Tom Dula
| Thomas C. Dula | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
June 22, 1845 Wilkes County, North Carolina |
| Died | May 1, 1868 (aged 22) Iredell County, North Carolina |
| Cause of death | Hanging (Capital Punishment) |
| Other names | Tom Dula aka "Tom Dooley" |
| Occupation | farm hand, soldier |
| Known for | Progenitor of the "Tom Dooley" folk song. |
Thomas C. "Tom" Dula (June 22, 1845 – May 1, 1868) was a former Confederate soldier, who was convicted of murdering Laura Foster. National publicity from newspapers such as The New York Times, turned Dula's story into a folk legend. Although Laura was murdered in Wilkes County, North Carolina, Dula was tried, convicted, and hanged in Statesville. Considerable controversy surrounded the case. In subsequent years, a folk song was written (entitled “Tom Dooley”, 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.The Kingston Trio recorded a hit version of the murder ballad in 1958.
Tom Dula was born to a poor Appalachian hill country family in Wilkes County, North Carolina, 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 (later Melton) and her cousins Laura and Pauline.
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.
Three months before his 18th birthday, on 15 March 1862, Tom enlisted in the Confederate Army as a private in Company K, 42nd North Carolina Infantry Regiment. He was captured, but he was released in April 1865.
Dula wrote a 15-page account of his life, as well as a note that exonerated Anne Melton. His literacy is highly unusual, considering the harsh poverty of his upbringing. Dula played the fiddle and was considered to be a "ladies man".
Contrary to newspaper accounts at the time, Dula did not serve in Colonel Zebulon Vance’s 26th North Carolina Infantry regiment. 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 the defense during Dula’s trial. However, it seems more likely that Vance simply believed in Dula’s innocence or felt that defending a veteran in the high-profile case would be politically beneficial.
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Wikipedia