John Hesson

My dear Maribel,

I can't explain in a "rational" way why this is on my mind, but it's on my mind right now.

This song was sung by my great-great-grandfather John Hesson (a native of Galway, Ireland) in 1864.  He emigrated to America during the "Civil" war, and as soon as he got off the boat in Philadelphia (penniless) he was pressed into Lincoln's Army.  He married an Irish-American girl named Jane (surname still unknown, but she was born in America in 1842 and both of her parents were born in Ireland) and he and she conceived my great-grandmother in 1864, shortly before he was sent into combat.  He was slain in combat in 1865 - shortly before his daughter, my father's grandmother Mary Hesson, was born - and one of my father's great-aunts inherited the Confederate bullet that slayed him, and she showed it to my father in 1936.

I don't know any "rational" reason why, but for some reason, right now, my Irish great-great-grandfather is on my mind, and for some reason I want to share HIS song with a friend of mine tonight.  So here ya go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VCX-Zdz5qA