Way Up North in Dixie: A Black Family’s Claim to the Confederate Anthem by Howard L. Sacks, Judith Rose Sacks (review)

BOOK REVIEWS had come to be treated with greater respect. African scholars who have argued that by the earlytwenti Americans did not join in the celebration of Davis, eth century the white South had come to celebrate although a very few did honor his memory. the Collfederacy even as it had embraced reunion Collins then goes on to explore two other events and reconciliation. central to the resurrection of Davis's historical reputation: his reburial mid the erectwn of a monu Gaines M. Poster ment to him in Richmond, VA. Collins explains Louisiana State University the decision to move Davis's body, carefully narrates the procession by rail from New Orleans to Richmond,and - Howard L. Sacks and describes Davis's burial in that Way Up North Judith Rose Sacks. Way city's Hollywood Cemetery. Up Nortb in Dixie: A Collins also provides a detailed in Dixie Black Family' s Claim account of the campaign to erect to tbe Confederate Ana monument to the Confederate Pl»<{,«« „" { "' f»'» r"»" wi ''"'' »»"'»",{» 41%'fjej tbem. Urbana: Unipresident and recounts its unve . :, „. .,», ,„„ , .. .»_„ „,„, „, i ,: versity of Illinois Press, ing on Richmond's Monument 2003. 259 pp. ISBN: Avenue in 1907. The monu 4» { 0252071603 (paper), ment, Collins contends " repre r' $ 22.95. sented an unapologetic tribute to , and defense of the Confederacy, 4 - iw. ,--+.:: : ' P1 the familiar anthem, Jefferson Davis,and his politica " Dixie," is entrenched belief in the sovereign rights of I- in southern history and the states" ( 147). Davis " was .» 1-1 culture. Yet black and white still the hero of the South,rank- southerners receive it differently. I : ' I .I '. : " ' . For African Americans the song ing in his own region alongside of Lee and Jackson by most,and conjures negative memories of above them,by some." " Yet," Collins concludes, racial oppression in the Old South. Yet many white Jefferson Davis no longer excited either the enthu- residents appreciate the song's recollection of the siasm of the South or the hostility of the North in Confederate spirit and admiratxni kE a people the degree that had existed in earlier years" ( 148). and region steeped in the time and tradition of the Collins makes a convincing case for his interpre- nineteenth century. By exploring the origin of this tatic, n of Davis's changing reputation, and no one song, Howard and Judith Sacks have delved deep has done a more thorough job of researching the into the history of blackface minstrelsy in order events that he discusses. Nor does any other source to understand further the musical culture of the provide so detailed an account of them. The use nineteenth century. of " resurrection in the title n» lay evoke for some Instead of focusing on the South, the authors Charles Reagan Wilson's argument that Davis examine race relations in a rural northern combecame the Christian martyr and a southern saint munity, Knox County, Ohio. In doing so, they within a civil religion of the Lost Cause. But Collins reconstruct the fa 177 i l y history of the Snowdens, does not develop Wilson' s insights and,for the most an AfricanAmerican family whose string band part, ignores scholarship on the Lost Cause. His performed in towns and cities for white and black work, however,reinforces the conclusions of those audiences. From the 1850s into the 19105,members 74 OHIO VALLEY HISTORY of the Snowdens danced, played the fiddle, violin, banjo or guitar at social gatherings. The band had a diverse repertoire that included spiritual, temperance , popular, and dance songs. Much of this book centers on individual members of the fatiiily. Thomas Snowden and Ellen Cooper had been slaves in Maryland whose respective owners moved west and brought them to Ohio. As free persons in their new homeland,the two met and married in 1834. Less than thirty years later,the census listed the occupation of their household,which by then included seven children, as " Snowden Band." Although the book covers in impressive detail the family life of the Snowdens,the primary subject of this book entails identifying the true authors of " Dixie. According to the Socks, thirtyseven persons have claimed authorship of the song. The most noted and recognized supposed composer ot the song is Dan Emmett,a native of Mount Vernon, Ohio. Emmett was a musician,composer,theater manager, and black minstrelsy performer. That the Snowdens were also entertainers from Mount Vernon has helped to generate a controversy and debate ideal for historians to explore since community lore has credited the Snowdens as being the source" of " Dixie." A tombstone erected in the Snowden burial plot by the black American Legion reads " Ben and Lew Snowden They Taught ' Dixie' to Dan Emmett." The book takes readers on a journey in search of the true authors of " Dixie. Drawing upon wills, court records,correspondence, newspaper articles, census records,county histories,a family scrapbook and oral interviews,the Sacks conclude that there is no ' smoking gun'concerning ' Dixie"' ( xviii). Still, the authors provide plenty of evidence to suggest the Snowdens may have had a role in the origin of Dixie." There was clearly a mixing of ideas and influences between the Snowdens and white musicians in the area. And it is obvious the Snowdens were well respected for their musical creativity. The Snowdens collected music, shared their own music,and rearranged musical selections to fit the particular repertoire of songs they performed. There is a good possibility that Dan Emmett encountered the music of the Snowdens, given th. it members of his family lived a short distance from the Snowdens. But the hacks do 717 admirable job ot sticking tc) concrete evidence while a" Owing the reader rootii for interpreting which side of the authorship argument to believe. Aside from the story of " Dixie, what makes this book worth reading is the insight it offers on the life of an AfricanAmerican family of entertainers. The fat»iily's construction of identity and respectability is well crafted throughout the book. Mindful of the perceptions that African Americans and whites would have toward their music,the Snowdens maintained a level of respect, pride,and professionalistii as string band. T]iey merged their culture,talents, and strong religious beliefs into a marketable format in order to reach diverse audiences. Perhaps niost imp() 1talit is the book's SLICCeSS ill tOVing the Snowden family story and the controversy surrounding " Dixie beyond their cultural dimensions. Clearly,the Snowdens were more than entertainers. They were a closeknit family who resisted racial oppression. Two of the children, Ben and Lew, while continuing to play music, even diversified their interests into racing horses. The story of " Dixie" is controversial and remarkable . This book records life among black and white Americans in the nineteenth century outside the urban arena,raising questions about the imitation and exaggeration of racial images. It also unfolds layers of personalities, histories, and cultures in the North that were connected to southern history. The authors have done a magnificent job presenting valuable primary material that had been preserved but often overlooked for generations. Because of this volume,we now have a better understanding of the AfricanAmerican perspective of " Dixie. Gerald L.Smith University of Kentucky SPRING 2006 75 ...