Echoes from Dixie : sermons, songs and stories in both Negro and Cracker dialect. First time the "Georgia Cracker" has been introduced to the public / by Mrs. M.P. Carroll

GENERAL LIBRARY
UMIVE^SITY CF GEORGIA
ECHOES FROM DIXIE
SERMONS, SONGS AND STORIES IN BOTH NEGRO AND CRACKER DIALECT O. FIRST TIME THE "GEORGIA CRACKER" HAS BEEN INTRODUCED TO THE PUBLIC
BY
MRS. M. P. CARROLL
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA
SUDWAKTH PRINTING CO.,WASHINGTON.D C.

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INTRODUCTORY
BY A FRIEND OP THE SIXTIES. ,
The songs, sermons, and stories given by Mrs. Carroll were actual happenings in her life during the sixties; they have been put in form by her at the earnest solici tation of her friends.
This recital of "Echoes from Dixie," was given under the auspices of the U. D. C. of the Augusta Chap ter, on November 27, 1908, at the U. D. C. Hall, and met with such success that Mrs. Carroll has since that time repeated her recital at numerous places in Georgia, and under similar auspices. In her home city, Augusta, Ga., she has given four recitals, and each time was greeted with as large, if not larger audiences, than the time preceding; in the face of the fact that "a prophet is not without honor save in his own country."
After her success at Augusta, Mrs. Carroll was in vited to recite in Athens, Ga., under the auspices of the Y. M. C. A., on February 5, 1909. The Athens papers speak of her performances in the most flattering terms. She introduces to her audiences a new charac ter on the Lyceum platform, the "Georgia Cracker," a unique character. Ignorant it is true, but possessing fine traits which would do credit to those moving in higher spheres.
Her imitations are true to nature, most amusing and life-like in tone, manner and accent. To our friends of the North her recitals and reminiscences will afford keen enjoyment. Married during the War, Mrs. Car-

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roll lived among the scenes she depicts; a petted child of fortune, with rare gifts, naturally her girlhood was brief. Michael Philip Carroll, from St. Marys county, Md., enlisted in the C. S. A., as a private, but later served as Captain, first on the Staff of General Gregg, of Texas, and later of Gen. Banson Wright, of Georgia. He met, wooed and married his wife, nee Jennie McNatt in 1864. He is a grandson of former Governor Briscbe, of Maryland, great-grandson of Jno. Hanson, second President of the Continental Congress, and a kinsman of Charles Carroll, of Carrollton. He is a worthy scion of his ancestors. He has been an eloquent practitioner at the Augusta bar and is a gentleman of rare gifts; as a raconteur and and entertainer he had no superior in social circles. Two years ago he was struck down by paralysis, he is now better and the voice that once charmed has almost regained its former power; although unable to appear in Court, he con tinues his office practice and under the care of his de voted wife, let us hope will soon be himself again.
The only entertainment Mrs. Carroll has given out side of her native State, Georgia, was in Baltimore, last December.
The Baltimore Sun, of December 12, 1909, says: "A most delightful entertainment was given under the auspices of the Daughters of the Confederacy at Lehmans Hall, Thursday night. The Hall was filled to overflowing. The feature of the entertainment was the imitation by Mrs. Carroll of the old-time Southern negro dialect, and also that of the typical Georgia Cracker in the ante-bellum period. Mrs. Carrolls portrayal of Southern life before the "War was excellent and her singing and declamation of

high order. Her recital of incidents before the Civil War and her portrayal of the ante-bellum period elicited much applause."
The Acting President of Chapter 8, of Baltimore Daughters of the Confederacy, after the recital at Leh mans Hall, writes:
"Mrs. Carroll made such a brilliant success that I am sure she can always secure a large audience. Her im personations are marvelous and I am truly glad that she had such a gathering of cultivated people to hear her."
First Vice-President Chapter 8, of D. of C.
Confederate Memorial Home, 1322 Vermont Avenue,
Washington, D. C., April 13, 1910.
To the Members of Camp 171, U. C. V., Washington, D. C.
Comrades: We desire to express our opinion as to the merits of Mrs. Carrolls performance from the spec imen stories she told at our Reception last night, at our Home, given in honor of the Daughters of the Con federacy, at 1322 Vermont Avenue.
We hope that the public entertainment she proposes to give on the 22d instant, in the B* " New Willard," at 8.30 P. M.,

