It's The End Of The World As We Know It (Again) And I Feel Fine.

Many people who believe in the end of the Mayan calendar are telling us the world will end tomorrow. This is not the first time that a date has been given for the end of the world. The Sept. 28, 1861 Cambridge Chronicle printed this story.
"THE END OF THE WORLD, postponed from 1843, is to take place on Saturday, the 12th of October, a fortnight from to-day, at least so say the Millerites. Unless the end comes before breakfast in the morning, we shall publish the Chronicle as usual on that day."
William Miller had predicted that the world would end in 1843 and later other dates, made another prediction of 1861. It came and went with obvious a comic tone from the Chronicle.
People never change.

DAN SULLIVAN

A baby is born at Camp Cameron

On August 15, 1861 the Sixteenth Regiment had a very special visitor. According to the Woburn Weekly Budget, of August 23, Neal McLaughlin and his wife, of Woburn, MA, visited her brother. While at the camp Dr. Charles C. Jewett was called to deliver her daughter. The story , which was picked up from the Boston Journal suggested she be named the "Daughter of the Regiment."
It also states that she was born "in one of the soldier's tents, or barracks." This could simple be due to the fact that the writer was not familiar with the camp but it gives one more hint that the camp had some tents. I have found that cooking tents were set up for at least a time. Also during at least some of the "Replacement" phase of the camp it was very crowded. I have found no mention of tents at this time but it would have been a logical solution to the overcrowding, along with furloughing the local recruits.
The book "A Union Town During The Civil War: Woburn, Massachusetts Volume One" by Leon Edmund Basile the baby was named Mary and the uncle her parents visited was Private James McCarron of Co "F". McCarron was 20 years old when he enlisted.


DAN SULLIVAN

Update on the Camp Cameron Barracks

On July 25, 1861, S. G. Howe of the U. S. Sanitary Commission delivered a report on the troops in the Boston area. This report included Camp Cameron. His findings on the Sanitary condition of the camp was not good. Howe believed that since the enlistees were sacrificing for their country then the government was obligated to take care of them. He saw the purpose of the camps being twofold; the training of troops for drill and maneuvers.  The second ; being the improvement of the recruits physical being. The second he found to be ignored. In fact he believed that the camps hurt a mans well being. The barracks at Camp Cameron were overcrowded and a crowd was always unhealthy and a breeding place for disease. It was the belief of the Commission that the barracks at Cameron were neither large enough or numerous enough.
The ideal living space "should be spacious, dry, and airy. They should have single bunks, and should be so constructed that the men can observe decency with regard to personal exposure."
"The barracks should be provided with shelves, with pegs to hang clothing, and with tables for reading; but not for sleeping, for soldiers should not be allowed to take their meals in the room where they sleep."
It is to be assumed that none of these features were not found at Camp Cameron .
"Now the barracks at Camp Cameron are rough, unsightly, untidy, and cheerless. They are about 100 feet long by 20 feet wide; upright joists, 10 feet; roof, 10 feet. They are built of rough boards, roughly put together, and not battered. They are intended for 125 soldiers, non-commissioned officers, and musicians."
"On one side are three rows of bunks, made of rough boards, one row above the other. These are each seven feet long and six wide, and intended for three men!! On the other side are two rows of single bunks, one above the other, for non-commissioned officers and musicians."
"Such buildings may do upon sudden emergency, but they are utterly unfit for New England men to live in. They are unfit for barracks  for soldiers who are being trained for the army."
"The beds should be separated from each other by at least two or three feet of floor space, and that the rows of beds should be separated by ten or twelve feet of floor space. At least 500 or 600 cubic feet of air... is desirable....The barracks at Camp Cameron are constructed so as to allow our soldiers less than 14 feet floor space, and less than 245 cubic feet of air." Evan though he admitted that at this early time the barracks seldom exceeded 100 men they were still too crowded and if they were almshouses they would have been declared a nuisance.
One thing is interesting. He states that the barracks had 10 foot roofs.  At one time two carpenters fell of a roof they were repairing. The Cambridge Chronicle stated they fell from a height of about 25 feet. The one possible photo I have of Camp Cameron shows peaked roofs. Hardtack and Coffee states the Camp Cameron Barracks were the same style as Camp Meigs in Readville. That camp had peaked roofs. This hints to the possibility of a storage space above the 10 foot line.
Nothing I have found gives any hints that any of Howes'   suggestions were carried out.


