Sandburg, in "The American Songbag," pp. 432-433, said that this was "A leading favorite of the Grand Army of the Republic, one of the healthiest survivors of the contest between the Blue and the Gray, and a widely known piece of American folklore." Often called the "Old Tobacco Box."

Is there any record, other than anecdotal, of this song's use by Civil War soldiers?
Any records at all of the song contemporary with the Civil War?