support it so richly deserves. She has decided talent, and her rendering of the negro dialect and characteris tics is equal to any we have ever heard; her "cracker" imitations are novel and most amusing.
She should receive the support of every Southern person in Washington, and certainly of all ex-Confed erates, because of her self-sacrificing course to our sick and wounded during the war. Her zeal for the Veterans since the War has continually manifested itself and the results of her efforts have realized large sums for their benefit, in one case $4,000 from a Fair.
The intrinsic merits of her performance on the plat form entitle her to a larger audience than the Ball-room will hold. Our friends from the North will, we believe, enjoy it more than ourselves. We hope you will attend and induce others to do so, for Mrs. Carroll deserves all a Veteran can do for her; she has done much for them.
COMMITTEE ON ENTERTAINMENT.
(The Athens Banner, Jan. 31, 1909.)
MBS. M. P. CARROLL AT THE Y. M. C. A.
Friday Night, February 5th, in Readings and Impersonations.
"As an impersonator Mrs. Carroll is most entertain ing, portraying in the most faultless and inimitable manner, the "Country Cracker," and. the Corn field Negro. Her characterization of the ante-bellum

negro, his song, superstitions and quaint stories were typical and particularly pleasing, while her allusions to the old slaves devotion to their owners families and interests were pathetic and beautiful. As a racon teur, Mrs. Carroll has few equals, and with artistic discriminations she blends pathos with mirth, laughter with tears, in her pathetic reminiscences of the long ago that golden age before the war, her own experi ences, many of the stories of Dixie Land."
(From the Athens Banner.)
MRS. CARROLL MAKES GREAT HIT
Her Recital Was Intensely Enjoyed by Large Audience.
Last evening at the Y. M. C. A. in the presence of a large, cultured and appreciative audience, Mrs. M. P. Carroll, of Augusta, gave a most delightful recital, in which she told of "A Christmas House Party in the Ante-Bellum Times," "Quaint Sayings and Preaching by Plantation Negroes" and "Stories in Cracker Dia lect." Mrs. Carroll is simply inimitable in every way and kept her audience in a roar of laughter all the while. Her portrayal of the ante-bellum darky and of the Cracker is beyond criticism.
After Mrs. Carrolls return from Athens she was in vited to recite in Waynesboro, Ga., March 15, 1909,

under the auspices of the military of that eity. She was also greeted with a very complimentary audience at this recital.
Since her Waynesboro recital she was invited to Harlem, Ga., on April 15, 1909, under the auspices of the High School of that city. Quite a large audience greeted Mrs. Carroll here also.
(From The Augusta Chronicle, Nov. 18, 1908.)
MRS. M. P. CARROLL WILL GIVE ANTE-BELLUM RECITAL
On Friday evening, November the twenty-seventh, in the TJ. D. C. hall, Mrs. M. P. Carroll will give, under the auspices of the Daughters of the Confederacy, an evening of ante-bellum reminiscences and war-time songs and poems. The entertainment will be interest ing in itself for the program has been selected with care, but those who know Mrs. Carroll and her inimi table gift of narration, are anticipating a rare treat. The reminiscences will be of a personal nature and will be authentic stories of the life of a girl in the ante bellum days.
(From The Augusta Herald, Nov. 29, 1908.)
MBS. CARROLLS RECITAL.
The eagerly anticipated event, the recital of Mrs. M. P. Carroll, was the social event of Friday evening.

The recital, given under the auspices of Chapter A. Daughters of the Confederacy, at Confederate hall, scored a brilliant success. Long before the appointed hour for the recital, the commodious hall, began to fill with a cultured and representative audience and from the bright and happy introduction of the brilliant entertainer, by Hon. W. H. Barrett, until the last echo of Mrs. Carrolls voice died away, the appreciative audience were held spell-bound. As an impersonator Mrs. Carroll is most entertaining, portraying in the most faultless and inimitable manner, the "Country Cracker," and the Cornfield Negro. Her characteriza tion of the Ante-Bellum negro, his song, superstitions and quaint stories were typical and particularly pleas ing, while her allusions to the old slaves devotion to their owners families and interests were pathetic and beautiful. As a raconteur, Mrs. Carroll has few equals, and with artistic discriminations she blends pathos with mirth, laughter, with tears, in her pathetic remi niscences of the long ago that golden age before the war, her own experiences, many of the stories of Dixie Land.
(From The Chronicle, Nov. 30, 1909.)
The warmest compliments and most cordial applause have been given to the little talk put on before the Daughters of the Confederacy, during the past week, by Mrs. M. P. CarroU.
A gentleman who heard and saw her impersonations and listened to her entertaining recital, declares that she evidenced the highest order of ability that the presentation was most edifying.