DAN SULLIVAN

Sgt. Andrew Sproul, Cambridge Police

On Saturday, October 29, 1899 Andrew Sproul passed away. His obituary ran in the Nov. 4th edition of the Cambridge Chronicle. He was 76 years old. This not only made him the oldest man in the department but he was also the longest serving member, having joined on Jan. 30, 1861. When Sproul joined he was assigned to the section of North Cambridge known as "Dublin" because of its large Irish population. At this time the Cambridge police force consisted of about forty men. His shift started at sunset and lasted until the sun came back up. His beat was a tough neighborhood and he had to deal with a lot of drunken fist fights. His work on this beat started just before Camp Cameron opened. He remembered this time as "exciting days, at the opening of the war, and I had a good deal of trouble. In my section of the city rum was sold openly and without a license, and it made trouble for me."
"I had my experiences, but when I went onto the police force I was as able physically as any man in the city and rather liked a chance to use my muscle. I had a beat in a pretty tough community up there at Camp Cameron , in North Cambridge. For ten years I was in the district called "Dublin," but I got along pretty well. The soldiers would get drunk often and sometimes four or five would go in together and put out the owner of the saloons and then trouble followed. Fights between soldiers and citizens were frequent. I generally succeeded in making things quiet. I never felt afraid, but rather relished the work."
"As a matter of fact, in my thirty-six years of experience I have used the billy with effect only three times, and then to save myself. I always was careful not to hurt anybody if I could help it and when I struck with the billy it was invariably in self defense. I have been many times in a row, but would rather get hurt than hurt anybody."

Camp Cameron officers give product endorsements

I have found two different instances when an officer related to the camp publicly endorsed a commercial product.
The first was by Col. Robert Cowdin of the 1st Regiment. The ads I have found have been in the Lowell Daily Courier and ran after his regiment left the camp. The earliest is from Dec. 28, 1861 is for  Gardner's
Rhuumatic and Neuralgic COMPOUND and is reads as follows:

"After suffering several years with Rheumatism, one bottle of Compound cured me, and I heartly endorse all that has said in its favor."

The next is more involved. Not only was it an endorsement but also a product test. The Nov. 19, 1862 Boston Evening Transcript ran a letter from Capt. William Plummer of the first Sharpshooters to William Read & Sons of Boston, sellers of Smith's bullet proof vests. On their behalf he and his men tested on of these metal vests. They used a colt revolver from 12 and then 4 paces with no damage, they then used a telescopic rifle from a distance of 200 yards the vest suffered a slight fracture and dent. After adding a greater than normal amount of powder and hitting the vest in the same area three times they succeeded in cracking it but still the bullet did not penetrate the vest. They had similar result with different types of rifles. They also tried a bayonet.
Here is his endorsement for this product:
"I am perfectly convinced, from these experiments, that at any ordinary distance there is no musket or rifle used in service which can break this armor, unless repeatedly hitting in the same spot.... The above results should convince any soldier of the importance of providing himself with one of these bullet proof vests, which, nine times out of ten, will certainly save him harmless. Instead of the vest being an encumbrance on a march, I should judge it would be found a great support in equalizing the weight of the knapsack, and preventing the straps from compressing the chest. Under no circumstances would I or my men be willingly without them, and you will please fill immeadiatly an order for the following list." The order was not included but it is very interesting. The results of the target practice on the vest may very well true. It is hard to believe that an experienced soldier would give the last part of the endorsement though. These vest were purchased by raw recruits and discarded by the side of the road very quickly after they began to march. They simply were too heavy to be practicle.

DAN SULLIVAN

The Camp Cameron Menu

This is from an article in the Lowell (MA) Daily Courier, Thursday, July 18, 1861.

The Courier sent a correspondent to Camp Cameron, most likely because Companies D & H of the MA 16TH regiment were from Lowell. In the story the writer gives a detailed description of the food the recruits received each day.
He began with a brief description of the camp. "The locality is delightful, and everything seems to have been done to make the soldiers contented and as happy as can be expected to be in camp life." Some of the men busied themselves by cleaning their muskets, barracks or clothing in Tannery Brook. He mentions that the brook is behind their cooking tents. This is the first mention of tents, in addition to wooden structures, I have found, Though I have suspected that at least temporary tents were used at times. The camp is described a "Neat."
The men had more food available to them than they could eat in a day. The pork smelled sweet and was Extra Clear Brand, The bacon was first quality Boston cured, he described the potatoes as "sound." The bread was baked outside of the camp, but close enough that it was still warm when it was delivered each morning. Fixings for soup, tea and coffee was also made available.
As far as portion size goes, each man received 21 ounces of meat each day, a pint of coffee and three ounces of bread made up breakfast. Another 3 ounces of bread, or a third of a loaf, was added to the evening meal. No mention is given to the size of lunch or the size of the "extras", the soup, potatoes and tea etc. It is made clear that the food was both sizable and of high quality.


DAN SULLIVAN

Camp Cameron's Historic Marker.

DAN SULLIVAN

Miss Abby Paulina Simpson

The Dec. 13, 1935 edition of the Somerville Journal ran an article on Miss Simpson. It was part of a series on the oldest living Somerville natives. Abby Paulina Simpson was born in 1846. At this time Somerville had only been a separate town for five short years. She spent her whole life on her family farm. Her father, Jesse, had moved from Belmont in the 1840's to work on the farm he would later purchase. The farm produced fruits, vegetables and cattle.
This farm extended from Broadway to the Cambridge line and from and from the city ledge to Wallace St.. They lived in several house on the property at different times. She was born in an eight room house on Broadway opposite the old Walnut Hill Primary school. Later this house was replaced by a more modern one on the south side of Broadway half way between Powderhouse Sq. and Teele Sq. When the property was sub-divided she moved to a house at 10 Paulina St. on the corner of Holland st. Miss Simpson still lived there at the time of the story. One of the memories she recalled for the Journal was how soldiers at Camp Cameron often made raids on her fathers farm stealing his vegetables.  In her words "The soldiers were raising the old boy all the time." A lot of the stolen squashes would be recovered after the soldiers moved south. 


