when did camp douglas open

[30] Orders, No. The Story of Camp Douglas Lombard Historical Society What's in a Name? The Establishment of Camp Douglas Captured escapees were put in a place of close confinement, called the lockup cell. [34] Stephen A. Douglas, Kansas, Utah, and the Dred Scott Decision, address at State House, Springfield, Illinois, June 12, 1857. However, Fort Douglas proper was taken over by the Army ground forces when fears of a Japanese attack of the U.S. mainland caused the 9th Service Command Headquarters to move from Utah to the Presidio of San Francisco. Patrick Connor deliberately established Camp Douglas in the foothills above Salt Lake City so that his forces could dominate and command the city below and probably named the post to rub salt into the civil-affairs wound that resulted. [70], On March 9, Colonel Connor reported that Brigham Young raised the national flag over his residence for the first time I am told since his arrival in the Territory, but not, however, from motives of patriotism or for any loyal purpose, but as a signal to his people to assemble armed, which they immediately did, to the number of about 1,500.[71] The following day, Connor reported that Brigham Young and the Mormons are determined to have trouble, and are trying to provoke me to bring it on, but they will fail.[72], Tension in the city continued to increase when Brigham Young was arrested on March 10 under the 1862 antibigamy law (Morrill Act) and quickly released on a two-thousand-dollar bond. In the years following the Civil War, relations between Camp Douglas and Salt Lake City gradually softened from antagonism to grudging acceptance and finally to an embrace. Col. R. C. Drum, 1 July 1864, in WOTR2, 887. Col. R. C. Drum, 15 March 1863, in WOTR2, 372. A list of cemetery burials is available through the Utah History Research Center's cemetery database Archived 2008-01-06 at the Wayback Machine. Learn how and when to remove this template message, U.S. National Register of Historic Places, 807th Medical Command (Deployment Support), National Register of Historic Places portal, List of National Historic Landmarks in Utah, National Register of Historic Places listings in Salt Lake City, Utah, "Is it time for the University of Utah to take over Fort Douglas? [42] P. Edw. Our houses have been plundered and then burned, our fields laid waste, our principal men butchered while under the pledged faith of the government for their safety, and our families driven from their homes to find that shelter in the barren wilderness and that protection among hostile savages, which were denied them in the boasted abodes of christianity and civilization. Noting the uneven nature of relations between Douglas and the Mormons during their Illinois years and the fact that Mormon leaders were incensed by an anti-Mormon speech that Douglas had given at the very beginning of the Utah War, Varley speculates without supporting documentation that the choice of names was undoubtedly a deliberate jab by Colonel Connor at the Mormons. Solitary confinement in an underground dungeon and captivity in a small room jammed with other captives were other harsh punishments. Gen. L. Thomas, 9 December 1862, in WOTR2, 245. No. Property Value Avg. Visitors to Fort Douglas today can tour a military museum and several historic buildings that help preserve its historic past. (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1957), 4:544n17. I believe the people you have now come amongst will not disturb you if you do not disturb them.[28], Following the governors speech, the California soldiers marched to the base of the mountains east of the city between Red But[t]e and Emmigration Kanyons [sic].[29] On October 26, 1862, Colonel Connor formally announced that pursuant to orders from department headquarters a military post is hereby established at this camp, to be called Camp Douglas. The boundaries of the camp began at a post due north one mile distant from the garrison flag-staff, and running thence west one mile, thence south two miles, thence east two miles, thence north two miles, and thence west one mile, to the place of beginning, containing 2,560 acres more or less.[30], Tensions between Salt Lake City and Camp Douglas began almost immediately and were possibly fueled by Connors decision to name the new post as he did. 185 Heber J. . [47] Third District Federal Court, Deseret News, April 15, 1863. The camp was dismantled and the movable property was sold off late in the year. A self-made Irish immigrant, he voluntarily left his family and a very comfortable life in California to serve his nation. [83] James Duane Doty to General [G. Wright], 9 August 1863, in WOTR2, 584. Let them [soldiers] come and say, Will you sell me a bushel of potatoes? Then come[s] the answer, Do you want me to take the oath of allegiance? Kenneth L. Alford is an associate professor of Church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University. Camp Douglas became a permanent prisoner-of-war camp from January 1863 to the end of the war in May 1865. [Applause.] You may also contact site Superintendent, Jenna Thorburn at 307-358-9288 oe email at jenna.thorburn1@wyo.gov. . Dachau, a concentration camp that opened in Nazi Germany in 1933 after Adolf Hitler seized power, held thousands of Jews, political prisoners and others. The post served as headquarters for the District of Utah in the Department of the Pacific. The link will be sent to you after you register or you can click the link below to join the night of the program. But what of Varleys quite accurate point about a highly negative Mormon reaction to Douglas early in the Utah War? During the Civil War, more Confederate