Monthly Archives: March 2009

Most of us know the song or anthem of the South, “Dixie.” What if I told you this song was written by a damned Yankee? Well it was.  On a rainy Sunday night, composer Daniel Decatur Emmett wrote “Dixie,” for Bryant’s Minstrels. Bryant Minstrels was a “blackfaced” minstrel which was popular at that time. Once Bryant wrote the song it became a hit and soon other minstrel shows used it too.

How did it become the South’s anthem? On the inauguration of Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States, “Dixie” was played, and he must’ve liked the tune so much because it became the marching song for the Confederate army. This tune spread like wildfire across the south and soon everyone was whistling “Dixie.”

The damned Yankee, Emmett, was aghast because he was a staunch Union supporter. He is quoted as saying, “If I’d known to what use they were going to put my song, I’ll be damned if I’d have written it!” Hum…a damned Yankee he truly was.

I think Lincoln may have had a beef with this because the day after Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox, a band outside the White House was asked to play the famous “Dixie.” And Lincoln is quoted as saying, “I have always thought Dixie one of the best tunes I ever heard.” He continues, “Our adversaries over the way attempted to appropriate it, but we have fairly captured it.”  The song continued its popularity for quite a while, in fact, at age 80 Emmett made a farewell tour and sang the song to standing ovations all across the country.

Source, The Greatest Stories Never Told

You hear today how biased the media is and how politicians use the power of the media to push their agenda. This is scary, and unfortunately it happens. But one politician in 1902 took this to the extreme. In the Caribbean island of Martinique, Election Day was heating up, but so was the island’s volcano, Mount Pelee. It was spitting up smoke and fire as if to warn the inhabitants it was going to let out steam Election Day or no election day. The residents of the city of Saint-Pierre, which sat at the foot of the volcano took this warning quite seriously and became concerned.

The governor of Martinique was a lot more concerned with his party winning than saving people from the impending doom. Governor Louis Mouttet figured that if a warning was put out, it would create a panic which would hurt the candidates of the ruling Progressive Party. He went to the local paper and told the editor to down play the danger of the eruption! And to add insult to injury, he went to the city of Saint-Pierre three days before the election and told the people there was nothing to worry about. All was safe, go to the election booths and vote. It’s all good.

The next morning at 8:00 AM Pelee erupted on the city. An ominous cloud of hot gas and ash more than one thousand degrees centigrade moved through the city at 100 miles per hour. No one had a chance. It killed 30,000 people including the governor in less than 2 minutes. The volcano didn’t care what party you were, if you were in its path, it would swallow you whole.Only two people survived, one of which was a prisoner which was due to get executed that night! Later this prisoner’s sentence was commuted and he landed a gig with Barnum and Bailey Circus.

The governor didn’t think of the people for one second. It was about his agenda, and he used the media to push it and the media did it. And 30,000 people paid with their lives. Like an eye witness said, “This date should be written in blood.”