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]