Beside the rolling Clutha River, and beside a narrow, dusty road, lie two graves next to each other. One's stone says that "Somebody's Darling lies buried here" - the other says that "here lies William Rigney, the man who buried 'Somebody's Darling.'"
An unknown body and the man who buried him. Neither is true. Therefore this blog entry is both a story and the story of a story.
"Somebody's Darling" was originally a US Civil War soldier, fictional or otherwise, the subject of an 1864 song by Marie Ravenal de la Coste. Marie was a nurse during the war in Savannah, Georgia. Her fiance had been killed fighting for the Confederacy. It first appears in print in a New Zealand newspaper - at least, according to "Papers Past" - in 1867. The song, with no definite indication as to for which side the dying young soldier fought, came to symbolise every young man dying far from home and loved ones.
SOMEBODY'S DARLING.
Into a ward of the whitewashed walls, Where the dead and the dying lay —
Wounded by bayonets, shells, and balls — Somebody's darling was borne one day.
Somebody's darling! So young and so brave, Wearing still on his pale, sweet face,
Soon to be hid in the dust of the grave, The lingering light of his boyhood's grace.
CHORUS
Somebody's darling, somebody's pride, Who'll tell his mother where her boy died?
Matted and damp are the curls of gold, Kissing the snow of that fair young brow;
Pale are the lips of delicate mould — Somebody's darling is dying now.
Back from the beautiful blue-veined face, Brush every wandering silken thread;
Cross his hands as a sign of grace — Somebody's darling is still and dead.
Chorus
Kiss him once for Somebody's sake, Murmur a prayer soft and low,
One bright curl from the cluster take — They were somebody's pride, you know,
Somebody's hand hath rested there: Was it a mother's, soft and white?
And have the lips of a sister fair, Been baptised in those waves of light?
Chorus
God knows best. He was somebody's love; Somebody's heart enshrined him there;
Somebody wafted his name above, Night and morn on the wings of prayer.
Somebody wept when he marched away, Looking so handsome, brave, and grand:
Somebody's kiss on his forehead lay; Somebody clung to his parting hand.
Chorus
Somebody's watching and waiting for him. Yearning to hold him again to her heart;
There he lies — with the blue eyes dim, And smiling, childlike lips apart.
Tenderly bury the fair young dead, Pausing to drop on his grave a tear;
Carve on the wooden slab at his head — "Somebody's darling lies buried here!"
Marie de la Coste's words are a prime example of a sentimental Victorian heart-string puller of a song, just the thing to sing to the parlour piano as part of a musical evening. It may not have been known in Otago in 1865, a year after its publication and the year of the burial. But I personally think that the coincidence of the words of the epitaph and the words and sentiment of the song is not one of pure chance.
Those who are accustomed to journey to Millers Flat by the east or back road will remember a rude timber cross on the road, side on which the following words were painted: — "Underneath lies somebody's darling." The meaning of the legend and the explanation of the cross in such a place is that many years ago the body of a man, apparently young, was found in the Clutha, and identification being impossible and no one claiming the body, it was laid under the ground here by the miners who put the cross over the spot with the inscription referred to. The cross is now in a state of decay and no doubt would soon disappear and with it all trace of the unknown underneath it. On his way down country recently, Mr A. Mills, our local Stock Inspector, noticed this and took the opportunity of mentioning it to a number of persons and suggested that something of a more permanent form should be put up to mark the location of the grave. The result is that a subscription has been started with the object of obtaining a simple marble slab on which will be inscribed the original words placed on the cross. This will prevent the effacement of a pathetic incident of the early days. -Tuapeka Times, 12/1/1901.
THE NAMELESS GRAVE AT HORSESHOE BEND.
[To THE EDITOR.)
Sir, — As there are one or two slight mistakes in Saturday's issue respecting the lonely grave at Horseshoe Bend, I thought I would send you a few lines stating the real facts of the case. The body which is buried there was found on the beach on the west side of the river opposite the upper end of Horseshoe Bend in the early days. I don't know the time, but it was before I came to the locality in 1865. There was nothing done to enclose the grave until a maned John Ord who, I think, died long since on the Coast, and myself put a fence of rough manuka poles round it. Just then I had to go to Tapanui for mining timber and I got a board of black pine. This I shaped something like a headstone, painted it white, and with a tomahawk and a four-inch nail I cut, or rather sunk into the timber the words: "Somebody's darling lies buried here." This, you will see, is slightly different from the way it is given in the paragraph. There was never a cross on the grave unless it was put up within the last two years. I saw the grave about that time. There was no sign of the fence, but the board was then very much decayed of course. I left the immediate neighborhood many years since, otherwise I would certainly keep the fence in order. I have for a long time intended — when opportunity offered — (you know what that means) to put a substantial fence round the grave and also cover it with concrete, and I am well pleased to find that it is about to be done in a much more complete manner than I would be likely to do it. I would like very much to be present when the slab is being erected, and if any person would kindly let me know I would endeavor to be there. I don't think there is any person now living that knows who put the board at the grave except Mr Thomas Lundy, of Horseshoe Bend, and Mr Thomas Pilling, of Lawrence. The latter mentioned it to me some few years ago, but I don't recollect how he got his information. I have always felt a special interest in that grave, as I have a foreboding that in the end my lot will be the same — viz., a lonely grave on a bleak hillside. Apologising for thus troubling you.— I am, etc, W. Rigney. -Tuapeka Times, 19/1/1901.