soldiers died at Chicagos Camp Douglas than on any battlefield. Economic tensions were exacerbated by historical and philosophical differences between the Church and the U.S. government. The Establishment of Camp Douglas, inCivil War Saints, ed. The center hosts offices, along with training and support space for 'headquarters staff for two Army Reserve commands, and staff from other Army, Navy and Marine Reserve units'. Connor was seen by himself and many others as a true patriot. In a 1907 address to the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, Hiram B. Clawson provided additional details regarding Brigham Youngs flagpole. It was officially closed in 1991 pursuant to BRAC action[3] and most of the property was turned over to the University of Utah. Originally, the camp was envisioned as a reception center for Union recruits, and during the war some 40,000 Union soldiers were processed there. RIDDLE TOOK THE ONLY KNOWN PHOTOGRAPHS OF ANDERSONVILLE PRISON. There were 1037 men court martialed between January and August 1862 for drunkenness, insubordination, fighting, theft, destruction of property, desertion, shooting an officer, and "playing cards with prisoners.". When it came to Mormon matters, Douglas may have been stimulated by bitter private inputs from recently resigned Utah associate justice W. W. Drummond of Illinois, his constituent, as well as by the sting of Republican efforts to portray Douglass pet doctrine of popular sovereignty (local choice) as a de facto defense of polygamy, if not slavery, in the territories. The camp had 12 changes in command from 1862 to 1865, and the frequent turnover made planning and continuity impossible. Who Lives on 25th St, Camp Douglas, WI 54618 | Spokeo 2 bath. Here they cannot do much hurt. He also quoted an associate as recently having said, We are praying all the time for the Lord to make fools of them.[38], In the months following the establishment and naming of Camp Douglas, the Overland Mail Company, the Post Office Department, and Department of the Interior all urged Connors superiors, including General Henry W. Halleck (President Lincolns general-in-chief), to move Connors soldiers from Salt Lake City to Fort Bridger, Utah Territory, presumably because of that posts proximity to the Overland Trail. Prisoner of War Camp, Douglas Alliance for Historic Wyoming The Constitution of our common country guarantees unto us all that we do now, or have ever claimed. In the midst of the Utah War, First Counselor Heber C. Kimball stated publicly: Many of you have sustained Judge Douglas as being a true friend to this people; and he is just as big a damned rascal as ever walked, and always has been. [3] There are numerous sources for additional reading on this subject. Much of the newly extended camp boundaries were within the corporate limits of Salt Lake Citythen being challenged by the Interior Departments General Land Officewhich undoubtedly did not sit well with city authorities, but there was little they could do. The surrender of Fort Donelson in February 1862 brought . ANDERSONVILLE, THE CONFEDERATE PRISON CAMP IN GEORGIA WHERE NEARLY 13,000 UNION soldiers died from disease, malnutrition, and brutal mistreatment in 1864 and 1865, became forever infamous after its commandant, Henry Wirz, was tried and executed as a war criminal after the war. Each prisoner got an eight-ounce serving of beef on weekdays and a five-ounce serving of bacon on Sundays. In December 1865, Camp Douglas itself was torn down. That policy, as you are aware, involved certain and speedy punishment for past offenses, compelling them to sue for a suspension of hostilities, and on the resumption of peace, kindness and leniency toward the redskins. [43] Affairs in Utah, New York Times, November 23, 1862. I do not say that Mormons would meet our troops openly in such an attempt, although there are strong reasons for believing that they would, yet I have no doubt but the Indians would be encouraged to do so, and all possible succor would be given them by the [Mormon] powers here. Camp Douglas met those criteria, even though its flimsy barracks and crude sewers werent designed to handle large numbers of occupants for extended periods. Connor to Lieut. Eventually the camps old parade ground was converted into fields where returning Union veterans played a new sport, baseball, which they had learned during their wartime service. See all 7 apartments and houses for rent in Camp Douglas, WI, including cheap, affordable, luxury and pet-friendly rentals. Camp Douglas (Chicago) | Military Wiki | Fandom On Monday evening I received the instruction, and on Wednesday afternoon that hundred men were mustered into service and encamped ready for moving. [32], In his 1989 book Brigham and the Brigadier, James F. Varley discerns a motivation very different from Madsens belief that Connor intended simply to honor the late Senator Douglas. Kenneth L. Alford (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2012), 16181. The site, made up of two tracts bordering the fairgrounds used for the U.S. [64] Utah: The Treasure House of the Nation, Utah Mining Association, accessed May 18, 2011, http://www.utahmining.org/brochure.htm. There has been some controversy surrounding the university's stewardship of the historic fort property. 50, pt. Echoing Colonel Connors anti-Mormon sentiments, General Wright informed his superiors in Washington, DC, Without entering into details I am well convinced that prudential considerations demand the presence of a force in that country [Salt Lake] strong enough to look down any opposition.