John Hill Hewitt

John Hill Hewitt (July 11, 1801, New York City — October 7, 1890, Baltimore) was an American composer, playwright, and poet.

He is best known for his songs about the American South, including "A Minstrel's Return from the War", "The Soldier's Farewell", "The Stonewall Quickstep", and "Somebody's Darling".

[2] Over his career, Hewitt wrote over 300 songs, a number of cantatas and operettas, and one oratorio, as well as plays, poems, and articles for magazines and newspapers.

[2] He also worked as a theatre manager, magazine and newspaper editor, concert performer, and music teacher at seminaries for women.

Their theatre burned down soon after his arrival, but Hewitt decided to stay in Augusta and open a music store where he could give private lessons for flute and piano.

However, Hewitt grew disillusioned as he realized that his dinner invitations came because his hosts wanted live music, not his company.

Still, Hewitt took a permanent teaching position at the Baptist Female Academy in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1824, tutoring on the side.

He moved back to Augusta, where he joined Alfred Waldron to write pieces for the theatre and for the Queen Sisters, including the ballad operas King Linkum the First and The Vivandiere.

He published through John Schreiner beginning in 1864 but sent pieces secretly to the Blackmars under the pen name "Eugene Raymond".

He bounced back and forth between Maryland and Georgia for the next few years, eventually ending up in Baltimore, where he remained until his death on October 7, 1890.