Nora Gardner volumes

CPM

Nora Eola Lee Gardner, from Weakley County in the far northwestern part of Tennessee.

Her 162 pieces, including several Confederate imprints, were bound sometime after 1869, although some of the music dates as early as 1849.

Mary Hoffschwelle contemplated Nora Gardner’s experiences in the context of creating and sustaining female community as a young woman in antebellum Tennessee. Her father, Alfred, was a wealthy planter who owned at least seventy slaves. In a diary that she compiled between the ages of twelve and fourteen, Nora closely identified with her siblings, especially her older sisters. She also records dress shopping in Nashville with her mother, Mary Ann Stovall Gardner. Nora mentions piano lessons in her diary only three times (6 and 8 January, 13 February 1859), placing more emphasis during these years on needlework than other accomplishments.

Born in 1845 or 1846, Nora attended the Dresden Female Academy at a young age, went to the Columbia Female Institute until it closed in 1862, and she can be found in various locations in Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, and Mississippi from then until she married William Frederick Smith, a lawyer from Crawford, MS, in 1867. SOME FROM 1866 SIGNED NG SMITH? The couple moved to Crawford in that year, and the 1870 census lists Fred’s worth at $500.[1] In 1880 the family lived in Evansville, Indiana, and in 1893, at age forty-eight, the now-widowed Nora married John R. Thomason. She died in 1924 in Weakley County, Tennessee, where she had been born seventy-nine years earlier.

She was in Nashville before the war and enrolled in the Dresden Female Academy around 1860. The beginning of 1861 finds her in Clarksville. By the end of that year, at least, she had matriculated at the Columbia Female Academy—one of two prestigious girls’ schools in Columbia, TN at this time. The school closed on 17 February 1862 and became a hospital, but Nora seems to have remained in town until sometime between January and July 1863, when she was in Evansville, Indiana—far from the ravages of war in Tennessee. With whom she lodged remains unknown. At some point, she moved down to Bladen County, Kentucky, where she wrote that A.B. Wade, a friend, gave her “Babylon is Fallen!” on 29 April 1865. Lee surrendered to Grant on the 9^th, and Johnston to Sherman on the 17^th, so this sheet music must be seen as an allusion to the fall of the Confederacy. Nora must have been traveling at the time, for she was in Louisville within two days, where M. Walde gave her “Pass under the rod.” The next day she acquired Ferdinand Beyer’s challenging piano arrangement of Faust, and in June she is still in Louisville, according to her writing on “The Mountain Zephyr.” I have left her in Weakley County, where she married Frederick Smith 1867.

Much of Nora’s early music came to her from friends and family, and on these she felt no need to write down the dates of acquisition. Her sisters Mollie and Eugenia gave her several pieces earlier, including “E pluribus unum” (1849, Mrs. E.H. Pendleton) and “Old Jessy” (1852, Charles Converse). They may have been discarding sheet music they no longer needed or giving Nora music to take on her journey half-way across the state.

Nora’s brother, Will, five years her senior, sent her five pieces while he was in Crawford, Mississippi,

Nora Gardner’s courtship with W. Fred Smith, her first husband. Crawford was the home of Fred Smith—the young married couple would move there in the late 1860s—and her brother may have been there spending time with his future brother-in-law. Even more telling are several pieces sent to Nora from “Abelard” in Crawford—almost certainly Fred. PPT These pieces were “When the boys come home” (Charles Carroll Sawyer), “The Alabama” dated “10 Oct./64” (F.W. Rosier), and “Florence—Loved and lost” (John H. McNaughton). Confirming the association with the legendary lovers Heloise and Abelard, Nora’s copy of the “The vacant chair” has the inscription “Eloise” and “Enterprise, Miss., Oct. 25^th 1864.” (Enterprise is due west of Jackson and just over ninety miles south of Crawford.)

