I got a little upset when I saw "Natchez" in the last verse of the version of this song that appeared in the Rise Again Songbook. I once again reminded myself that I was the associate editor, not the editor - but I knew that the authentic version of the song had "Nacodoches," because that's what's on the recordings by Slim Critchlow and by Faith Petric. After all, there's no Natchez River in Texas. Natchez is a Mississippi name, not necessarily of a river at all.

But then I heard a recording by Sandy Paton, the only person I've known to have read all of the books in the Rivers of America collection - and Sandy sang "Natchez." On top of that, Bill Staines sings "Natchez." And I found in the Rise Again editing notes that I was the one who chose to use the Sandy Paton lyrics with "Natchez." So, shut my mouth....

The Traditional Ballad Index says the earliest version known to the Index is the one collected by Vance Randolph from Mrs. Irene Carlisle of Fayetteville, Arkansas, on January 30, 1942. Mrs. Carlisle learned it from a hired man who had lived in Texas. Here are the lyrics from Randolph's Ozark Folksongs Vol 2, Page 231, #201 (1980 edition)

THE BRAZOS RIVER

We crossed the broad Pecos, we forded the Nueces,
We swum the Guadalupe, we followed the Brazos,
Red River runs rusty, the Wichita clear,
But down by the Brazos I courted my dear.

Then La la la lee lee lee, give me your hand,
La la la lee lee lee, give me your hand,
La la la lee lee lee, give me your hand,
There's many a river that waters the land.

The fair Angelina runs glossy and gliding,
The crooked Colorado runs weaving and winding,
And the slow San Antonio it courses the plain,
But I never will walk by the Brazos again.

Then La la la lee lee lee, pole the boat on,
La la la lee lee lee, pole the boat on,
La la la lee lee lee, pole the boat on,
My Brazos River sweetheart has left me and gone.

She kissed me, she hugged me, she called me her dandy,
The Trinity's muddy, the Brazos quick-sandy,
She hugged me, she kissed me, she called me her own,
But down by the Brazos she left me alone.

Then La la la lee lee lee, give me your hand,
La la la lee lee lee, give me your hand,
La la la lee lee lee, give me your hand,
The Trinity's muddy, but the Brazos quicksand.

The girls of Little River, they're plump and they're pretty,
The Sabine and the Sulphur have many a beauty,
On the banks of the Natchez there's girls by the score,
And down by the Brazos I'll wander no more.

Then La la la lee lee lee, give me your hand,
La la la lee lee lee, give me your hand,
La la la lee lee lee, give me your hand,
There's many a river that waters the land.

Mrs. Carlisle singing "The Brazos River" for Max Hunter in 1960: http://maxhunter.missouristate.edu/songinformation.aspx?id=508

YouTube search: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=%22rivers+of+texas%22

See the posts above. The arguments for "Neces" are quite convincing. There IS a Neches River in Texas, and it's a substantial river - and the name sounds very much like "Natchez."