DAN SULLIVAN

PVT. Joseph W. Welch MA. 38th Regiment

During the stay of Co. A, B & F of the 38th at Camp Day The Cambridge Chronical printed several letters from a "J. W. W." of CO "A". Joseph W. Welch was the only man on the roster with these initials. Like the majority of the men from these three companies he was from Cambridge. He was 29 years old when he enlisted.
His first letter, dated Aug. 13, 1862 and addresed from "Camp Cameron", was printed on Aug. 16. Much more of the letter deals with how the recruits passed their time than with military training.  In it he comments on the daily visits "by fair woman and brave men who bring sundry plethoric packages, the contents which make glad the hearts and tickle the palates of the recipients".  Welch comments on the "fine singers" in his company and how his barrack, number 8, has the "Jolliest men" in the camp. On the previous day they had hired a blind piper and a fiddler and danced.
So far actually drill and guard duty had been very light though they had recently been taught the art of "double quick" marching.  At this time the men of the 38th shared the camp with men who had been recruited to be replacements for regiment already in the field he also mentions that men had left the camp had left camp the day before to join several other regiments.
Letter #2 is addressed from "Camp Day", the camp had been rechristened during the week. It seems that with Simon Cameron's scandals the old name was no longer attractive so it was renamed for the new boss Lt. Col. H. Day.
Time spent in actual drill is still light only 2-3 hours each day. The rest of the day is taken up by many other activities among them "reading, ball playing, and coloring meerchums".
The lack of time training may have been a result of just how crowded the camp was at this time. Many of the men of the 38th needed to be furloughed each night, for lack of enough bunks,  so room on the drill field may have been short for each group. Again, Welch spends a good amount of this letter describing non-military matters. The City of Cambridge had thrown a reception for its home town boys that week. They marched to it, the Mayor made a speech and their friends and families attended to wish them well. Also that week the three Cambridge companies "gave a grand fete champetre". They decorated the parade ground with flags, lanterns and bunting. The invited guests arrived in three trolley cars and where led into the camp by Edmunds' Quadrille Band. Supper was prepared by their cook Emmett Weeks. Dancing both preceded and followed the meal.
At this point in time it was generally believed that the Cambridge companies would join the rest of the regiment in Lynnfield before it left the state.
Before the regiment could be united orders to leave for the front came. On Tuesday Aug.  26, one of the hottest days of the year, the three companies from Cambridge would leave Camp Day. The manner in which this was handled would cause some controversy. In his Sept  16th letter Welch tells how orders to leave arrived with such short notice that the men got no evening meal and no rations for the trip. They boarded a train in Boston at 6:00 PM and received noting to eat until they arrived in Philadelphia at 7:00 PM the next day.
Hosea Jewell, of the Cambridge Recruiting Committee, responded with a letter of his own. When rumors began to spread that the recruits would be called for that day he took it upon himself to find out the details. The State House sent him to Quartermaster McKim. When asked when the Cambridge companies would be
sent for his response was "I don't care a ------ about the three Cambridge companies. They may stay where they are till they rot. I will never send for them. they have no business to be there. They may stay there till they rot....They may all go to the ----."  They soon got word to leave with no help from the Quartermaster.


DAN SULLIVAN

Charles Harvey Brewster Massachusetts 10th Regiment

According to "When This Cruel War is Over" a collection of letters by Brewster, edited by David L. Blight, he was a member of the Massachusetts 10th Regiment from Northampton, Ma.  Brewster was sent to Camp Day to recruit replacements for his regiment. He was no happy about this. Between his poor health, his poor opinion of the state of the camp during this period and his desire to return to his regiment Brewster's letters do not paint a happy picture. The first letter Blight used from this period ( 9/1/1862) opens with "I am still at this dismal camp".  It also contains much of the strong anti-Irish feelings of the day. He talks about how he needs to speed up the farewells at the gate but "the Irishwomen make the most fuss bawling and yelling , +c". Another interesting incident in this letter relates how the Irish recruits from the 9th Reg. refused to proceed when ordered to the front until they received all their back pay and bounties but all the old "Yankee" recruits had no problem with this.  This and the mention of how the Irish do nothing but fight (he never mentions who they are fighting) shows Brewsters' low opinion of the Irish. What he does not bring up and most likely did not know is the Irish background. Why would an Irishman of this period go of to his possible death without collecting all his pay for his family. The Irish were a subjugated people, dominated by the English. Nothing in there experience would ever have led them to believe that a government would keep a promise.
The second letter in Blight's book (9/19/1862) states in an early sentence, "This is the dullest of all mortal places". This letter states that they had 116 recruits in camp, bounty jumping is a problem (Skeedadling) and he is stuck working in the camp so he can not open a recruiting office elsewhere.
I received a third letter from Historic Northampton in Northampton, MA. Here is the transcript of that letter:

