Here's a good discussion of the song from the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old Time Music Association (MBOTMA) Remembering the Old Songs page. http://www.mtn.org/~mbotma/RTOS-HenryLee.html I have used their site for various things for a long time, but just remembered that this was on there.

Use this link to get to the rest of their pages. Their links at the bottom of the Henry Lee page do not work. http://www.mtn.org/~mbotma/