As to the age of the tune, 1886 appears to be its earliest fairly certain mention under this or a similar title (though the 1850s minstrel song presumably introduced it).

However, the tune of the well-known "I Can Whip the Scoundrel," well attested from the Civil War (1861-65) is essentially identical.

It's bad enough that so many tunes go by different titles. A worse problem is that American folk tunes are rarely mentioned anywhere before the popularity of "old fiddlers' contests" around 1900.