                                                                                                                         Camp Day No Cambridge
                                                                                                                          Saturday August 30th / 62
Dear Mary
I received your note yesterday from Sing & Bliss(?). I should have written before and have felt bad that I could not, but of all my military experiences this camp rates the whole. there is no head nor tail to anything here. I reported here for duty the next morning after I left N. (Norhtampton?) and could get no information what was required of me nor any information about anything. I went back to Boston and went to see Lt. Col. Day, he sent me back here with instructions to report to Lt. Jordan the commander of the camp naming my duties to assist in preserving order, and especially to assist in keeping the recruits in camp, so I returned here again, and demanded quarters which Lt. Jordan said he would furnish me. I went to him four times that day, but could get nothing done, and so  until Monday. I came back mornings and went back nights until I got sick of it. Monday I was taken down with my providential diarrhea and it has continued until this time but I came out again day before yesterday and told Jordan that if  he had got any duty for me to do I wished he would set me about it he then told me he wanted me to take the whole charge of the camp as "Officer of the day", and I have acted in that capictity ever since. Though I am so sick that it does not seem as if I could stand up sometimes. I went to the Dr. of the Camp, for something to check the trouble, he said I must take some Brandy & Ginger, but he had none, nor anything else in the way of medical stores, but I asked if he could not reccommend something he had got, so he went out and got some powders and gave me, and told me to take one after every discharge, which would amount to about 20 times a day, but I can plainly see that the medical department is of a piece with everything else in this camp, without organization. I can not tell you half  in a letter, but I have not had until last night any place to sleep here, nor any place where I could write a letter, nor any place to eat here. I write this short letter to day hoping it will get to you to night, tommorrow if I can get time I will try and write you a longer letter. But this must answer for this time frame.
                                                                                  Your off brother
                                                                                   Charles.
P. S. love to Tom, Matthew & Mother.

The lack of both organization and medical supplies in the camp at this time is backed up by other sources. The Sep. 4, 1862 Boston Evening Transcript ran a article entitled "Affiars at Camp Cameron or Camp Day"
"We have just returned from Camp Cameron, and regret to say that the condition of affairs there calls loudly for some prompt and efficient action on the part of the officer who has the management of this encampment".  "desertions are frequent", "soldiers have an excellent opportunity, and many temptations, to desert".
The bluntest comments are saved for this...."There is a building called a Hospital at this camp, but they have no medicine for the sick." "when Gen. Butler worked his way to Washington, it was understood at the National Capital that there was a Massachusetts... We need and demand attention to the wants and necessities of our soldiers, both sick and well".


DAN SULLIVAN

Companies A, B & F of the 38th Regiment.

These three Cambridge companies would be the last companies of men for a "New" regiment to go through what was by then called Camp Day. They were part of the most crowded piece of the camps' history. Camp Day had 1500 bunks and at times during this part of the 38'ths stay at the camp as many as 3000 men were assigned to the camp. The over crowding was handled in a couple of ways. First more than one man would sleep in each bunk. Secondly, since most of the 300 men of the 38th lived in Cambridge they were furloughed each night to go home. This may have been true of some of the replacement recruits who also lived locally. They stayed at the camp from August 4 until Aug. 26, 1862. The other seven companies of this regiment went into camp at Camp Stanton in Lynnfield. Originally the Cambridge companies were intended to move to Lynnfield and join the rest of the regiment but they all went to the front before this happened. When they did leave they had so little warning that they had no time to eat the dinning that was cooking for them or to be given rations to take with them. The City had voted to provide trolley cars but the men voted to march on what was the hottest day of the year. One oddity about the seperate formation of these two portions of the regiment is the fact that both groups named their first three compamies A, B, C. This was not discovered or charged until both groups were about to board the train in Boston to go to the war.


DAN SULLIVAN

8TH Light Battery

I just realized I missed this group.
This battery, under the command of Asa Cook, was recruited for six month duty. On May 30, 1862 the first 40 recruits were sent to Camp Cameron. On June 25 the Battery left the state. On its way through Trenton N. J. its train derailed. Two men & 13 horses died in the accident. Much of their equipment was also destroyed.  (1)


(1) Massachusetts in the Rebellion, P. C. Headley, Walker, Fuller & CO., Boston, 1866.


DAN SULLIVAN

Charles William Bardeen CO D Massachusetts 1st Regiment

According to his memoir, A Little Fifer's War Diary, 1862-4, Bardeen was born in Fitchburg on Aug. 28, 1847. He first attempted to enlist at the age of 14 in Lowell but was turned away for being too young. Six months latter he had better luck. His cousin had been sent back to Boston to recruit replacements for the First Regiment. Bardeen was made a drummer boy and assigned to Company D, July 21, 1862. His first stop as a soldier was Camp Cameron in Somerville. "I drew my first uniform, and uncomfortable enough the coarse wool was to my unaccustomed skin. The first nights were almost torture. Still wearing the day's thick woolen shirt, I slept between coarse woolen blankets in a bunk filled so closely with soldiers one could hardly turn over. His attempts to teach himself the drum, on the hill between the camp and Tufts college, were so unsuccessful that he turned to the fife instead. His duties also included buying postage and carrying the mail from the Post Office at Porter's Station. The men in camp liked having their regiment stenciled on their knapsacks. Young Bardeen then went into Boston and purchased green paint and stenciled recruits knapsacks for 25 cents each. Business was so good that he asked his younger brother to come out from Fitchburg to help him. During his time here the name of the camp was changed to Camp Day. On Sept. 1, 1862 he left to join the 1st Reg.

