Tenting on the Old Camp Ground
written by Walter Kittredge, a Civil War draftee from Reeds Ferry, NH
sung by Patricia Cummings
Concord, NH
June 26, 2009
Cooking tent at Fredericksburg, VA during the Civil War, staffed by the Sanitary Commission, 1861-1865. photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.
The emblem of the U.S. Sanitary Commission that was stamped on goods generated by them
"Many are the hearts that are weary tonight - Wishing for the war to cease ..."
Little did Walter Kittredge know, when he wrote this song, "Tenting on the Old Camp Ground," that it would become one of the most beloved of American songs associated with the Civil War.
The "Camp Ground" referred to here is not anything like the recreational campgrounds that the word evokes today.
Please visit this webpage about Walter Kittredge that provides some wonderful visuals, a photo of him, and some background, especially about his associations with the famous Hutchinson Family Singers of Milford, New Hampshire.
Patricia in 1973, just home from studying in Spain, and given a 12 string guitar by her parents. Photo taken in Deerfield, New Hampshire.
2009. Quilter's Muse Publications, Concord, NH. All rights reserved.