Vol. 144

	CPM	Title	Composer	Date	Notes
	6155	Jerdons Reels		1860	“Miss Nora Gardner, Clarksville, Tennessee, January 23^rd, 1861.” CD Benson, Nashville. Performed by Annie Hays. The Cadets of the Western Military Institute, Nashville, dedicated
	6156	Molly Gardner. Jerdons Reels		1860	CD Benson, Nashville. Performed by Annie Hays
	6157	Lizzie Nichol. Jerdons Reels		1860	CD Benson, Nashville. Performed by Annie Hays
	6158	Annie Hayse [sic] (Annie Hayes). Jerdons Reels		1860	CD Benson, Nashville. Performed by Annie Hays
	6159	Gurty Bosley. Jerdons Reels		1860	CD Benson, Nashville. Performed by Annie Hays
	6160	Zuleka Bugg. Jerdons Reels		1860	CD Benson, Nashville. Performed by Annie Hays
	6161	Fanny Parke, as performed by Miss Annie Hayes. Jerdons Reels		1860	CD Benson
	6162	Mobile. Jerdons Reels		1860	CD Benson, Nashville. Performed by Annie Hays
	6163	Farewell but when ever you welcome the hour	Joseph Benedict, arr.	1852	“Nora Lee Gardner, Nashville, Tenn., Aug. 1860”
	6164	How sweet are the roses	Alice Hawthorne	1853
	6165	Southern constellation – Bonnie Blue Flag	Robert F. Carlin, lyr	1863	Macon. Hoogerwerf 3848, Harwell p. 144
	6166	Robin red-breast	J.M. Hubbard	1859	“Miss Nora Gardner—Presented by Maggie Mitchell Nov. 19 ‘60”
*	6167	He has gone, and I have sent him	Madame C. Rive	1863	Cincinnati and others
	6168	Kentucky, once so proud and free	Hugo de la Fourche	1863	Schreiner (Macon, Mobile, Montgomery). Lyrics by sweet sixteen Miss Cordie Elliott. Hoogerwerf 3592
	6169	Southern boys	Herman Schreiner	1861	McClure and others. Hoogerwerf 3827; Harwell p. 144
	6170	Golden shower	C. Van Tal		Cleveland: Brainard
	6171	The constitution as it is, the union as it was	Will S. Hayes	1863	“Miss N. Gardner, from a ‘Union friend’ of Tn. Richard” Faulds. Dedicated to The United Democracy
	6172	Home sweet home	T. Valentine, arr.	[1861?]	Nora Gardner, Columbia, Tenn., Jan. 1^st, 1862”
*	6173	List while I sing to thee	Stephen C. Massett; William Dressler, arr.	1852	GUITAR
*	6174	Haunted spring	Leopold Meignen	[1844-55]	Fiot. GUITAR
	6175	Marseillais [sic] hymn French national song	Joseph Rouget de l’isle	[1859?]	“Presented to Nora by Dr. J. Frank Bell, November [5?], 185[9?]”
	6176	Genl. Beauregard’s Grand march	Mrs. V.G. Cowdin	1861	Hoogerwerk 3478, Harwell p. 116
	6177	Within a mile of Edinburg [sic] town	Jenny Lind	1859	“Nora Gardner, Columbia, Tenn., Jan. 30^th, 1863”
	6178	Rose bud polka	Henry Philby	1854	“Nora L. Gardner, Female College, Columbia, Tenn., Dec. 12^th, 1861”
*	6179	Rail road gallop	J. Rud. Adam	[?1861]	“To Nora from Laura, Jan. 1862 [or 18/62].” Dedicated to Madame Eliza N. Church
	6180	Farewell to Yankee Doodle			Newspaper clipping with new words to Yankee Doodle glued to blank page
	6181	I kiss’d her in a dream	M.F. Bigney	1859	Werlein
	6182	Yes, this night we part for ever	Charles Hess	1862	“Miss Nora L. Gardner from an Acquaintane. Evansville, Ind., 4^th July 1863”
	6183	Dixie. Southrons, hear your country call you!	Albert Captain Pike		Published by the Daily Appeal