OBITUARY.
WILLIAM RIGNEY.
Whilst the annual reunion of the Gabriels' Jubilee Pioneers was being celebrated in Dunedin last week one of their number (Mr Wm. Rigney, of Horseshoe Bend) passed away in the Lawrence Hospital at the ripe age of 80 years. Of Mr Rigney's early life and history little is known to us. He was of Irish descent, was well connected, claiming kinship with a Bishop of Sydney; he received a good education and was altogether well-informed. As a young man he followed a sea-faring life, but, attracted by the discovery of gold in Otago, found his way to the"Woolshed" (now Glenore) and was engaged in goldmining there, for some considerable time with varying success. On the discovery of gold on the Molyneux River he found his way thither, and was one of the earliest men at Horseshoe Bend. In those days he took a lively interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of the district and was the last surviving one of the twelve who signed the petition for the first post office at Horseshoe Bend. He it was, too, who found the body on "Rag" or Dead Man's, Beach, whose identity was unknown, and still remains a mystery, whose grave is so well known to travellers on the east bank of the river, at Horseshoe Bend. This grave is now railed in, and there is a marble slab on it bearing this strange inscription, "Somebody's Darling lies buried here: 1865." The coffin for the unknown stranger was made by Mr Rigney; constructed out of a sluice box, the only wood available at that time. It was a sad scene that funeral in the early days, and the tears rolled down the cheeks of the sturdy miners as with bared heads they lowered the "unknown" into the silent grave. For many years a wooden slab bearing the inscription as above marked this sacred spot; this was carved out and placed in position by Mr Rigney, and still stands by the side of the marble slab that was erected by public subscription some years ago. Mr Rigney originally held the ground, eventually known as Edie and Kirkpatrick's, and worked by that firm so successfully and profitably. He spent many years in attempting single handed to bring water on to the ground by cutting a race from Costorphine Creek, erecting a wire roppe across the river, and endeavouring to get the water across in a canvas hose, and afterwards in light galvanised iron pipes, but failed in his attempts, the gales proving too strong for his frail structure. He eventually sold to Edie and Kirkpatrick, retaining an interest in the claim which he ultimately sold at a satisfactory figure. But his old passion for lifting water out of the Clutha was revived, and the capital he had was sunk in endeavouring to work out a scheme to lift the water out of the river for sluicing pvrposes. Nothing daunted, he laboured on still hopeful for brighter prospects. He advocated strongly for the "chair" that now spans the river at Horseshoe Bend, and later still for the footbridge that is to be erected there, the ropes for which are on the ground. In the years gone by he frequently wrote to this journal, letters of interest. For some years past he was in failing health. Twelve months ago he attended the Jubilee celebrations in Lawrence but it was ranarked by many that he was the frailest and weakest man among the sturdy set of old miners present. And now the end has come, he passed peacefully away on Wednesday last, the 5th June. Frequently he expressed the desire to be buried by the side of the nameless grave at Horseshoe Bend; and it says much for the friends who have interested themselves to give offect to his wish in this respect. His mortal remains were laid to rest on Sunday 9th inst., at the selected spot, and friends from far and near to the number of about fifty came to pay the last tribute of respect. The service at the grave was impressively rendered by the Revd. Father O'Connell. And thus passed away another of the fast diminishing band of pioneer miners.
When the service was over an incident occurred that added to the impressiveness of the scene in this solitary and romantically situated cemetery, as yet only tenanted by the remains of two individuals, when Mr P. C. Grant, of Millers Flat, produced a copy of a Deed of Agreement securely sealed in a transparent bottle that came into has possession some twenty years ago, and placed it in the grave along with the remains of the old pioneer. This Deed of Agreement, which was connected with some mining privileges held by the late Mr Rigney and others at that time, was of no value and very likely is now forgotten, by all who were concerned but Mr Grant considered that by burying the forgotten deed along with the remains of the old miner that he (Mr Grant) was acting in conformity with the late Mr Rigney's own somewhat peculiar notions by placing the deed in his own last resting place where it will probably remain until the day when the grave shall give up its dead. -Mt Benger Mail, 19/6/1912.
