291:, and to the end of his life maintained that Dula was innocent. He succeeded in having the trial moved from Wilkesboro to Statesville, since it was believed Dula could not receive a fair trial in Wilkes County. Nevertheless, Dula was convicted, and although he was given a new trial on appeal, he was convicted again. His supposed accomplice, Jack Keaton, was set free, and on Dula's word, Anne Melton was acquitted. As he stood on the gallows facing death, Dula reportedly said, "Gentlemen, I did not harm a single hair on that fair lady's head." He was executed on May 1, 1868, nearly two years after Laura Foster's murder. Dula's younger sister and her husband retrieved his body for burial.
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158:, a preserver of traditional culture, during one of the many singing and song-sharing sessions he and his folklorist spouse Ann had enjoyed at the Proffitt and Hicks homes in North Carolina. Frank Proffitt had learned the song, among many others, from his aunt Nancy Prather, whose parents had known Tom, Laura Foster, and Ann Foster. A court case, brought by Frank Warner on Frank Proffitt's behalf, settled the matter of "ownership" of the song in the latter's favor, and he received royalties from the Trio's and other performances of the song.
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270:. Grayson was later mentioned in the song about Dula, and from that came the myth that he had been Dula's rival for the love of Laura Foster, but Grayson actually had no prior connection to either Dula or Foster. Once Dula's identity was known, Grayson did help the Wilkes County posse bring him in, but that was his only part in the affair.
246:, it was not long before he began an intimate relationship with Laura Foster, Anne's cousin. Folklore has it that Laura became pregnant, and that she and Dula had decided to elope. On the morning she was to meet Dula, May 25, 1866, Laura quietly left her home and rode off on her father's horse. She was never seen alive again.
265:
Dula's role in the murder is still debated. After the murder he stopped at the home of his relative Thomas Dula, a site that became Dula
Springs Hotel. He had fled the area before Laura's body was found, after locals accused him of murdering Laura. Calling himself Tom Hall, he worked for about a week
253:
Witnesses at the trial testified that Dula made the incriminating statement he was going to "do in" the one who gave him "the pock" (syphilis). Their testimony suggested that Dula believed Laura had given him syphilis, which he had passed on to Anne. However, the local doctor testified he had treated
220:
regiment, he had instead served in the 42nd North
Carolina Infantry regiment, under Company K. Also, rumors that he "played the banjo" in the army band for Vance's benefit and entertained the colonel with his antics were false. These have often been cited as the reason that Vance was so quick to lead
379:
released a version of "Tom Dooley" titled "Tom Dula: Madness Made Us Wild; a Play in Five Verses and a
Hanging" (2012), which combines elements of several versions of the story and song, and adapts quotes from the original court transcripts as lyrics. They describe it as "our original reinvention of
249:
It is not truly known what happened that day, but many stories have grown that implicate Anne Melton. Some tales claim that Anne murdered Laura Foster because she was jealous that Dula was marrying her. These stories say that Dula suspected Anne had killed her, but he still loved Anne enough to take
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A final tale is that Anne Melton confessed to the murder on her deathbed. She allegedly confessed to having killed Laura in a fit of jealousy and begged Tom to help her conceal the body. People in the area still say that, on her deathbed, Anne saw black cats on the walls and could hear and smell
333:
Another myth holds that while Dula was fighting in
Virginia, Anne – apparently despairing of ever seeing Tom again – met and married an older farmer, James Melton. In fact, she had married Melton in 1859, three years before Tom left for the war, though that may not have changed the nature of her
261:
Once the grave had been located, Laura Foster's decomposed body was found with her legs drawn up to fit in the shallow grave. She had been stabbed once in the chest. The gruesome murder and the lovers' triangle, combined with the rumors that circulated in the small backwoods town, captured the
250:
the blame himself. It was Anne's word that led to the discovery of Laura's body, leading to further suspicion of Anne's guilt. Anne's cousin, Pauline Foster, testified that Anne had taken her to the grave one night to make sure it was still well hidden.
224:
Dula did not come through the war completely unscathed, as folklore, oral tradition, and some modern writers have claimed. He was wounded several times in battle. His brothers died in the war, leaving Tom as his mother's "sole remaining boy".
