Steve you for your posts- I'll review the version most I have. There are 16 Sharp/Cambell version and one more by Pettit from Knott County (published by Kittredge in 1907) which is in Sharp's MS too.

I'm going to post some identifiers- short phrases that are part of the ur-ballad. Since this ballad was transmitted largely through oral transmission there are more corrupt phrases and mishearings than usual.
I'll add more later:

1. "Gore of blood" and "gores of blood"

   . . . wallowed in a gore of blood.

   All rolled over in gores of blood. [Eddy]

   All covered o'er in gore of blood [Thompson]

2. Ten thousand pounds was this gay lady's portion; [Shearin]

   Five hundred pounds was made her portion; [Belden]

3. "rash and cruel" this one has really deteriorated!!!

   Your two brothers killed me, rash and cruel; [Eddy]


4. You dearest bosom friend of mine! [Shearin]
   usually "bosom" changed to "dearest dear"

5. strange places where it were unknown,

. . . valleys that were unknown,


6. "killed and thrown"

   And there she found him killed and thrown. [Shearin]


7. "deceitful villains!"

    . . . deceitful villains, [Sharp G]

8. We'll send him "headlong to the grave." [Thompson]

9. "Three days and nights" there she sat weeping [Thompson]

Richie