The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-08-28

ttIN sunny vale lying back from the
0Ierrimac river, in the hamlet Of
Reeds Ferry. \. H, lives Walter
Kittredge, who by the powers of patriotic
song has touched the hearts Of millions
Of his fellow countFymen' - says the Bos-
ton Globe.
Mr.. Kittredge is author of '"Tenting on
the Old Camp Ground a song that ranks
in the minds and hearts of many patri-
otto Americans with My Country. tbs
Of Thee and the Battle Hmm of the
Republic.
Written in the war time. this song had
tremendous vogue. and now. when the
war Is nearly half a century gone, and Is
only memory. the song lives on, It's
power to- thrill undiminished.
At many great national festivals this
great and simple song has been sung. At
tho worlds fair in 1855 it was one OF the
most striking features in a great national
/ pageant called America"
The progress of the nation was depicted
! IL scene after scene on the stage OF the
Auditorium theatre. Hundreds Of people
were in the cast. there was 3 wealth Of
] scenery. a flood of national music. dances;
| marches. tableaux, everything calculated
10 portray the patriotic love OF a people
for their land and its achievements.
But the thin~ that touched the audi
/ cree. that left the dee7est impression
craven on their hearts. was the singing
/ Of the simple war song renting On the
/ Old lamp GROUND
Tho stage was darkened a teHtfng scene
IVES shoTu. The soldiers lay at rest after
/ a days fasreh. On the dim camp ground
came 4 fIgure on horseback tIeheIsi
| Sherman Then the voices Of the sol
/ diers started the song:
''Tenting tonight on the old camp ground,
/ Give US a song. TO cheer
/ The-audience was still and as the song
/ progressed there came UNDECIDED moisture
4 20 many an Rye-t
| When Il was finished cheer after cheer
rent the air. lille these scenes were
! beng enacted nightly in Chicago thou
! sands there were paying unconscious
/ tribute TO a good. old man living in a
I cottage ~ y vale b. the Merrimac-
/ The writer Of the song IL one of those
/ modest men in whom there SPRINGS no
/ stronger impulse than a desire for truth.
I His whole life has been simple. lie mas
i lived near 10 nature ; heart. loving with
! the strength Of an artless nature the sol
! on which he was born. and paying it and
| the spirit Of creation daily tribute with
| voice and pen
Cooks and the ways Of men have small
4 place in his philosophy He reads some,
/ but commUnes fhiefly with nature. living
4 small farm. Modesty abides with him. and
1 IL asked TO account for the charm and
| stirring power Of his one great song ne
! will say ne cannot understand It's secret.
| except that it is truth. He wrote Il mere
| IS n he felt it IL his heart. and that
was an
/
l The home of the Yankee minstrel stands
Preside the main road leading westward
! from the Merrimac river at Reeds Ferry.
4 nine miles below Manchester. Il is .
| miles walk from the railroad station az
| the ferry on a road herdered by cleared
fields and groves Of tai pines rising rom
| sandy soil
! In the barnysrd near the cottage man
| past middle age was working Sh0NeliilG
/ ioam into a barrow. when his visitor APP
/ preached ~.
/ ne Straigfitened from the work and
I came br5sklv to the yard gate iwiping
[ his hands on his 0Verails when asked II
/ the author Of .'Tenting On the Old Camp
4 Ground lived near
| Il wrote sTenting, he said without
| za~eIEyf,iuarv remark. We written hun
/ dreds OF other songs and given thou
sands Of concerts. probably more alone
/ thah any other man.
! Rv this time the wide barn door was
! reached. From a sleigh stored IN a cor
1 ner BIZ the entrance M k1ttredEe look 2
/ gladstone bag and from this several
/ books. such as are used-fer keeping small
'"Here is some Of my writing he said.
/ Il intended 10 20 70 Manchester today.
ana ] always take my books with me. 10
nave them handy. Vow here il a poem
on the Nerrimac river. would IKE %
/ finS = nflbifgher for ii. Here is a play.
/ The VALLEY Farm j call II. all II verse.
with 2 song here and there II has eight
/ chsracfers- The opening scene is Vhefe
Z the son is coming back ~ the farm after
and the daughter Is coming home from
college. The mother ana father enter.
I The fafhef' speaks first So
The au4hof 81 Mo piaF repsatfa ScFtftfi
! lines Of the fathers speech Then the
mother speaks.