205:
187:
Dula wrote a 15-page account of his life, as well as a note that exonerated Anne Foster (then using the married name Melton). His literacy is highly unusual, considering the harsh poverty of his upbringing. Dula played the
242:. Both Melton and Dula were captured and sent to a northern prison camp. They were released after the war ended and returned home. Shortly after his return, Dula resumed his relationship with Anne. With a reputation as a
325:
Much legend and folklore has grown around the tragedy and the life of Tom Dula. Not least of these is that Dula came through the war without a scratch, with
Governor Vance making use of Dula's supposed talents with a
136:", based on the pronunciation in the local dialect), and many oral traditions were passed down, regarding the sensational occurrences surrounding Laura Foster's murder and Dula's subsequent execution.
174:, most likely the youngest of three brothers, with one younger sister, Eliza. Dula grew up, attended school, and "probably played with the female Fosters" – Anne and her cousins Laura and Pauline.
356:" (which was how Dula's name was pronounced) shortly after Dula was hanged. This, combined with the widespread publicity the trial received, further cemented Dula's place in North Carolina legend.
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for his own entertainment. Both Dula's and Vance's accounts, as well as Dula's own military record, show this to be untrue. Nonetheless, the myth has persisted to the present day.
258:), as he also had Pauline Foster, who in fact was the first to be treated. Many believe that Dula caught the disease from Pauline Foster, then passed it on to both Anne and Laura.
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Anne Foster had married an older man, James Melton, who was a farmer, cobbler, and neighbor of both the
Fosters and the Dulas. Melton also served in the war, taking part in the
302:
Tom Dula was "acquitted" of all charges after a petition was sent around Wilkes County and to the county seat. However, this action was unofficial and had no legal standing.
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In 2001, the citizens of North
Wilkesboro presented a petition to North Carolina Governor Mike Easley, asking that Tom Dula be posthumously pardoned. No action was taken.
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As the children grew up, Tom and Anne apparently became intimate. Anne Foster's mother found Anne and Tom in bed together when Anne was 14 years old and Tom was just 12.
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Dula did sometimes use his musical talents in the army, and on one surviving muster roll he is listed as a "musician" and a "drummer".
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Lift up Your Head, Tom Dooley: The True Story of the
Appalachian Murder That Inspired One of America's Most Popular Ballads
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as a private in
Company K, 42nd North Carolina Infantry Regiment. He was captured, but he was released in April 1865.
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132:. Considerable controversy surrounded the case. In subsequent years, a folk song was written (entitled "
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919:"Finding Tom Dula's and Laura Foster's resting places on archive of blueridgecountry.com web site"
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soldier who was convicted of murdering Laura Foster. National publicity from newspapers such as
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The Trio had taken the song, without acknowledgement, from the singing of singer and
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The True Story of Tom Dooley: From
Western North Carolina Mystery to Folk Legend
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744:"Visiting Our Past: Brittain Cove has put rural preservation over development"
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The Ballad of Tom Dula: The Documented Story Behind the Murder of Laura Foster
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Three months before his 18th birthday, on March 15, 1862, Tom enlisted in the
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542:"Traditional American Folk Songs from the Anne and Frank Warner Collection"
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Contrary to newspaper accounts at the time, Dula did not serve in Colonel
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Thomas Land is believed to have written a song about the tragedy titled "
830:"Ask the Marshall: What is the story behind the folk song 'Tom Dooley?'"
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turned Dula's story into a folk legend. Although Laura was murdered in
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the 'Tom Dula' story for the Neil Young Americana Contest, June 2012".
849:"Tom Dula: Madness Made Us Wild; a Play in Five Verses and a Hanging"
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956:"Tom Dula's story on archive of Wilkes Chamber of Commerce website"
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Tom Dooley – The Story Behind the Ballad by Karen Wheeling Reynolds
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public's attention and led to the lasting notoriety of the crime.
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667:"Soldier Details - The Civil War (U.S. National Park Service)"
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American Civil War prisoners of war held by the United States
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for Colonel James Grayson, just across the state line in
372:(1959) makes reference to Tom Dooley in the final verse.
