Meade gives 'H.P. Danks w&m, date unk'. His earliest written source is 'Hamtown Students Songster 1875, "Do you think I'd make a soldier", p 36'. Frank and James McGravy made a recording of it for Okeh [July 1927, issued Oct 1927 - OK 45128] a year earlier than their Victor recording cited above in the Ballad Index. [Info from Meade et alia 'Country Music Sources' p581].

--Stewie.