The Vacant Chair

A song of the Civil war written to memorialize a dead Union soldier. It eventually became popular in the Confederacy as well.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• united
• states
• civil
• war
• the
• vacant
• chair
• george
• root
• tennessee
• ernie
• ford

[gentjack02]

While this video features only Union soldiers; I'd like to remind everyone that the song was dedicated to & for Confederate soldiers, of whom I & Tenn. Ernie Ford are proud descendents. Carry on........

[rexlibris99]

Actually, the words to the song were in memory of Lieutenant William Grout of the 15th Massachusetts killed at Ball's Bluff. The lyrics were by Henry S. Washburn and the music was by George F. Root who later wrote The Battle Cry of Freedom and other Union tunes.

The song quickly became popular on both sides.

[gentjack02]

Rex; Then I stand corrected sir! Of course we would claim the song for our own in the South.

The War meant much more to us & is maligned in history books today. There were many more "Vacant chairs" in the North. If todays negative media were in force then; the south would have would left the Union in August 1861!

[rexlibris99]

Popular songs had a habit of crossing over. There were Union versions of "The Bonnie Blue Flag" and Confederate versions of "The Battle cry of Freedom".

I grew up in Lawrence, Kansas so do not make the mistake of thinking the war was important to only one side. There are still hard feelings on both sides of the border there.

[jessyquedens]

This was Tennessee Ernie Ford? Gosh, I'd forgotten what a fine voice he had!

[willb48]

Too many vacant chairs are at the table, as war rages on. When will it suffice, O Lord?

[radar4100]

@Faxe90Swe I love his Songs of the North and Songs of the South. He sang with equal skill and beauty the songs of both sides.

[Faxe90Swe]

@fearlessfred14

Thanks! I appreciate every bit of American history I can get my hands on, especially that which might strengthen an argument of mine;)

[fearlessfred14]

@Faxe90Swe

I remember seeing a map of the percentage of the male population that fought on each side in the war. Most Union states were around 7% (all union), and most Confederate states were around 10% Confederate and 3% Union (mostly black in the Deep South). Tennessee was 15% Confederate and 7% Union as I remember it, the equivalent of the modern US raising 36 million men. There's a reason it's called the Volunteer State.

[moserr11]

Everyone who died in the American Civil War, considered themselves Americans. There was too much death and too much blood. They don't deserve to be remembered any other way.

[flutepilot]

About songs going both ways. Remember that 'Dixie' was originally written by the chief fife instructor of the U.S. army and first appeared in 'The Fifers and Drummers Guide', published in 1861. Talk about songs going both ways!

[Faxe90Swe]

@gentjack02

40,000 Tennesseans fought for the Union. Tennessee was one of the most fractioned states of the war. What I mean is that Ernie Ford might just as well have had ancestors who fought for the Union.

[Nosokomos1]

All of our kids should be learning this song in public school.

Sincerely,

Robert H. Galloway

[Nosokomos1]

One of the more beautiful pieces to be based on the Civil War. Every grade school kid should be learning this piece with the history that brought it into being.

Robert H. Galloway

[Nosokomos1]

Beautiful rendition.