The Move
Yerby Orange did live
In Smith County, Tennessee
With his wife, Sophronia
And daughter, Catherine G.
They had seven other children
And that was quite a slew.
Seeing a land of opportunity
The time to move was due.
In preparation to make the move
About 1850 to Butler County, Kentucky
Yerby Orange sold his slave, Lee
To a gentleman who felt quite lucky.
The morning the move was to begin
Yerby and Sophronia looked up in an old apple tree--
Where they saw Dear Aunt Hannah, HANGING,
due to grief of being separated from her son, Lee.
They continued their move to near Sugar Grove,
To their new Kentucky farm,
By horses and wagons in January;
And the weather was not at all warm.
Yerby helped to get his family settled.
Then he arose early from sleep
To return to Tennessee by foot
To get his herd of sheep.
He rounded up his herd of sheep
In Smith County, Tennessee, one day
And began driving the sheep
Toward Butler County with little to say.
Yerby stopped by a farm house to get some warmth
As the January weather was so cold.
He sat down in a straight-back chair
And outside was the sheep fold.
Yerby asked the lady a question--
"How far is it to the little meeting house that's brick-red?"
But before she could answer him,
He fell over in another straight-back chair, DEAD.
Author: Edith Bastin
© Copyright: September 07, 1998. All Rights Reserved.
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