Hush'd Be the Camps To-day

by Walt Whitman

Hush'd Be the Camps To-day was printed on mourning ribbons in remembrance of Abraham Lincoln, assassinated by John Wilkes Booth with one fatal bullet the night of April 14, 1865; Lincoln died the following morning.

An illustration for the story Hush'd Be the Camps To-day by the author Walt Whitman — Mourning ribbon for Lincoln, 1865

Hush'd be the camps to-day;
And, soldiers, let us drape our war-worn weapons;
And each with musing soul retire, to celebrate,
Our dear commander's death.

No more for him life's stormy conflicts;
Nor victory, nor defeat-- no more time's dark events,
Charging like ceaseless clouds across the sky.

But sing, poet, in our name;
Sing of the love we bore him-- because you, dweller in camps,
know it truly.

As they invault the coffin there; 
Sing-- as they close the doors of earth upon him-- one verse,
For the heavy hearts of soldiers.

Walt Whitman-- 1865
GOD SAVE THE UNION AND OUR MARTYR
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
FEB 12 1809
APRIL 16 1865

Hush'd Be the Camps To-day was featured as The Short Story of the Day on Wed, Apr 15, 2020

Whitman wrote extensively during the Civil War. Visit Song of Myself Study Guide and the biography of Abraham Lincoln for historical and literary context. You may also enjoy our collection of Civil War Stories.