246
Claud Allen
"When [at Hillsville, Virginia, in 1912] Judge Thornton L. Mas-
sie sentenced Floyd Allen to a year in the penitentiary ... the
sentence was received with a volley of pistol shots from the sen-
tenced man and from twenty of his relatives and retainers in the
court room. In less than a minute 200 shots had been fired, the
judge, the sheriff, the prosecuting attorney lay dead, the clerk of
the court and several of the jurors were suffering from bullet
wounds, and the murderers had swung onto their horses and headed
into the mountains" (Literary Digest, xliv [March 30, 1912], 627-
8). Later, Floyd and Claud S. Allen were captured, tried, and
executed. [See New York Times, March 29, 1913, for an account
of the history of the family, and March 31, 1913, for a report of
the execution. See, also, Louise Jones Du Bose, 'The Fatal Doom
of the Aliens of Carroll County, Virginia,' Virginia and the Vir-
ginia County, Official Publication of the League of Virginia Coun-
ties, vol. II, No. 5 (Sept. -Oct., 1948), p. II; vol. 11, No. 6 (Nov.-
Dec, 1948), p. 15; vol. Ill, No. I (Jan., 1949), p. 23].
Two ballads about these occurrences have been reported from
tradition. 'Sidney Allen,' in Hudson FSM 242-3 and Henry FSSH
319-20, tells about the courthouse massacre and the capture and
execution of one of the gang. It does not appear in our collection,
but a North Carolina text of it has been published by Henry and
568 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
Matteson in SFLQ v 142. The other ballad, 'Claud Allen,' is
present in the Collection, in four variants. For comparison, see
Henry's 'Claud Allen,' FSSH 316-18 (one text from North Caro-
lina, two from Georgia).
A
'Claud Allen.' Contributed by Clarence D. Douglas, Rusk, Surry county,
June II, 1917-
1 Claud Allen and his dear old father
Have met their fatal doom at last.
Their friends are glad their trouble's over
And hope their souls are now at rest.
2 Poor Claud was young and very handsome
And had a hope until the end
That he might in some way or other
Escape his death in the Richmond pen.
3 But the governor being so hard-hearted,
Not caring what his friends would say,
Kindly took his sweet life from him,
And in the cold grave his body lay.
4 His mother's tears are gently flowing,
For the one is gone she loved so well.
No one can tell her of her troubles ;
It seems no one can tell but her.
5 Claud Allen had a pretty sweetheart
Who mourned the loss of the one she loved.
She hopes to meet him beyond the river
With a fair young face in heaven above.
6 'Tis sad indeed to think of killing
A man just in his youthful years
And leave his dear old mother grieving
And all his friends in bitter tears.
7 To all young men : You must take warning ;
Be careful where you go or stray,
For you might be like poor Claud Allen
And have that awful debt to pay.
8 Poor Claud is gone, but we can't forget him ;
He's loved by all the country round.
His health is like the rose in summer,
But now he sleeps beneath the ground.
9 High upon yonder lonely mountain,
Poor Claud sleeps beneath the clay.
NATIVE AMERICAN BALLADS 569
No one can hear his words of mercy
Nor see his face till the Judgment Day.
His sweetheart must have been sad-hearted
When she saw poor Claud lying still and cold.
Down on her knees she wept beside him,
And prayed to God to save his soul.
'Claude Allen.' Contributed by C. B. Houck, Todd, Ashe county, May
7, 1920. Dr. Brown notes : "Air also by C. B. Houck, 16 April, 1920" ;
but no music is attached. Six and one-half stanzas: Stanzas B 1-5 cor-
respond, with slight verbal differences, to A 1-5; B 6 consists of two
lines corresponding to A 8, 11. 3-4; B 7 corresponds to A 6.
'Claude Allen.' From W. Amos Abrams, Boone, without date. Text,
with music. The music, from an anonymous contributor, is accom-
panied by a slightly variant second stanza, the principal variation being
'Richmond Pen' for 'rich man's pend.' Six and one-half stanzas. C i
(lacking two lines) corresponds to A i, 11. 1-2; C 2 (1. 4 of text read-
ing "And escape his death at rich man's pend") corresponds to A 2;
C 3, 4, 5. 6 correspond, respectively, to A 3, 5, 7, 9.
D
'Claud Allen.' From the John Burch Blaylock Collection.
1 Claud Allen and his dear father
Had met their fatal doom at last.
Their friends were glad their troubles were over,
And hoped their souls were now at rest.
2 Claud Allen was young and very handsome,
But still had hopes until the end,
That he might in some way or other
Escape his death in the Richmond pen.
3 Claud Allen was honored with a gold medal
For taking his dear father's part.
He told them all when he was gone
To give it to his dear sweetheart.
4 His sweetheart she was young and handsome.
His mother she was bending old;
Down on their knees they knelt before him,
And prayed that God might spare his soul.
5 Come, all you young men, you must take warning.
Be careful how you go astray ;
Or you might be like poor Claud Allen
And have that awful debt to pay.
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246
Claud Allen
B
'Claud Allen.' Sung by C. B. Houck. Recorded at Todd, Ashe county, April 16,
1920. The "air" mentioned in II 569 is on a record only and could not be
"attached."
For melodic relationship cf. **TSFL 396 ; despite the different rhythmic line,
the basic melodic line is surprisingly similar, although our version is not m the
major mode.
Scale: Mode II, plagal. Tonal Center: d. Structure: abak (2,2,2,2).
'Claude Allen.' Sung by Steve Church. Recorded, but no place or date given
There is another recording by Horton Barker, which is identical.
Scale: Mode II, plagal. Tonal Center: d. Structure: aa (4,4).