more of my notes
Hard times
17 January 1855 and printed by Firth Pond, Broadway New York. It is often reckoned that the "Hard Times" title is in honour of Charles Dickens' novel, and in response to the 1840's recession.
Steven Foster lived in Allegheny, Pennsylvania and visited Charles Dickens on March 31st 1842 in a Pittsburgh hotel (at the age of 16) with his father.
Steven Foster eventually married the daughter of Dr Andrew McDowell the doctor who attended Dickens in Pittsburgh.(Jane McDowell was the "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair".)

Gentle Annie
Gentle Annie was written two weeks after the death of Anne Evans daughter of Cadwallader Evans who was first cousin of Eliza Foster. (Steven Foster's mother). It is reckoned that Steven Foster probably wrote "Gentle Annie" in response to his favourite cousins protracted illness and death. However, it is on record that Steven Foster told Morgan Jenkins that he wrote it as a response to the death of Morgan Jenkin's little daughter. Jenkins was a grocer in Federal St Allegheny, Pennsylvania and Annie Jenkins was a happy healthy child who died suddenly. Steven Foster lived and was buried in Allegheny County.