Dumont was not African American. But he was among the most influential vaudeville minstrel players, playwrights, and songwriters of the 19th century. The Witmark Amateur Minstrel Guide, which he published in 1899, was a standard primer for minstrelsy.
“De Huckleberry Picnic, Plantation Song and Chorus” is paradoxical, implying that life outside of the cotton fields might be a picnic.
I float along on wings of peace,
I feel as slick’ry as axle grease;
Go tell Ulysis to fetch along Daul, Saul
Dar’s lots of room for de short and tall.
We’ll pass you in, ‘twont cost a cent,
No landlord’s ’round to collect de rent:
It’s free to all to ‘xamine de ground,
But don’t dodge de hat when it’s pass’d around.
See Frank Dumont. “De Huckleberry Picnic, Plantation Song and Chorus” (New Bedford, MA, 1879); http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=rpbaasm&fileName=0400/0412/rpbaasm0412page.db&recNum=0