DAN SULLIVAN

I want your help.

If any one out there has any information on Camp Cameron / Camp Day I would love to see it.
The camp was open from June, 1861 until Jan. 1863.
The organizations that I know went through the camp are the 1st Mass. Infantry (June 13-June 15, 1861), 11th Infantry (June 15-June 24, 1861), 16th Infantry (June 25-Aug. 17, 1861), 9th Regimental Band (July 3-July 18+, 1861), 1st Light Battery (Aug. 27-Oct. 3, 1861), 26th Infantry (Aug. 28-Sep. 23, 1861), 19th Regimental Band (Sep. 17?-Sep. 23, 1861), 28th Infantry (Aug. 28, 1861-Jan. 11, 1862), 32nd Infantry CO. E (Dec. 13-Dec. 29, 1861), 29th Infantry CO. H (Jan. ?-Jan. 13, 1862), 1st Heavy Infantry CO. L (Feb. 19-MAR. 22), Disabled Soldiers, May16-?, 1862), 38th Infantry CO's A, B, & F (Aug. 4-Aug. 26, 1862). There may be more. Also during the final months of the camp began recruiting and training men for regiments already in the field. So, during this period men from most existing regiments of Infantry, Artillery and sharpshooting would have gone through Camp Cameron. If you have any diaries, letters,artifacts or images dealing with the camp it would be of great interest to me. I have delivered one lecture on the history of the camp and I have been blogging.  I will continue to do this. If I use your material I will give you credit. If you have material that you do not wish published I understand that. I would still love to see it though. Any new information could help me understand other information.
My interest also extends to the short lived Camp Ellsworth on Fresh Pond in Cambridge. The companies that made up the above regiments were recruited in local towns and then sent to the camp. If you have information on a group or individual recruit before they went to Cameron that would also be of great interest.

Thank you,


DAN SULLIVAN

Some Changes Come to Camp Cameron

In April of 1862 Lt. Col. Hannibal Day was named General Superintendent of Recruiting Services for Massachusetts and in June he was named Military Commander of the Greater Boston Area. With this, Camp Cameron came under his authority. (1)
By June the purpose of the camp had changed. The main purpose for the camp was no longer the recruiting and training of new regiments. It now served as the camp for recruiting replacement soldiers for regiments already in the field. (2)
This new relationship was not an easy one. Gov. Andrews office and Day did not get along. In the words of Adjutant-General Schouler, Day was "an old officer of the army; but he does not understand our people, and is too aged to learn. He will do nothing that is not in the "regulations." Cannot some discretionary power be given, or are we to "die daily," like St. Paul, by this abherence to the old rules, made when the army of the United States did not number as many men as the county of Middlesex has sent to this war." This was "making recruiting almost an impossibility." Schouler goes on to state that towns received "repulses" & "Vexations" from Day. (3)
In August the name of the Camp was changed to Camp Day. (4)

(1) Special Orders No. 131, War Department, June 11, 1862, NARA.
(2) Boston Evening Transcript, June 10, 1862, pg 4 & History of Massachusetts in the Civil War, Schouler, William, pg 340, E. P. Dutton, 1868, Boston
(3)  History of Massachusetts in the Civil War, Schouler, William, pg 425 & 426, E. P. Dutton, 1868, Boston
(4)    Cambridge Chronicle, Letters from J. W. W., Co A, 38^th Reg. M.V. Aug. 21, 1862


DAN SULLIVAN

The war made the home front a very lonely place.

A while ago I came across an interesting article in the Middlesex Journal, July 27, 1861. It talks about the effect of recruiting in South Reading, now Wakefield, MA. Even that early in the war. The opening sentence paints a very sad picture. "So many young men have left town for the Camp and the battle-field, that a feeling of lonesomness comes over those who remain at home." Most of the recruits, from this town, at the battle-field" would have been in the 5th Regiment, Company "B". Those at the "Camp" where the Sixteenth Regiment Company "E" at Camp Cameron in Cambridge.
A war of this magnitude pulls a huge percentage of young men away from home at the same time. This makes a very big impact on the community, families, schools, workplaces etc. When you add this to the fact that companies would be recruited locally, you had a situation in which one very bad day at the battle field could mean that a large percentage of families could learn that their sons would never be coming home in the same edition of the local paper or that days mail.
The article goes on to talk about the importance of the Post Office as a gathering place for those waiting for word from their loved ones but still reflected the lessened population of the town as a whole. "The Post Office is not now thronged as it used to be, though probably the mails are as formerly. There is a time, however, when a deep interest is manifested in the contents of the mails, as was the case on Monday afternoon and some days subsequently. The letters were opened with trembling and the papers eagerly read ...The news of Monday P. M. , cast a deep gloom over the village, and although the reports the next morning  
learned the probability of the fall of friends in battle from this vicinity, there was dreadful uncertainty in the matter, which caused the greatest anxiety for days." It was learned that several of the casualties came from the town.
This was the First Battle of Bull Run. Parents, wives, children, friends and other loved ones would repeat this process for another four years.


