Maybe one of the many FDR new deal programs?? I would think the numbers on the tents were there so one would know what tent they belonged in and how the mail could be routed to the right individual in a man camp? That fella in the back of the tent is holding something upright and I can't tell what that is, plus they all seem to have one kind of shirt? Unless someone wrote some info on the back, this will be a tough one to say for sure what all is going on here..It could maybe be the Corps of Engineers? The guy in the tent and the fella on the far left have the same type of hats that look like early 19th century military style hats maybe??.
The hats in the pic are very military and they are all wearing some sort of uniform. These guys may be state militia volunteers at a mobilization camp for the Spanish American war. Is the guy in the tent holding a rifle?
I took a second look and decided these boys (except the old guy with the mustache) are a little too fresh faced for regular army service.
This looks more like it: Turn of the 20th C Boys Brigade
These boys are at the 40th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg (1903). How cool would that have been - to reenact the fight at Gettysburg along side actual veterans of the war!
I was on the field for the 150th and it was an awesome experience.