kill the tuber).  The new-growth tips can be eaten in salads (or out in the field) and various Native Americans processed the tubers to make a caloric starch product and to make a sarsaparilla-like flavoring for beverages.  (Commercial sarsaparilla today comes from the tubers of a Central American Smilax species). 

I found three websites with information on preparing and eating Catbriars. 

First, one site writes about both the tendrils and the tubers.  "To find the edible tips just pull on the greenbriar vine until you get to it's top end. You can eat any soft, tender portion of the plant (stem, leaves, and tendrils). ...These above ground portions of the plant can all be eaten raw, the leaves and tendrils can also be cooked like spinach, and the vines can cooked like asparagus."  And, the tubers "can form a mass up to 75 pounds but are difficult to dig due to their many long roots. The starch produced from the tubers may have an astringent, unpleasant taste but it is rich in calories. It is exceptionally good at thickening stews and even water to the point of becoming almost Jello-like. Native Americans would slow roast the tubers under a fire for several days, then chew the cooked starch out of the tubers and spit out the fibers. The youngest tubers are the best to harvest. They will be the lightest in color though the color may be white, light pink, light purple or light yellow."  Another site mentions making the syrup from the tubers; a third site describes actually making the syrup and using it in a vodka and soda drink.

Based on this advice, I kept the three light-colored tubers for making faux sarsaparilla and replanted the dark tuber to repair my relationship with the spirit of the Catbriar plant.

I chopped the three light-colored tubers into small slices of one-quarter inch thickness.

Once they were all sliced, I put them in a pot, filled the pot with water...

... brought the water to a boil, and then let the tuber chips sit at a slow boil for several hours until the boiling water had evaporated down to the level of the chips.

I then fished out most of the tuber chips with a spoon and poured the rest of the liquid residue through a paper coffee filter.

In the end, this made about 2/3s of a cup (150 ml) of flavored liquid.  As a standalone syrup, it had a slightly bitter taste. 

I put one teaspoon of the syrup in a wine glass...

...and filled the rest of the glass with carbonated water (from my home SodaStream soda machine).

The verdict: It's a very refreshing beverage with a taste like... no surprise here... sarsaparilla or unsweetened rootbeer.  If I added more of the Catbriar syrup to make a stronger-flavored drink, I would probably add a little bit of sugar or sweetener to reduce the bitterness.  However, at the concentration I used, the bitterness is not at all unpleasant.

Would I make this again?  Yes.  I enjoy diet root beer and will probably continue to experiment with this Smilax sarsaparilla as a locally-harvested alternative to store-bought root beer syrups.

Afterthought: Although several of the web sites referenced above mention that Native Americans used the Smilax tubers, I don't find any reference to this practice in John Lawson's journal (A Voyage to Carolina containing the Exact Description and Natural History of the Country) describing his 1700-1701 travels through Native American cultures in the lands which were to become South and North Carolina.  Lawson gives many details about how various plants were used both by Native Americans and by the European colonists.  I wonder whether there were so many other foods available that the Native Americans in eastern North Carolina actually did little with Catbriar tubers.  There's also no mention of Catbriar in Douglas L. Rights' The American Indian in North Carolina (Second Edition, 1957).  I can easily imagine fish, oysters, and other game were tastier.