Could this be the first known instance of sampling?

    Here's another: "Back Home Again in Indiana" borrows words and tune from "On the Banks of the Wabash" as its penultimate lines: "When I dream about the moonlight on the Wabash/ Then I long for my Indiana home." This may have been a fairly common practice.

    My speculation: George M. finishes writing "You're a Grand Old Flag" with all original words and music, realizes he's inadvertantly stolen melody from "Auld Lang Syne" as his penultimate line, figures what the hell, may as well use the words, too, "Should old acquaintance be forgot" and turns theft into tribute.
   This is purely conjecture on my part, but since I used to live in Providence, and George M. was from Providence, perhaps there is a psychic connection.