Episode Transcript
[00:00:07] Speaker A: Hi, this is Aaron Nathans from the Nathans and Roncast. A few weeks back, we featured Peter MacDonald Blatchley as our interview guest as we discussed the song evening, which Michael wrote as a posthumous cowrite with Peter's great uncle, the poet Clarence Dan Blatchley. We had also written I stood upon a hill from our album crooked fiddle, based upon Clarence Dan's words. In addition to being a great custodian of his family's history, Peter is also a wonderful performing songwriter in his own right. This week we're featuring his song Vicksburg. It's based on one of the stories he told us during our conversation. This story is covered in his grandfather's memoir, which Peter recently published into a book titled my first Becoming a man on the Colorado frontier. I recently asked Peter to explain the backstory to the song. Here's what he wrote back. The song is based on a true story. My great grandfather, the Reverend Eben Blatchley, was living in Wisconsin during the Civil War when his son, who had enlisted into the Union army, was captured toward the end of the war and was held in a confederate prison. Eben rode south on horseback, hoping to find his son and ransom him out of prison, but he was himself captured by a contingent of confederate soldiers. They accused him of being a northern spy and sentenced him to die by hanging, a sentence they immediately set about carrying out. Mounted on his own horse, with hands tied behind his back and a noose around his neck, Eben asked to say some final words before they drove the horse out from under him. The soldiers relented, and Eben proceeded to pray for the welfare of their souls because they were about to kill an innocent man. His prayers were so sincere that the soldiers were profoundly moved, and instead of hanging him, they sent him home to Wisconsin. Eben, also deeply moved by the experience, vowed to dedicate his life to serving the slaves who had been freed by the war. He sold his farm in Wisconsin, bought land outside Kansas City, Kansas, and established freedmen's University in 1865, which he and his wife ran until his death in 1877. The school was later run as Eastern University until the beginning of the 20th century, when it folded. There is now virtually nothing left of the original campus. About the time I wrote Vicksburg, I had an impulse to see if there was anyone in the tiny town of Wyandotte, Kansas, who still had any connection to the school. I found online a phone number for the old Quindero Historical Society and placed a call. When I told the man who answered, Jesse hope, iII who I was. He nearly jumped out of his skin. He said my great grandfather quarried the stones that your great grandfather used to build the church. He exclaimed.
The following summer, he invited me to come perform Vicksburg at the Kansas City Street Blues Festival. But I was unable to go, and he died the following year. I have yet to get out to Kansas to see the place for myself.
That was Peter MacDonald Blatchley on his song Vicksburg. Let's listen to the song right now.
[00:03:09] Speaker B: I went down to Vicksburg in 1865, looking for my soldier son. I was hoping he was still alive.
I came from Wiscasset, left my family farm to see if I could find and rescue him and bring him home with me.
But rebel soldiers found me. They took me for a spy.
[00:03:42] Speaker C: They held a hasty trial right there.
[00:03:44] Speaker B: And they sentenced me to die upon my horse. They seated me beneath the hanging tree.
[00:03:54] Speaker C: Strong a noose around my neck. So I die.
[00:03:57] Speaker B: When the horse ran free.
[00:04:03] Speaker D: O Lord, save me.
[00:04:08] Speaker C: I heard my spirit cry.
[00:04:13] Speaker D: I am your humble servant.
[00:04:19] Speaker C: I will surely die.
This world's so full of suffering.
I'll do all that I can.
[00:04:34] Speaker B: If.
[00:04:35] Speaker C: You can get me out of here.
I help my fellow man.
[00:04:45] Speaker D: Oh.
[00:04:50] Speaker B: A sudden calm came on my soul. My fear was set aside.
[00:04:55] Speaker C: I asked to say some final words.
[00:04:58] Speaker B: Before my time to die.
Those tattered rebel soldiers. They were young, so brave.
[00:05:07] Speaker C: They bowed their heads with hats in.
[00:05:09] Speaker B: Hand, and they let me have my say.
[00:05:16] Speaker D: O Lord, save us, I pray.
[00:05:21] Speaker C: This war has caused such strife.
[00:05:26] Speaker D: These poor young boys before me stand.
[00:05:33] Speaker C: About to take my life.
You, Lord, know the stain nowhere.
[00:05:42] Speaker D: For this unholy deed.
[00:05:48] Speaker B: From the prison.
[00:05:49] Speaker C: Of the Gil Pelbear, they never will be free.
[00:06:03] Speaker B: The youngest boy among them, like a son, looked up to me, eyes and tears. He begged his friends that they should set me free.
He's done no wrong that his death.
[00:06:18] Speaker C: Won'T serve us well.
Listen to those words, he said.
[00:06:23] Speaker B: Let's save our souls from hell.
Those rebel soldiers shuffled round. They all looked so ashamed. One by one, they all agreed. For my death they'd not be blamed.
Off came the noose.
[00:06:42] Speaker C: The hands untied the reins to me. They gave. They sent me to his cassette. A set of. To my grave.
[00:06:55] Speaker D: O lord, thank you.
[00:07:00] Speaker C: I cried in joyful song.
[00:07:05] Speaker D: In the company of the blessed ones.
[00:07:11] Speaker B: These southern boys belong.
[00:07:16] Speaker C: For you.
[00:07:17] Speaker D: Have top.
[00:07:18] Speaker C: Have mercy while they're still so young.
[00:07:26] Speaker B: Now the promise I made to you.
[00:07:32] Speaker C: My work has just begun.
[00:07:36] Speaker D: I give my life in service to.
[00:07:42] Speaker C: Those this war has freed.
I'll try to help the least of them that has the greatest need.
[00:07:57] Speaker D: I give my life and service to.
[00:08:03] Speaker C: Those this war has free.
I'll try to help the least of them that has the greatest need.
[00:08:31] Speaker A: Thank you for listening to the Nathanson Roncast. Do look up Peter's music. His website is petermacdonaldblatchley.com. MacDonald is spelled with an M A C and Blatchley is spelled blachly. And please do us a favor and follow the Nathanson Roncast on Apple Podcasts. We'd love to grow our audience, and it's a great way to make sure you don't miss an episode. Have a great day and we'll see you next week. Peace.
