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