Dan Sullivan

The Nineteenth Regimental Band

While looking through some old Boston Globes I found a reference that makes it seem likely that at least the band and maybe some members of Company "K" spent some time at Camp Cameron. In a July 27, 1902 article on the life of Henry Grant Weston, as a soldier and musician, it is stated that he was mustered in at Camp Cameron on Sept. 17, 1861 and left for the front with CO "K" on Sept. 23. In the Massachusetts Register #94, it states that the regiment was recruited at Camp Schouler, Lynnfield. I can find no references to it moving or any of the companies forming at other camps, as happened with some of the regiments that went through Cameron. "History of the Nineteenth Regiment" adds "The regimental band of 24 pieces, under bandmaster John A. Spofford, and a squad of recruits under Lieut. Bishop, of Company K, reached Camp Benton on September 27, 1861." This confirms that the band followed the regiment and a piece of Co. K did also. I do not know as yet how many men of Co. K traveled to the front with the band or if they also spent time at Camp Cameron. I also do not know as yet when the band arrived.
This does show the possibility of a trend at the camp. As I have mentioned in earlier posts, the Eleventh's Band remained behind at Camp Cameron for further training/recruiting and the Ninth's band went to Cameron after the Regiment went to the front. Now we know that the nineteenth did the same thing. Was this camp a training ground for Massachusetts bands? The locals often complained about the noise from the camp. It has generally been assumed that was on account of the muskets and cannons, could it also have been because of Henry grant Weston's tuba?

Dan Sullivan   

Cambridge Library puts its historic newspaper collection on line.

Recently the Cambridge, MA Public Library put its old newspapers on line. This collection spans from 1846-1923. It also contains several different Cambridge papers. More will go on line every year as they come into public domain. This is a great resource for any type of research. When you click on an article both the original image an a text version comes up. The text recognition often has trouble recognizing the old type. The library is looking for volunteers who will help correct the text. Even you just correct the one article you looked up it will help. Check it out.
http://cambridge.dlconsulting.com/

Their blog also did a write up on my work. Thanks for the plug.
http://thecambridgeroom.wordpress.com/

DAN SULLIVAN

Whats in a name.

Several sources have stated that Camp Cameron was known to the locals as Camp Day. Several documents at  the Cambridge Historical Commission mention this. The earliest source I have found is a book published by the CHC on the architectural  history of Cambridge MA. It is unfortunate that none of these sources site their source.  Earlier I stated that a single Cambridge Chronicle article refers to "Camp Day" before the official name charge, I was wrong. I confused two articles. The one I quoted was from 1862, after the military official changed the name of the camp to "Camp Day", so I have no evidence of the residents ever used the name "Camp Day" before 1862. When I thought I had one use of the name I had put out the theory it was in reference to a Militia Field that was in the area before the war. One would think that if the locals were calling the camp "Day" all along and during the end of the camps life the name officially became "Day", then after the camp closed many if not most people would have used "Camp Day". This did not happen. Two sources stand out.  The first is Mr. Henderson's account of his life in North Cambridge. As I have mentioned in earlier blogs he talks about "Camp Cameron", he also talks about two other fields outside of the know camp. He was a long time resident and maybe a Militia member hints that he was a member of the Militia. If any "Local" should have referred to the camp as  "Camp Day" he should have. He does not. The Cambridge Chronicle is the same way. They have many references to "Camp Cameron" for decades after the camp closed. The unused land is always refered to as the "Camp Cameron" property, right up until it is developed. It is never called  "Camp Day".


DAN SULLIVAN

Disabled soldiers from many states come to Camp Cameron

On May 16, 1862 between 200 & 300  sick and injured soldiers were sent from Gen. Butlers operations in New Orleans, via the ship "Undaunted" to Camp Cameron. these soldiers belonged to the 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th Maine, the 26th, 30th and 31st Massachusetts, the 24th Indiana, the 4th Wisconsin, the 6th Michigan, the 8th New Hampshire, the 12th and 13th Connecticut Infantry, the 1st Maine Battery and the Everett Battery of Boston. They stayed at the camp until they where fit to return to service or could find transportation home. Some of the soldiers received their first pay here since joining the army.

This is the only instance I have found of either non-Massachusetts troops or troops returning from the front being stationed at Camp Cameron. Their stay would have varied depending on the severity of their condition and the availability of transportation either home or back to their regiment.

Around this time Gardner Green Hubbard purchased the property the camp sat upon from the Union Railway.

Not only did many of these recruits suffer from wounds and disease the trip home was also quite a hardship.

According to Henry Robinson of the NH 8th, the Undaunted lost its main mizzen mast in a storm of Cape Hatteras. They then began leaking water. They needed to be tugged into Boston Harbor. Mr. Robinson states in his account that the Undaunted did not arrive in Boston until June 2. the Boston Evening Transcript has the date as May 13th, then both this paper and the Cambridge Chronicle agree that the troops arrived at Cameron on the 16th of May. The Transcript also states that The Undaunted left Ship Island on April 21st. This was a trip of 24 days. I know the ship was damaged and would have been slowed but I do not think it made two trips. If it did, in the period between May 14, 1862 and June 2, 1862 it not only would have made another round trip from La. to Ma. but also finished significant repairs on the ship. Robinson did not write his book until 1893, over three decades after the event. I believe his memory may simply failed him on this one point. Though it is interesting that the Chronicle article does not mention any soldiers from the 8th NH., so it possible. 

