Daddy was a sailor,

And hardly ever home,

So Mother raised her two young boys,

The best she could alone,

And in times of strife and hardship,

Which was almost every day,

She’d take her eldest son aside,

And this is what she’d say,

“Take care of Jacob, he’s my only other son”

And I’d swear that I’d take care of him,

Whatever else I done,

Well the years went by,

And fever took my Mother and my Dad,

Jacob couldn’t understand,

And took their passing bad,

Blaming all creation,

For the pain within his heart,

He wouldn’t let me help him,

And we drifted far apart,

But now and then my Mothers words,

Would echo on the breeze,

And I’d recall the vow I made,

Each time she said to me,

“Take care of Jacob, he’s my only other son”

And I swore that I’d take care of him,

Whatever else I done,

Well it’s strange the way things happen,

The cruelest twists of fate,

But Jacob joined the Union,

In the war between the states,

While I remained a southern boy,

And kept my southern pride,

But through the sounds of battle,

I could hear my Mother cry,

“Take care of Jacob, he’s my only other son”

With the echo of the vow I made,

Drowned out by blazing guns,

But with every fight we fought, I prayed,

That God would keep him safe,

Then through the smoke of Gettysburg,

I saw my brothers face,

And my confederate comrade,

Charging through the trees,

Bayonet at the ready,

How my blood began to freeze,

My comrade struck a glancing blow,

And I saw my brother fall,

Then through the cannons roar once more,

I heard my Mother call,

“Take care of Jacob, he’s my only other son”

And I swore that I’d take care of him,

Whatever else I done,

Well my musket wavered right and left,

And every which a way,

And right there in that musket flare,

I heard my Mother say,

“Take care of Jacob, he’s my only other son”

And I swore that I’d take care of him,

Whatever else I done,

My brother lay in agony,

My comrade by his side,

I threw away musket,

Right there with my southern pride,

And dragged my wounded brother,

From the battlefield,

Stripped him of his uniform,

Afraid that he’d be killed,

But knowing that he’d hate me,

For what I did that day,

I left his wounded body,

Redressed in confederate gray,

Then I went back to the battle,

A traitor to the cause,

But in my ears, my Mothers words,

Resounded through it all,

“Take care of Jacob, he’s my only other son”

And I swore that I’d take care of him,

Whatever else I done,

Well I’m standing on the scaffold now,

A noose around my throat,

But I’ve written down my reasons,

To my brother in a note,

I know soon as he’s able,

He’ll return to  Yankee blue,

But I’ve asked him to forgive me,

And asked him, what else could I do,

But, “Take care of Jacob, Mothers only other son”

When I swore that I’d take care of him,

Whatever else I done,

“Take care of Jacob, he’s my only other son”

And I swore that I’d take care of him,

Whatever else I done,

By S.E.Ralph