	6184	Thou art so near and yet so far: Du bist mir nah’ und doch so fern	A. Reichardt	[1861]	“Nora Lee Gardner, Columbia, Tenn, Feb. 12^th, 1862” McClure et al. Hoogerwerf 3897, Harwell p. 149
	6185	The Burman Lover: Oh Come With Me in my Little Canoe	Louis Tripp, arr.	1851	“Nora L. Gardner Dresden Tenn.” Faulds
	6186	Downfall of Paris		[1851?]
	6187	Turkish gallop	James Bellak	1854	Jewels for the piano
	6188	Unknown		?	?MS unrelated to Turkish Galop
	6189	I love but one, I love but thee	F.R. Prohl	1859	“compliments of JRM…”
	6190	Come love with me. Music of Morris Brothers Pell and Huntley’s Minstrels	Lon Morris	1858	Dedicated to Mrs. S.C. Hall
	6191	Willie’s welcome home: Answer to Willie we have missed you	A. Von Smit; arr. For pf by Mme Ablamowicz	1856	“Nola Eola Gardner, Dresden Female Academy, Dec. 22^nd, 186[?]”
	6192	Thou art gone from my gaze	G. Linley
	6193	Dearest thee, I’ll love you more!		[1850-51]	“Nora Gardner, from Eliza, Nov. 15^th, 1861”
	6194	Dixie land		1861	“Newnan, Georgia, May 21, 1861” pro-Confederate parody of usual lyrics from newspaper clipping
	6195	Springblossoms polka	J. Bellak	1856
	6196	College Hill March	[J. Lamb]		Holograph. Composer’s name in pencil in upper right corner, difficult to read. [Is it wrong and supposed to be Adam?] Treble part of duet, bass in 006197-SMVOL
	6197	College Hill March	J.R. Adam		Bass part of previous
	6198	There’s a sigh in the heard	Anne Fricker	1853	Ditson
	6199	China Rose Schottisch, Roses without Thornes, No. 3	Jules Becht	1859	“Nora Gardner, Columbia, Tenn., Feb. 12^th 1862” and on opposite page: “If Miss Nora ever peruses these line let her remember those beautiful soul inspiring songs with which she favored me tonight and accept my sincerest thanks which in my fervor I was so negligent as not to offer. Yours truly, ---, March 15^th 1865.” Peters Cincinnati
	6200	Union march	Hans Krummacher	1860
	6201	Sultan polka	J. Bellak, arr.	1857
	6202	Pussy’s polka	Kittie	1860	“Nora E. Gardner, Columbia Female College, Columbia, Tenn., Nov. 1861”
	6203	Crystal Schottisch	William Byerly	1853	“Nora E. Gardner, Columbia Female College, Columbia, Tenn.”
	6204	Old dog tray	S. C Foster	1853
	6205	Darling soon return	Herbert Mortimer	1866	Dedicated to Miss Lizzie Winchester. Balmer & Webb St. Louis
???	6205	E pluribus unum. An American National Song.	Mrs. E.H. Pendleton	1849	“Nora Gardner from her Sis Marmi” ? Mollie?
	6206	Oh, dear, what can the matter be		[1848-55]	Printed with following
	6207	Over the water to Charlie		[1848-55]	Printed with former
	6208	Old Jessy	Charles C. Converse	1852	“Presented to Nora by her Sis Mollie”
	6209	Virginia Reels No. 2	George P. Knauff	[1851-52?]	Benteen.
	6210	Old Virginia. Virginia Reels No. 2	George P. Knauff, arr.	[1851-52?]
	6211	Richmond hill. Virginia Reels, No. 2	George P. Knauff	[1851-52?]	Benteen.
	6212	Villalave. Virginia Reels, No. 2	George P. Knauff	[1851-52?]	Benteen.
	6213	Petersburg Ladies. Virginia Reels, No. 2	George P. Knauff	[1851-52?]	Benteen.
	6214	The hero. Virginia Reels, No. 2	George P. Knauff	[1851-52?]	Benteen.
	6215	Peter Francisco	George P. Knauff	[1851-52?]	Benteen.
