Many great tracks done years ago in Macon. Not far from Berry and Duane’s graves is the gravesite for “Little Martha” Martha Ellis, dying at 12 years old in 1896. With the inscription on the little tyke’s grave stone:
Daughter of C.S.A. Sergeant Major, Company B, Georgia 3rd Infantry Regiment Reserves, Theodore William ELLIS, Sr. (1847-1923) and Eugenia Lucinda Rogers Ellis
MARTHA ELLIS
DAUGHTER OF
MR. & MRS. THEO. W. ELLIS
DEPARTED THIS LIFE
JAN. 18, 1896. AGED 12 YRS. 11 MOS.
Our Baby
She was love personified and her mem-
ory is a sweet solace by day, and pleas-
ant dreams by night to Mamma, Papa,
brothers and sisters. We will meet again
in the sweet bye and bye.
Fairly certain a creation/myth of Duane’s fans, there developed a kind of Southern spiritual connection to the memory of this little girl.
It is true that Dickey Betts wrote “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” from having seen the nearby the gravestone of Elizabeth Jones Reed Napier. Little Martha
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/1473/elizabeth-jones-napiers nearby.
Interesting background, John. Thanks.