Famous Single Poems
county courthouse in 1867, only two were living. One was seven years old at the time and lived in Pike county, while the other did not become a resident of Jackson county until twenty years later.
2. The Jackson county courthouse burned down in 1860, and was not rebuilt for many years. There was no courthouse in 1867.
3. A book called The History of the Scioto Valley, published in 1884, contained a very laudatory sketch of Mr. Dungan’s life (presumably written by himself), but strangely enough made no mention of the fact that he was the author of “If I Should Die To-night.”
4. Mr. Powell had persuaded Mr. Dungan to read to him some of his original poetry, which proved to be so sadly deficient in rhyme, rhythm and content that he could not persuade even the local paper to print it—which was saying much!
5. Mr. Powell had known Mr. Dungan for thirty-three years, and in all that time had never known him to get a line of poetry published, in spite of the most industrious efforts to that end.
6. Mr. Powell challenged Mr. Dungan to submit a sample of his verse to the State Journal, agreeing, if the Journal published it, never again to question his authorship of “If I Should Die To-night.”After which withering assault the State Journal confessed that it did indeed feel shaky in the legs, and begged to be excused from meddling in the matter any further. Nor, so far as the record shows, did any rejoinder ever
138
