The Hill Billies (aka Al Hopkins and His Buckle Busters) recorded Mississippi Sawyer at their second recording session, an April 30th, 1926, date for Vocalion. The recording features four Hopkinses: Elmer, Al, Joe, and John. The band would never again realize such a Hopkins density.
Tony Russell’s Country Music Records lists 13 recordings of Mississippi Sawyer made before 1942. It remains a common tune in the repertoire of contemporary fiddlers.
The matrix number for the recording begins with the letter ‘E,’ which I believe indicates an electrical recording. That said, the fidelity of the disc is not great when compared to records made a few years later, and it is difficult to pick out some notes in the melody with certainty.
Mississippi Sawyer