Lyrics to MARY'S DREAM, in the DT, were written by John Lowe in 1772.
Lyrics in the DT, copied from Mary O. Eddy, "Ballads and Songs from Ohio," p. 201, titled Mary O' the Dee (Mary's Dream), are exactly as written by Lowe.
John Lowe, 1750-1798, born in Scotland, emigrated to the United States.
See:
1. Virtual American Biographies (Appleton's Cyclopedia of American Biography) www.famousamericans.net/johnlowe/
2. www.contemplator.com/scotland/dream.html
3. www.robertburns.org/encyclopedia/OswaldMrsLucyc1767-97.696.shtml
4. Mary's Dream [Laws K20] - Lowe, John
--appears in Cox, Wolfe, and Morris; also Haydn: Scottish Songs (1981).
--www.ibiblio.org/folkindex/m04.htm
5. Gilfillan, George, Specimens with Memoirs of the Less-known       British Poets, volume 3: www.gutenberg.org/etext/9669
6. Cox, J. H. 1925, "Folk-Songs of the South," correctly attributed the lyrics to John Lowe and gave references; he collected the song as "Mary O' the Dee" but knew of its occurrence in "The Scots Musical Museum" and other works, and was aware that the supposed Scottish dialect original (by Cunningham?) was a later creation.
7. Several attributed song sheets in the Bodleian Library.
Etc.

The tune, so far as is known, is traditional. It has been used for other lyrics, including at least one Confederate Civil War song.


It is strange that Mary O. Eddy was not aware of the origin of this well-known 'ghost' song.