Sin---This is my 2nd great-grand-uncle: Malachi Watts born abt 1834 in MS. Do you know what "The Singing Down Funeral" means???? "In the CSA Co. A 31st Mississippi Infantry (Malachi led the "Singing Down Funeral"-unknown as to what this means?)--from Dr. and Mrs. W.R. Walker notes from the 1970's" Patti Patti: I am betting this refers to a style of funeral/burial service. Just like there is the New Orleans style Jazz funeral for some. I have heard of songs or sings that referred to leaving behind troubles and going to glory or gloryland (Heaven.) Bet this is close to that. However, I am going to research this one a bit further for you. Mainly because of the Civil War interest here. Will get back to you on this. SIN

This site below includes this reference. Maybe it will help clarify. "For instance, traveler Henry Knight suggested that slaves both had considerable control and that African customs remained vibrant in slave quarters. "When a slave dies, the master gives the rest day, of their [the slaves'] own choosing, to celebrate the funeral. This, perhaps a month after the corpse is interred, is a jovial day with them; they sing and dance and drink the dead to his new home, which some believe to be in old Guinea." Whether Knight's interpretation is confirmed in other sources has yet to be determined." http://dave.burrell.net/slave.html Dewayne -----Original Message----- From: Edward Hall [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, February 16, 2004 6:56 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [MISSISSIPPI] Singing Down Funeral Sin---This is my 2nd great-grand-uncle: Malachi Watts born abt 1834 in MS. Do you know what "The Singing Down Funeral" means???? "In the CSA Co. A 31st Mississippi Infantry (Malachi led the "Singing Down Funeral"-unknown as to what this means?)--from Dr. and Mrs. W.R. Walker notes from the 1970's" Patti Patti: I am betting this refers to a style of funeral/burial service. Just like there is the New Orleans style Jazz funeral for some. I have heard of songs or sings that referred to leaving behind troubles and going to glory or gloryland (Heaven.) Bet this is close to that. However, I am going to research this one a bit further for you. Mainly because of the Civil War interest here. Will get back to you on this. SIN ==== MISSISSIPPI Mailing List ==== Visit the Mississippi-L Website at http://www.rootsweb.com/~mississi where you can both SUBSCRIBE and UNSUBSCRIBE with a click of the mouse. ============================== Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237