The information for this post comes from:

The Cambridge Chronicle, May 17, 1862

The Boston Evening Transcript, May 16, pg. 2, 1862

History of Pittsfield, N.H. in the Great Rebellion, Robinson, H. L., pg. 131, Pittsfield, NH 1893

Dan Sullivan

A view inside Camp Cameron Style Barracks

This is another sketch of a Camp Meigs barrack.

From "Record of the Service of the Forty-Fourth Massachusetts Volunteer Militia in North Carolina August 1862-May 1863, Gardner, James Brown, Privately Printed, Boston, 1887

Dan Sullivan

A few more Camp Cameron related images.

This is another image of the barracks at Camp Meigs, these were the same style as those at Camp Cameron.

From "Record of the Service of the Forty-Fourth Massachusetts Volunteer Militia in North Carolina August 1862-May 1863, Gardner, James Brown, Privately Printed, Boston, 1887

This a sketch of Camp Meigs. 

Josiah Porter, Captain of the 1st Light Battery. 

DAN SULLIVAN

The War Department Takes Over

In April of 1862 the War Department became responsible for recruiting, mustering, subsistence and the transportation of new recruits in all states. All this work would be done by the military. The new commander for Mass. was Lt. Col. Hannibal Day. It took some time for the states to get used to this new arrangement. (1)'

(1) A History of Massachusetts in the Civil War, Schouler, William, E. P. Dutton & Co. Boston, 1868, pg. 329 & 330

DAN SULLIVAN

Civil War Program at the Book Oasis, Stoneham MA.

David Smith, president of the Greater Boston Civil War Roundtable will be at the Book Oasis on March 22nd at 7:00PM. This will be part of our celebration of the Civil Wars 150th anniversary.  Among the subjects he will speak on are Major Jacob Parker Gould of the 13th Massachusetts Infantry. He is buried in Lindenwood Cemetary in Stoneham and David and the Stoneham Historical Commission are hoping to put a new marker on his grave by Memorial Day. Stonehams Grand Army of the Republic Hall (#75)named in his honor.
The Book Oasis is located at 311 Main St., near the intersection of Montvale Ave., Stoneham, MA. 781-438-0077, thebookoasis311@rcn.com

Additional Camp Cameron related images

These images come from old postcards. The first is of the Arligton MA G.A.R. Hall #36, the Francis Gould Hall. This is where the gilded ball from the Camp Cameron flsgstaff went. The second is a view of Russell Park the flagstaff's second home in Arlington.  It is faint but the pole is in the photo.

DAN SULLIVAN

Residents and soldiers did not always make a good mix.

The locals and the soldiers did not always get along.

Many did not consider Camp Cameron a good neighbor. Complaints were made about noise, property and crop damage not only by recruits but also their visitors. (1) Arrests in the area increased because of the camp. (2) Some of the incidents include a fight between two recruits, John Riley and John Cooney and a Mr. Blanchard. The recruits were charged with assault and Blanchard ended up in critical condition. (3) The Boston Herald reported a fight on Nov. 9 1861 between two volunteers and the Cambridge Police. As soon as the camp opened, a shanty was opened across the street for the sale of illegal alcohol. (4) Gambling was also a problem. A dice game called a sweat-cloth was practiced extensively in the camp. (5) The camp also attracted recruits who wanted to swindle the Army through the practice of bounty jumping. This is when a recruit receives his signing bounty then deserts to reenlist someplace else.
Another activity that received complaints was the fact that the
Union Horse RR used their cars to haul the lumber to build the camp, on a
Sunday! (6)

(1)
Cambridge Chronicle, June 22, 1861
(2)
Boston Evening Transcript, Jan. 6, 1862, pg. 2
(3)
Boston Evening Transcript, July 20, 1861, pg 4
(4)
Boston Evening Transcript, Jun. 17, 1861, pg. 2
(5)
Boston Evening Transcript, Sep. 5, 1862
(6)
Cambridge Chronicle, June 22, 1861

Possible photo of Camp Cameron

Over a decade ago this photo was found by other researchers. Sadly the member of that team who found this photo has passed away. The source of the photo has also been lost. The photo fits the descriptions of the camp I have found. Peaked buildings (From the distance this photo seems to have been taken I do not think those are tents) A road going up the middle, A big flag pole and a field in front. The flagstaff at Camp Cameron was 130 ft. tall. Newspaper articles pertaining to a fall two carpenters had off the roof of one of the barracks say they fell 25 ft. The flag pole in this photo is several times the hieght of the buildings. That would fit. I also know that it is early photography, it is distant and grainy. It could be any place. Most regiments from Camp Cameron spent some time around Washington and there was a Camp Cameron there also. It is possible that a book or article one one of the Cameron regiments contained a photo of "Camp Cameron" but not the correct Cameron. The images I have seen of that camp show tents and it was much bigger than this photo seems, but this could be only a small portion.  I have held this photo for over two years trying to find the source. I have not given up but I am offering it up for what it is, a very possible photo of Camp Camp Cameron. When I confirm this photo I will update here.