	6216	22^nd of February. Virginia Reels, No. 2	George P. Knauff	[1851-52?]	Benteen.
	6217	The Island	George P. Knauff	[1851-52?]	Benteen.
	6218	Richmond blues	George P. Knauff	[1851-52?]	Benteen.
	6219	Fishers hornpipe		[1848-55]	“Nora Eola Gardner, Dresden Female Academy” printed with the following
	6220	Minuet		[1848-55]	“Nora Eola Gardner, Dresden Female Academy” printed with the previous
	6221	No. 1, Converse’s Folio Creole Waltz	Charles Converse	1854	“Nora Gardner, Columbia Female College”
	6222	Banjo Polka	Joseph Benedict, arr	1851	“Nora L. Gardner, Nashville, Tenn, August/60” Daulds
	6223	Alboni Schottisch	William Dressler	1852	“To Nora from Sis Eugenia”
	6224
	6225	I am thine, and thine only!	F.W. Rauth	1859, 1856	The Knickerbocker. Cincinnati
	6226	Rocking chair polka	James Bellak	1854	“Nora L. Gardner, Columbia, Tenn., Dec. 8^th/60”
	6227	‘tis but an hour since first we met	William Cumming, arr.	1850	“Presented to Nora by Frank J. Bell, November, 1869”
	6228	Here’s your mule gallop!	Charles Stein	1861	“Nora Lee Gardner, Dresden, Tenn., Dollie Er---, Columbia, Tenn., Jan. 6^th, 1863” Hoogerwerf 3529; Harwell p. 120
	6229	The Ingle Side	T.V. Wiesenthal	[1859-61?]	Faulds
	6230	Onward march	Charles Grobe, arr.	1860	"Nora L. Gardner, Columbia, Tenn, Jan. 1st, 1862"
	6231	Cameo Schottisch	Charles Grobe	1860	“Nora Gardner…Billie D.”
	6232	Minstrel Boy: I swear sweet girl! I love but thee	Gibson	1859	“Nora Gardner, College Hill, Columbia, Tenn, Dec. 22^nd 1861”
	6233	Rock beside the sea	C.C. Converse	1857
	6234	Hob Nob: The Campbells are Comin		[1848-55]	“Nora L. Gardner, D[resden] F[emale] Academy” printed with following
	6235	Morning star		[1848-55]	“Nora L. Gardner, D[resden] F[emale] Academy” printed with previous
	6236	Call me pet names	William Runge	1852	“Nora Gardner June 13 186[?]”
*	6237	Japanese Polka	Jeddo	[1856-1862]	“Presented to Nora by her dear [] Laura Belle the day school broke up, Feb. 17^th, 1862”
	6238	By-Gone Hours	Mrs. Price Blackwood	[1851-54]	“Nora Lee Gardner, Columbia Fem. Col., Columbia, Tenn. Dec. 14^th [?] 1861” Brainard in KY
	6239	Bonny Eloise The Belle of Mohawk Vale	J.R. Thomas	1858	“Nora Gardner, College Hill, Tenn”
	6240	Lorena	J.P. Webster	1857	“Nora Lee Gardner, from M.L. Johnson” Chicago
	6241
*	6242	I have learn’d to ove thee fondly	Caroline Rive	1863	“Miss Nora L. Gardner from ‘Hennie.’ Evansville, Ind., 4h July 1863”
	6243	Onward march	Charles Grobe, arr.	1860	“Nora L. Gardner, Columbia, Tenn., Jan. 1^st, 1862”
	6244	It is the chime	Benjamin S. Hart	1858	“Nora L. Gardner, College Hill, Tenn.”
	6245	The child of the Regiment; Jenny Lind music (“Ask me not why my heart with fond emotion”/ “Quando il destino in mezzo a strage ria”)	Donizetti; Charles Jeffereys, arr.	1860	“Nora Gardner, presented by her Teacher, Prof. J.R. Adam”
	6246	Gen’l Beauregard’s grand polka militaire	Ascher	1861	Hoogerwerf 3478, Harwell p. 116.
*	6247	Maiden’s prayer	Badarzewska	[1860?]	“Presented to Nora L. Gardner by Eliza Gooding. ‘My Sorority.’ Columbia, Sep. 1, 1861”
	6248	Thou hast learned to love another	Charles Slade	1849	“Nora L. Gardner, Columbia Female College, Tenn”

