"Farewell Nellie" is part of the large group of True Lover's Farewell songs. According to the Carter's is a reworking of traditional material by Sara. The inital verse is very close to a soldier's Civil War song found throught the region.

From Belden; I don't have access to the whole song:

Fly across the ocean, birdie,
Fly across the deep blue sea,
There you'll find an untrue lover,
Untrue, yes, untrue to me.

The song is related to A Litle Bunch of Roses:

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.100005476/enlarge.html?page=2&from=pageturner


FAREWELL NELLIE- Attributed to Sara Bays Carter 1937

Farewell, Nellie, farewell
Soon with strangers I must roam
Don't forget the one that loves you
Far away from friends and home

    Fly across the ocean, birdie
    Fly across the deep, blue sea
    Take this message to my darling
    She'll be glad to hear from me

You have told me that you love me
But you have unproved true
So I'll go and court some other
That will love more than you

When the whippoorwills are singing
Across the dark and lonely sea
When you're thinking of ten thousand
Will you sometimes think of me

How my heart is filled with sorrow
And my eyes are filled with tears
So I'll not forget you, darling
If I live ten thousand years