Millers Flat Notes
A meeting of the committee in connection with the late William Rigney's tombstone and railing at the Horseshoe Bend met at Mr J. Sheehy's Hotel, Millers Flat, on the 28th inst., to wind up matters thereant. A vote of thanks was passed to all who so liberally contributed towards a mark of respect and lasting tribute in memory of an old and respected mining pioneer. The secretary was instructed to write to Mr H. Craig, Roxburgh, specially thanking him for the gomerous reduction he made in the cartage of the stone and material from Lawrence. The work of erecting the monument and railing was executed in a creditable manner bv Messrs Frapwell, and Holgate of Dunedin and Lawrence, and the name of lonely grave so long attached to the spot has now passed away. Both the stone on the lonely grave and that over the late Mr Rigney, together with the inscriptions, are in perfect harmony. The one reads: "Somebody's darling lies buried here"; and the other: "Here lies the body of William Rigney, the man who buried 'Somebody's Darling.'" The ladies of the district have now decorated the graves with sweet scented flowers, mingling their perfumes with that of the verdant manuka. -Tuapeka Times, 6/9/1913.
For Orphans.
So much is known of the social work of the Salvation Army that it would be a waste of time and space to enter again into details. We may, however, know an organisation or institution so well that we do not know it well enough, and it is because the Bramwell Booth Home at Temuka is beginning to be accepted without being understood that we draw attention to the appeal being made tomorrow by the Commercial Travellers.
The actual proceedings for the day will be found set out in another column: here we would emphasise the advantage to the community of having such a home at all, and the immediate urgency of its financial problems. Some of our readers who have passed through Central Otago may remember on the Lawrence Roxburgh road a lonely grave with a headstone inscribed, “Somebody’s darling lies buried here”; and it was, strangely enough, the Commercial Travellers passing up and down that road who provided the hackneyed but touching memorial. Long years before some one had dropped by the wayside from a company of miners hastening to a now forgotten “rush”; and as he fell out of the race he dropped also from human memory and record. But the Travellers found his grave and tied it for all time to the heart-strings of the passers-by.
And now in Temuka they are attempting some thing much more important than any service done to the dead. It is still true, though perhaps in a more tragic sense, that no legend would be more appropriate than the sentence at Horse-Shoe Bend. In every orphanage somebody s darling lies buried; and what the Travellers to-morrow seek to achieve is a resurrection. They are determined to have our money only because they have made up their minds that no one in a young world like ours shall remain permanently submerged. -Timaru Herald, 17/11/1922.
SOMEBODY’S DARLING
“SOMEBODY’S DARLING LIES BURIED HERE” ERECTED 1903." A pathetic story is told of the lonely grave on the hill, near Miller’s Flat in the goldfields, the inscription on which is quoted above. A man whose name was not known disappeared, and no trace of him could be found owing to the snow on the hills. When the snows melted the hody was found by a miner, who, with his pick and shovel dug a humble grave on the spot, buried the "unknown” there, and erected a wooden cross, on which he roughly carved the inscription: “Somebody’s Darling Lies Buried Here. - 1865." This cross remained until it decayed with age, when a public subscription was organised, from the funds of which the grave was restored and a stone erected, and surrounded by railings. The Minister was approached and requested to sanction the spot being made into a burial ground, to which he consented. Years later, on his deathbed, the man who found the body of the unknown man and erected the original cross, expressed a desire to he laid alongside the man he had laid to rest in the mountains long years before. The wish was complied with, and a similar stone was erected over his grave. The story was sent to England in the hope that some mother who had lost her son in the goldfields might feel that this was possibly her son, and that his remains had been cared for. -NZ Times, 23/9/1925.
Died in the snow, "dropped by the wayside," - drowned in the Clutha - who was "Somebody's Darling?" A little online research reveals something not available in its original form online - details of an inquest on the body at Horseshoe Bend. The body was identified as that of Charles Alms, a butcher from the Nevis area who drowned while crossing the Clutha River near Clyde, 70km upriver, on January 25, 1865. Charles Alms was identified by the clothing he wore but the body itself had been in the water for two weeks and could not be positively identified so no death certificate was issued. Charles, if it was him, was buried and William Rigney, who did not bury him, erected a fence around the grave.
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