I am not able to look into the Piper Collection, Univ. Iowa, wrere apparently there is an old pencil manuscript with dates 1879 and 1885 on it (cited in Fuld and elsewhere).

The Lomaxes and Sandburg, with reference to Bright Mohawk Valley, were quoting from Spaeth, a notoriously poor researcher whose results were often given to him by unnamed assistants. [Finishing a cut-off sentence in my previous post.

Guest Frankham, students of folksong in Texas would mostly agree with you, as I do, but no clear evidence.