Camp follower

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A camp follower is a person who follows military camps in order to sell goods or services that the military does not supply. These can include cooking, laundering, liquor, prostitution and sutlery. It can also be someone who scavenges after a battle.

The term is at times used to describe the families of military personnel who accompany the soldier from base to base, which was not an uncommon practice during wartime. In United States history, Molly Pitcher was considered a camp follower during the Revolutionary War. There were a number of camp followers on both the Union and Confederate sides of the American Civil War.