Vol. 145

	CPM	Title	Composer	Date	Notes
	6249	Still must I linger	J.F.O. Smith	1866	St. Louis
	6250	Mary Aileen	J.H. McNaughton	1858
	6251	Sitting by the sea	A. Willharitz, arr.	1866	St. Louis
	6252	Rain upon the roof	Ch. C. Converse	1856
	6253	Never more to part	W.D.C. Botefuhr, arr.	1866
	6254	Her bright smile haunts me still	W.T. Wrighton
*	6255	I have no mother, now I’m weeping	N.L.G.S. [Nora Lee Gardner]	1871	Lyrics only. Dated Sept. 2^nd, 1871. Could be a late addition.
	6256	Seperation [sic]	J.G. Maeder	1850
	6257	Gipsey’s wild chaunt. Series: Lo Zingaro	Alexander Lee	[1848-55]
	6258	Mocking-bird quickstep	Augustus Schaeffer, arr.	1862	Phildadelphia
	6259	No more cold feet gallop	A. Mahler	1865	St. Louis
	6260	Southern tournament mazurka	Louis Lydbecker	1866	St. Louis
	6261	Festival March. Militair Festklange	Charles Kern, arr.		Performed by Capt. Frank Boehm’s Band
	6262	Love’s delusion waltzes	Charles A. Pollock	1865	“Nora Lee Gardner, Dresden, Tenn.”
	6263	Whisperings of love	C. Kinkel	1864	waltz?
	6264	We parted by the river side	Will S. Hays	1866	St. Louis
	6265	I am dying. Egypt, dying. Anthony and Cleopatra	W.I. Maynard	1866	“Miss Nora Gardner, Dresden, Tenn.”
	6266	Babylon is Fallen! Sequel to Kingdom Coming	C. Henry Work	1863	“Miss Nora Lee Gardner, from a friend. A.B. Wade [?] Ballard County, April 29^th 1865.” First line: Don’t you see de black cloud Risin’ ober yonder.
	6267	Faust. Grand valse de concert	Carl Sidus	1864	“Miss Nora Lee Gardner, from a friend. A.B. W.”
	6268	Wearing o’ the green	W.D. Raphaelson, arr.	1865
	6269	The Alabama	F.W. Rosier	1864	“To Miss Nora Lee from Abelard. Crawfordville, Miss. 10^th Oct/64” Hoogerwerf 3294
	6270	The celebrated Empress Henrietta’s waltz	Henri Herz	[1851-54]
	6271	Florence – Loved and lost	J.H. McNaughton	1864	“The Nora from Abelard”
	6272
	6273	Mabel waltz	Irving, arr.	1869	Hitchcock’s Half Dime Series of Music for the Million, No. 59
	6274	Dear mother, I’ve come home to die	Henry Tucker	1863	“Nora Lee Gardner from her friend A.B.W.”
	6275	Up with the flag	Dr./Mrs. William B. Harrell	1863	See diss. Hoogerwerf 3910, Harwell p. 151
	6276	Twin Flowers polka	William Herz	1866	St. Louis
	6277	Maiden’s blush	W.D.C. Botefuhr, arr.	1866	“Miss Nora Gardner, Dresden, Tenn.” Prof. A. Mahler’s Orchestra. Schottische?
	6278	We know that we were rebels	Charlie L. Ward	1865	“Miss Nora, from ‘A Reb’” Louisville
*	6279	Now that you love me!	E.O. Eaton	1864	“To Sister Nora from her Brother Will. Crawford, Miss., Nov. 14/64” Hoogerwerf 3694
*	6280	Empire state grand march	Hermann Schreiner	1864	“To my Sister Nora from her Brother Will. Crawford, Miss., Nov. 14/64” Hoogerwerf 3438
	6281	How are you conscript?	Frank B. Walters	1863	“Presented to Nora Lee by Durward” Dedicated to “All disconsolate conscripts”
