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Henry Clay Work was a prominent American songwriter and composer best known for his popular and patriotic songs during and after the American Civil War.Born in Middletown, Connecticut, Work was largely self-taught in music. His father, an active abolitionist, deeply influenced his social views. Work became one of the most successful songwriters of the 1860s and 1870s, writing hits for the Chicago publishing firm Root & Cady. His songs, often reflecting Northern sentiment, resonated widely during the Civil War and Reconstruction. He later faced financial difficulties despite his earlier success.

• Work's father, Alanson Work, was imprisoned in Missouri for assisting escaped slaves on the Underground Railroad, profoundly impacting young Henry's abolitionist views.
• His most famous song, "Marching Through Georgia", celebrating Sherman's March, became immensely popular in the North but was intensely disliked in the South for decades after the war.
• Work suffered a paralytic stroke in 1883 and died the following year at age 51 in Hartford, Connecticut. He is buried in Spring Grove Cemetery, Hartford.