Dan Sullivan

The First Regiment of Heavy Artillery CO "L"

This group had a complicated path to being formed. It began life as the 14th Infantry. After training as an Infantry Regiment and going to the front as infantry it was reassigned to become an artillery regiment. This required more than just a name change and retraining. An artillerry regiment has an additional fifty men per company and two additional companies. One of the two new companies was CO. "L" of Salem. The company also had a mixed history. When it was first formed it was intended to be a Cavalry company assigned to a regiment forming in Detroit, MI. This never happened and it was put into the First Heavy artillery, so a Company trained to be cavalry was assigned to an artillery regiment trained to be infantry. (1)
On Feb. 19, 1862 Capt. E.A. Andrews moved his fifty men from Salem to Camp Cameron. (2)

(1) Ipswich in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, VOL. II, A History of the Town From 1700-1917, Waters, Thomas Franklin, Ipswich Historical Society, Ipswich, MA, 1917

(2) Boston Evening Transcript, Feb. 22, 1862, pg. 4

DAN SULLIVAN

Capt. Sibley and CO "H" of the new 29th Regiment

I do not know much about this company's stay at the camp yet. As I have stated before, the original 29th was merged into the 28th. The state soon began to form a new 29th Regiment (not Irish). early in 1861 seven companieas were sent to Ft. Warren. here they formed a battalion. When the time came to form a new 29th the state used these seven companies as the core of the new regiment. (1)
One of the three new companies was recruited by Henry R. Sibley of Charlestown. Since this group celebrated Christmas while still in Charlestown it is clear that this companydid not move to Cameron  until late December or early Jan, where they were under the general command of the 28th Regiment, until that regiment left on the 11th. From this date until the 29th also left for the war on the 13th they had the responsibliity of guarding the camp and the property in it. (2)

(1) The History of the Tewnty-Ninth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry in The Late War of Rebellion, Osborne, William H., Boston, Albert J. Wright, 1877, pg. 13
(2) The History of the Tewnty-Ninth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry in The Late War of Rebellion, Osborne, William H., Boston, Albert J. Wright, 1877, pg. 104

DAN SULLIVAN

The 9TH REGIMENTAL BAND

I recently discovered a group that I was unaware of that spent time at Camp Cameron. This was the regimental band for the 9th Regiment. When the regiment left the state the band was not yet ready. Lt. P. W. Black was assigned the task of remaining behind and recruiting this group. He did this at Cameron. He recruited 22 men for the band, which was lead by Michael O'Connor. This fact was reported in the Boston Evening transcript on July 3, 1861. At that time the band was schedualed to join its regiment within the week. (1) This was delayed, which was not uncommon. Records show that Patrick Burns deserted from the camp on July 18. So this group occupied  Camp Cameron from at least July 3, to at least July 18, 1861. (2)
This would have put them in the camp at the same time as the 16th regiment.

(1) Boston Evening Transcript, July 3, 1861, pg. 1
(2) Record of the Massachusetts Volunteers, 1861-1865, Wright & Potter, Printers to the State, pg. 83, 1870.

DAN SULLIVAN

MASS. 28th Regiment leaves for the seat of war.

On December 23, 1861 a detacment of the 28th was sent to the Cambridge Cemetery for the purpose of paying final respects to a fallen soldiers. This was John Irving. Irving was a resident of Cambridge and a member of CO I in the 24th Regiment. He in Annapolis of lung desease. His body was escorted to the cemetary by recruits from the 28th and a very large crowd of civilians. Before the advent of modern medicine, sickness claimed as many men in war as fighting. The service was performed by Rev. Dr. Hoppin. (1)
A few days later the 28th also lost one of its own members, William Walton of Lowell. He was a private in CO G and left behid a wife and two young children. The cause of his death is not known. (2)
In early Jan. the Secretary of War sent word for the 28th to begin preparing to leave the state. Col. Monteith, the new commander of the 28th, communicated to Gen. Butler that the command was fully equipted and ready to leave on Jan. 11, 1862. Their baggae wagons began arriving in Boston around nine A.M.at the Worcester Depot. Marching from Camp Cameron the troops did not arrive on Boston Common until Two P.M. before continueing on to the train station. From Boston they traveled to Ft. Columbus in NY where they continued their training for about another month. They brought with them three flags that had been presented to them the day before by Gov. Andrew and Mayor Wightman. Wightman's flag was green silk and combined both American and Irish themes. Andrew gave the regiment a State flag as well as the U.S. flag. Both men made speeches. (3)
On the way to Worcester, Private Patrick Wall of CO A fell off the train and lost one of his legs. (4)

(1) Boston Evening Transcript, Dec. 23, 1861, pg. 2
(2)  Boston Evening Transcript, Dec.30, 1861, pg. 4
(3) Boston Evening Transcript, Jan.11, 1862, pg. 2-4
(4) Boston Evening Transcript, Jan. 13, 1862 pg. 2