'If I should die tonight' poem   Save
Harrison H. Kerr Papers
Description: Humorous poem copied by Harrison Kerr and written by Benjamin Franklin King ca. 1890. The poem, titled "If I should die tonight," jokes about money owed to the author and the shock he would experience at being repaid upon his death. It was written as a parody of a serious contemporary poem of the same title. Harrison Henry Kerr (1839-1901), born in North Georgetown, Ohio, served along with his brother, Ezra, as a private in Company D of the 58th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was taken prisoner at the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou, Mississippi, on December 29, 1862., and held for three months before being exchanged and returning to his regiment. He was discharged on January 14, 1865. Following the war, he was married to Elizabeth (Rettig) Kerr. The two lived in Cleveland and had one son, Harrison McKinley Kerr. In 1888, he joined the Memorial Post No. 141, Grand Army of the Republic. He is buried in North Georgetown Cemetery. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: MSS1140_B01F08_004
Subjects: Poetry; Money; Death and burial;
Places: North Georgetown (Ohio); Columbiana County (Ohio);