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Mrs. Carroll has long been known to be a gifted woman. However, even her intimate friends were surprised at the very charming manner in which she interpreted and handled the subject matters which she discussed.
There are hundreds of men and women in Augusta who regret that they missed this rare literary treat and who hope that again Mrs. Carroll will be pleased to address an Augusta audience, that they will avail themselves of the privilege and pleasure of being present.
(From The Augusta Chronicle, Nov. 28, 1908.)
A CHARMING ENTERTAINMENT AT COURT HOUSE LAST NIGHT.
Mrs. M. P. Carroll Surprises Her Friends In Character Sketches Triumph For Her and a Bare Treat For Those Who Heard Her.
One of the most delightful entertainments ever held in Augusta was given under the auspices of the Daughters of the Confederacy at the court house last night. The Hall of the Daughters was filled to over flowing and every auditor went away feeling that his evening had been well spent.
The feature of the entertainment was the imitation

by Mrs. Philip Carroll of the old-time Southern dar keys dialect and also that of the typical Georgia "cracker" in the ante-bellum period.
Mrs. Carroll *s portrayal of the Southern girl before the war was excellent and her singing and declaiming was of the highest order.
Her relation of incidences before the Civil War and her portrayal of the ante-bellum darkeys and of that class of people known by the negroes as "po white trash," elicited much applause from the spectators.
Mrs. Carroll is a brilliant woman. Those who know her well, know how gifted she is, but few were aware of the high order of ability she displayed last night. Her characterizations were most charming and her im personations pleasing and captivating as well as faith fully illustrative.
Those who heard her expressed the keenest pleasure over the delightful entertainment she provided and pronounced her portrayals captivating in every way evidencing an intimate acquaintance with her subjects and a mastery in presenting them that few persons possess. Her lecture was a triumph for her and a treat for those who heard her.
(From The Augusta Herald.)
A DELIGHTFUL SUCCESS.
Mrs. M. P. Carrolls "Echoes front Dixie," at the Tubman Friday evening was a very delightful success, and an evening of very great enjoyment to the large

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crowd that met her. Mrs. Carrolls incidents are full of merriment, with a touch of pathos, and with her own personality blended in makes the whole some thing that cannot fail to appeal and interest anyone who hears it.
Below are some of the complimentary letters she received unsolicited:
Augusta, Ga., November 28, 1908.
I have heard Mrs. Carrolls inimitable impersona tions of the plantation negro and her reproductions of ante-bellum plantation life, in Georgia, as she herself saw it and knew it. Her recitations on the platform are taken literally from life her own life on the plan tation as the petted child and accomplished daughter of a typical Southern planter.
The "big house" in the grove on top of the hill, the scores of outlying negro cabins, the army of slaves, the tronpe of pickaninnies, the old mammy, the old coachman, maids, and the body-servants all are there. The picture, as drawn by her, is simply complete. Her tonches of humor and pathos in describing the rela tion between the slaves and their old master and their old mistress, young master and the young missises, are true to life, and simply splendid. No one else I have seen on the stage is like her, because no one else who has attempted her role enjoyed her ideal environ ment for catching the true point of view and the local

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coloring and bringing them into herwork so realis tically and yet so ideally.
BOYKIN WEIGHT.
(NOTE. Mr. Wright is universally known in Georgia. A cultured gentleman and able lawyer; he is very prominent in social and political circles.)
PEESS NOTE.
After a private entertainment, Mrs. Carroll was in troduced, by Mrs. "Whitney; her "Echoes From Dixie" proved the crowning pleasure of an ideal evening.
Mrs. Carroll first told some things of plantation life led in the Georgia Cotton Belt during the 60s, and then went on to give glimpses of negro character, followed by delightful anecdotes, songs, sermons, etc., that mir rored perfectly the negro of ante-bellum days. Later she told some anecdotes of the "Crackers" of that time, rendering their dialect as perfectly as she did that of the ex-slave. It is needless to say that she was most enthusiastically applauded.