The Yellow Rose Of Texas

"Originally conceived as a folksong in early Colonial Texas history, the first recorded copy of the “Yellow Rose Of Texas” was handwritten on a piece of plain paper circa 1836. Historical records indicate this copy was most probably transcribed either shortly before or just after General Sam Houston lead his brigade of Texas loyalists against the army of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836.

"The folksong’s lyrics [ see table ] tell of a black American (presumably a soldier) who left his sweetheart (a “yellow rose”) and yearns to return to her side. “Yellow” was a term given to Americans of mixed race in those days - most commonly mulattos. And “Rose” was a popular feminine nineteenth century name; frequently used in songs and poems as a symbolic glorification of young womanhood. [Turner]

"The original transcription was poorly made and full of spelling errors. This would indicate the transcriber was somewhat uneducated but possibly influential, as it was signed with three embellished initials. This copy is now housed in the archives at the University of Texas in Austin.

"Although no name is given as the song’s composer in any of the records, a hint may come from the fourth line in the chorus which infers the soldier is from Tennessee. Unfortunately, many men from Tennessee moved to (or were brought to) Texas during its colonization and war of independence.

"In 1858, the first copyrighted edition of the song was published in New York. The cover states the song was “Composed and Arranged Expressly for Charles H. Brown by J.K.” It was common in the nineteenth century to keep “ghost” composers secretive, especially if the songs had slave folksong origins. Hence, we don’t know who “J.K.” was, nor are we certain he was even the composer. And we’re not likely to find out.

"Soon after it was published, the song increased in worldwide popularity and was sung by minstrels both in this country and Europe. As the American Civil War began, it was adopted as a marching song by soldiers everywhere - most often, as you might expect, by those soldiers from Texas. But since it referred to (and was to be sung by) a black American soldier, the song’s lyrics were changed. By the early 1860’s, the term “darky” [sic] was replaced with “soldier,” and the first line of the chorus was changed to “She’s the sweetest little flower....”

"Finally, in 1864 with the end of the war nearing, a fourth stanza was added to reflect the dismay and hopelessness of General John B. Hood’s retreating Confederate Army after a disastrous Tennessee campaign. [Abernathy] Some of his troops were so disoriented after the loss, they actually thought the war may over and started returning home - singing, of course, “Yellow Rose Of Texas.”

"So then, who was Yellow Rose? The answer comes from historical records which tell us the song’s original title was “Emily, the Maid of Morgan’s Point.” [Turner]"
--Excerpts written by Mark Whitelaw.