Dan Emmett - Montgomery, AL
Posted by: 
xptwo
N 32° 22.716 W 086° 18.456
16S E 565131 N 3582612
This plaque tells how Dan Emmett (1815-1904) inscribed the music for "Dixie" on the wall of the Montgomery Theater and later the song was used for the inauguration of Jefferson Davis.
Waymark Code: WMFGWM
Location: Alabama, United States
Date Posted: 10/19/2012
Views: 2
Daniel Decatur Emmett was born on October 29, 1815 in Mount Vernon, Ohio. He worked in music, particularly minstrel shows, for most of his career. He died on June 28, 1904 in Mount Vernon. He is credited with writing several songs, one of which was "Dixie" which is noted in the plaque.
The plaque is located on the wall of a building that in more recent years was used as a store, but which is currently unoccupied, although plans for its renovation were recently announced in the local news. This plaque and a historical marker are what alert the visitor to the history of the building. The building is located across the street from the Montgomery City Hall.
The text of the plaque reads:
On a wall in this building, "The Montgomery Theater" Dan Emmett first inscribed the score of Dixie for his minstrel orchestra. H. F. Arnold arranged it for band music and used it at the inauguration of Jefferson Davis President of the Confederacy. February 18, 1861
Placed by Sophie Bibb Chapter, U.D.C.
1928
More information on Dan Emmett can be found at the Song Writers Hall of Fame site, cited in the web page below. The following excerpt covers the writing of "Dixie" which is the focus of the plaque.
"Introduced by the Dan Bryant Minstrels in 1859 during a tour of the South, “Dixie” was written as a walk-around. Much to the chagrin of Emmett who was anything but a Southern sympathizer, the song became identified as a Southern anthem and was used as a campaign song against Abraham Lincoln’s run for President and was played by General Pickett during the Confederate charge at Gettysburg. After the South surrendered to the Union, President Lincoln had the song played by the White House band in an effort to support the reunification of the United States. Emmett never capitalized on the popularity of the song after selling all rights to the publisher for $500.00.
Other songs produced in the pre-Civil War era were "The Boatman's Dance," "Jordan Is a Hard Road to Travel," "The Blue-Tail Fly" (a.k.a. “Jimmy Crack Corn") and “Dixie.”"
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