Friday, October 4, 2013

"It's a Long Time Between Drinks"

When Governor Zebulon B. Vance of North Carolina met with Governor Wade Hampton of South Carolina, the session was contentious at times.  Governor Vance was moved to comment, "It's a long time between drinks."  Wade Hampton was one of those irritating politicians who had the distinction of driving a governor of a neighboring state to drink.  I wonder about Mrs. Hampton.

Governor Vance first served as a Colonel in the Confederate Army before being elected Governor of the state during the latter part of the war.  Shortly after the war, he defended a former Confederate soldier on a charge that he murdered his girlfriend.  Unfortunately, he lost that case:

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His name was Thomas Dula.  Due to the pronunciation characteristics of the area, he was known in the folk song as Tom Dooley.  Remember that when you hear some folk singer perform that mournful ballad from western North Carolina.  Tradition says that the man who was to be hanged wrote it himself.

This link gives a fuller version of the Thomas Dula story:

http://www.murderbygaslight.com/2010/01/hang-down-your-head-tom-dula.html


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10 comments:

  1. Big Sky HeidiOctober 4, 2013 at 8:00 AM

    I'll have to rememeber that comment.

    There was a white bread version of Tom Dooley done about 50 years ago, or so.

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  2. DeenaOctober 4, 2013 at 10:47 AM

    Thanks for the interesting link,

    ReplyDelete
  3. MikeOctober 4, 2013 at 11:50 AM

    I'll be correcting people from now on about Dula. I may drive them to drink.

    ReplyDelete
  4. John A HillOctober 4, 2013 at 12:48 PM

    Great link
    ...and I like the twist on the "designated driver" driving people TO drink instead of driving them after they've been drinking.

    Maybe I should start looking for people that are willing to drive me to drink!

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  5. TexWisGirlOctober 4, 2013 at 1:07 PM

    i do remember tom dooley.

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  6. BilboOctober 4, 2013 at 2:38 PM

    The Kingston Trio sang the definitive version of the song "Tom Dooley," in my opinion. And where did you get that picture of the sign? ... It should be closed along with everything else connected with the government!

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  7. DuckbuttOctober 4, 2013 at 3:13 PM

    The Kingston Trio's version came out before the urban folk craze and the Hootnanny Show.

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  8. eViL pOp TaRtOctober 4, 2013 at 4:38 PM

    Thanks for your interest and comments, you all. Bilbo, the Tom Dula sign is around milepost 264 on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Wilkes County. I don't know f it's closed, or patrolled by local sheriffs' offices.

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  9. Betty ManousosOctober 5, 2013 at 10:55 AM

    thanks so much for sharing that interesting link.

    happy weekend

    ReplyDelete
  10. Insane PenguinOctober 6, 2013 at 7:17 AM

    Very nice link.

    ReplyDelete