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and was considered by those who knew him well to be a "
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477:. Wilkes County Chamber of Commerce. Archived from
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874:"Murder Most Foul | The Official Bob Dylan Site"
799:"Murder of Laura Foster, The [Laws F36]"
645:"North Carolina hills hold tale of Tom Dooley"
551:
536:
507:. Asheboro, North Carolina: Down Home Press.
1052:People executed by North Carolina by hanging
1047:People convicted of murder by North Carolina
1012:19th-century executions by the United States
950:Tom Dooley: a Wilkes County Legend, a Play
642:
521:
375:The music project Windows to Sky featuring
128:, Dula was tried, convicted, and hanged in
114:(June 23‚ 1844 – May 1, 1868) was a former
1017:19th-century executions of American people
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467:
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208:Unidentified man in a Confederate uniform.
1022:People from Wilkes County, North Carolina
805:. Fresno State University. Archived from
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828:Trimble, Marshall (September 25, 2009).
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847:Windows to the Sky feat. SJ Jucker.
556:. Blue Ridge Country. Archived from
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1032:American people executed for murder
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723:Lundin, Leigh (February 21, 2010).
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770:Lopresti, Rob (January 17, 2010).
742:Neufeld, Rob (November 11, 2018).
647:. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
643:Bill Cissna (September 13, 2006).
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552:Sharyn McCrumb (January 1, 2007).
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1057:1866 murders in the United States
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797:Waltz, Robert B.; Enge, David G.
221:the defense during Dula's trial.
1037:Confederate States Army soldiers
980:North Carolina Historical Marker
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692:"Dula's Confederate muster card"
444:West, John Foster (April 2002).
278:Following Dula's arrest, former
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101:Inspiration for the folk song "
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592:Fletcher, John Edward (2013).
503:West, John Foster (May 1993).
140:recorded a hit version of the
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315:Wilkes County, North Carolina
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126:Wilkes County, North Carolina
45:Wilkes County, North Carolina
975:Tom Dula's gravestone images
403:portrayed Dula in the movie
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218:26th North Carolina Infantry
166:Tom Dula was born to a poor
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64:Statesville, North Carolina
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985:February 16, 2012, at the
725:"Who Killed Laura Foster?"
554:"Tom Dooley: Bound to Die"
362:'s U.S. country music and
154:, who had learned it from
910:American Civil War portal
528:The Kingston Trio (album)
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406:The Legend of Tom Dooley
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334:relationship with Dula.
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16:Confederate Army soldier
749:Asheville Citizen-Times
280:North Carolina Governor
448:. Parkway Publishers.
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234:Murder of Laura Foster
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809:on September 24, 2015
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240:Battle of Gettysburg
76:Execution by hanging
962:on December 8, 2003
72:Cause of death
834:True West Magazine
342:In popular culture
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311:Blue Ridge Parkway
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121:The New York Times
93:farm hand, soldier
945:978-0-9846398-0-9
731:. Criminal Brief.
602:: History Press.
360:Stonewall Jackson
138:The Kingston Trio
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964:. Retrieved
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1007:1868 deaths
1002:1844 births
966:October 19,
883:January 11,
671:www.nps.gov
651:October 21,
626:|work=
194:ladies' man
168:Appalachian
130:Statesville
116:Confederate
56:May 1, 1868
996:Categories
776:Tom Dooley
699:gen2go.org
600:Charleston
475:"Tom Dula"
414:References
370:"Waterloo"
354:Tom Dooley
162:Early life
149:folklorist
134:Tom Dooley
103:Tom Dooley
85:Tom Dooley
37:1844-06-23
813:August 2,
676:August 8,
628:ignored (
618:cite book
386:'s song "
384:Bob Dylan
377:SJ Tucker
368:hit song
365:Billboard
295:Petitions
256:blue mass
244:libertine
144:in 1958.
983:Archived
729:Tom Dula
532:AllMusic
288:pro bono
25:Tom Dula
929:May 20,
564:May 20,
409:(1959).
943:
853:CDBaby
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190:fiddle
66:, U.S.
47:, U.S.
695:(PDF)
395:Other
347:Music
328:banjo
321:Myths
274:Trial
968:2007
941:ISBN
931:2009
885:2024
860:2015
815:2015
784:2010
757:2018
678:2024
653:2007
630:help
604:ISBN
566:2009
509:ISBN
487:2013
450:ISBN
53:Died
31:Born
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
