The source of the persistent stories about this song being sung before the 1870s is Thomas Beer. Here is Stephen Crane expert Paul Sorrentino describing Beer's biography of Stephen Crane: "Beer had altered the chronology of Crane's life, invented incidents, and composed letters allegedly from Crane. The pattern of fabrication is evident from the onset. Letters supposedly written by Crane are quoted in an early draft of the biography, then substantially revised in a later draft to fit scenarios involving other people, who, it turns out, are themselves apparently fictional."