	6282	When this cruel war is over	Henry Tucker	1863	“Presented to Miss Nora by Q.V.”
	6283	Drummer boy of Shiloh	Will S. Hays	1863	“Prst. To Miss Gardner by her Friend. Nora L. Gardner, Dresden, Tennessee, Sept. 12, 1863”
	6284	I cannot forget thee	Albin Visher	1864	Dedicated to Madame Ruhl, Blackmar. Lots
	6285	Day and night I thought of thee	Fred. Shrivall	[1860?]	Cincinnati and others
	6286	Virginia rose bud	F.H. Kavanaugh	[1849?]	“Presented to Nora Lee by Durward. Nora Lee Gardner, Oakland, Tennessee”
	6287	Little Maud	J.P. Webster	1859	“Miss Nora Lee Gardner from her friend, A.B.W. Sunny Side, Ky”
	6288	Take me home	Hermann Schreiner	1864	“To Sister Nora from her Bro. Will, Crawford, Miss., Nov. 14/64” Hoogerwerf 3878, Harwell p. 148. Lots publishers
	6289	When the boys come home	Charles Carroll Sawyer	[1864-65]	“To Miss Nora Lee from Abelard”
	6290	Vacant chair	Henry S. Washburn	[1864]	On back: “Eloise” and “Enterprise Miss., Oct. 25^th 1864”
	6291	Faust	Ferd. Beyer, arr.	[1859-65]	“May 2^nd 1865. Nora Lee Gardner, from …”
	6292	I am waiting	J.A. Barney	1866
	6293	Oh! I vants to go home” Maximillian’s Lament	T.M. Brown	1865	St. Louis
*	6294	Love-spell mazurka	Hermann Schreiner	1864	“To Sister Nora from her Bro. Will, Crawford, Miss., Nov. 14/64” Hoogerwerf 3622
*	6295	Soldier’s suit of grey!	E. Clarke Ilsley	1864	“To Sister Nora from her Bro. Will, Crawford, Miss., Nov. 14/64” Hoogerwerf 3816
	6296	When swallows homeward fly: Wenn die Schwalben heimwahrts Zieh’n	Franz Abt	[1864-65]	St. Louis
	6297	Rippling streamlet waltz	S.F. Weir	1866	St. Louis
	6298	Mountain zephyr	J.A. Fowler	1854	“Nora Lee Gardner, Louisville, Ky., June 1865.” Dedicated to Miss Anna Beach
	6299	Beautiful Venice	J.P. Knight	[1850-51]	Faulds.
	6300	Evening star waltz	Lanner; Beyer, arr.	[1856-60]
	6301	I have no sister now	M.F.H. Smith	[1864-65]	One page from Waverly Magazine,
	6302	‘Twas but a dream	D.J. Lyons	1851
	6303	Pass under the rod	Mrs. Sue Ingersoll Scott	1862	“Nora Lee Gardner, from M. Walde, May 1^st, 1865”
	6304	The evening star waltz	Lanner; Ferd. Beyer, arr.	[1856-60]
	6305	Darling soon return	Herbert Mortimer	1866	Miss Lizzie Winchester
	6306	Love’s lamentation	E.G.B. Holder	1866	“Mrs. W. Fred Smith, Columbus, Miss., July 27, 1867”
	6307	Farewell song of Enoch Arden	Sep. Winner	1865
	6308	O ye tears! O mes pleurs!	Franz Abt; Eng. Lyr. Dr. MacKay	1866	“Nora Gardner Smith, Gilmer Hotel, Columbus, Miss., July 27, 1867.” NOLA
	6309	Les cloches de monastere	Lefebure Wely	1864	Toledo
	6310	Only for thee	George Linley	[1865-66?]	St. Louis
	6311	Come home Father! ‘Tis the Song of Little Mary/Standing at the bar-room door etc.	C. Henry Work	1864	Chicago Root & Cady
	6312	Thou art coming with the spring, love	James M. North	1866	St. Louis
	6313	Limerick is beautiful	D. Angelo, arr.	1865	NY