[40] Utah governor Stephen S. Harding also recommended that Colonel Connors command remain at Camp Douglas: I have not a doubt but that it will be the last time that U.S. soldiers will have the privilege of entering this Territory peaceably if Colonel Connor is now ordered away. When the transcontinental telegraph reached Salt Lake City in October 1861, for example, one of the first messages sent by Brigham Young affirmed that Utah has not seceded, but is firm for the Constitution and laws of our once happy country.[50]. [8] Gilbert Clements to W. G. Mills, 25 August 1861. Brigham Young and his Latter-day Saint pioneers first arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in July 1847. Less than a month after closing, Camp Douglas was reopened as a camp for German POWs. The idea of keeping five thousand prisoners in a camp, where the strongest guard couldnt keep in a drunken corporal, is rich. See, for example, Report of Lieut. N. Baldwin, 11 May 1864, in WOTR2, 846. John was fighting along with his 13th AR Infantry in the Battle of Chickamauga in TN when he was captured on Sept. 20, 1863, and sent to Camp Douglas. Let us hope for the best, particularly in the present juncture of affairs, and that peaceable counsels will prevail.[22], After visiting the former Fort Crittenden, Colonel Connor reported to his superiors several reasons for not reopening it. The prisoners, as Meigs saw it, should be made to defray the cost of their confinement to the extent possibleand thus conserve funds for the governments chief goal of defeating the Confederacy. The land lay west of Cottage Grove Avenue, then the road to the village On May 14, 1866, the Macon Weekly Telegraph, a newspaper out of Bibb County, Georgia did a listing of known Confederate deaths, the soldier's name, and the regiment they were with. Col. R. C. Drum, 26 October 1863, in WOTR2, 656. In 2015 it was revealed that during construction work to upgrade the university's electrical system, buried period artifacts had been removed and discarded at a landfill.[8]. . It also had to be close to a city with railroad connections, so that large numbers of captives could be efficiently transported there. Camp Douglas became a prison camp, housing over 30,000 Confederate prisoners, from 1862 until it was demolished in 1865. Site Status. By October of 1864, the number of Union prisoners inside Salisbury swelled to more than 5,000 men, and within a few more months that number skyrocketed to more than 10,000. Halleck quickly searched for a prison site that fit certain basic criteria. We do not need any soldiers here from any other States or Territories to perform that service, neither does the Government, as they would know if they were wise. Curious locals gathered at a hotel across the street with an observation tower that charged five cents for a peek into the camp. PDF A History of Camp Douglas' Illinois, Union Prison, 1861-1865 Unfortunately, Apple's iOS doesn't support home screen shortcuts in the Chrome browser. Your Chicago: Camp Douglas, A Civil War Historic Site Every Sunday (Weather Permitting) June - October. HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 25,000 articles originally published in our nine magazines. 31, No. See, for example, Affairs in Utah, New York Times, April 6, 1862, which reports that the Stars and Stripes were flung to the breeze from Brighams bee-hive mansion.. [53] P. Edw. In fact, Wright did not even know at this point that Connor was establishing a new post, having assumed that he would be using the remnants of old Camp Floyd in distant Cedar Valley. Connor to Lieut. Camp Douglas effort stirs ghosts of the Civil War . Soldiers were accused of having placed obstructions in the stream; [having] built privies on or close to one of said streams of water, and in divers other ways have the said troops and those [civilians] following them . . $89.3K. We are very grateful and appreciative of the extra . This is decidedly, sneered, when it broke the news of the prisoners impending arrival in mid-February. In June 1864, in retaliation for the mistreatment of Union prisoners by the Confederacy, Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton reduced rations for prisoners even further and refused to allow vegetables to be sold to prisoners. Provo, UT 84602 . . Brigham Young University . But notwithstanding this, the courtesy we have given is returned with abuse. The establishment and naming of this post on the bench above Salt Lake City is a colorful, but little known, story of the American Civil War. . [22] Affairs in Utah. New York Times, September 7, 1862, 3. when the command at Camp Douglas can be moved to Fort Crittenden.[81] Any response to this order from General Connor has apparently been lost, but something caused General Wright to change his mind. Then, again, there have always been annoying quarrels in progress with the Mormons, which reached the very verge of war eight years ago, and the embers of which have been smouldering ever since. Brigham Young had little patience for General Connor. The sooner we are rid of the evil, and the nation of the stigma [of Mormonism], the better it will be for us. In accordance with Colonel Connors strong Unionist views, all contractors supplying items to Camp Douglas were required to take the oath of allegiance to the United States Government,[43] to which Brigham Young reportedly replied, I hope the brethren will keep their families from that camp [Douglas]. Col. R. C. Drum, 19 February 1863, in WOTR2, 319. Inside, prisoners lived in long, narrow wood barracks, each with a kitchen at the back that also functioned as a mess hall. Connor to Maj. R. C. Drum, 14 September 1862, in WOTR2, 119. Connor, 19 August 1863, in WOTR2, 581. [74] P. Edw. [61] P. Edw. March 1863 was a particularly tense period in the relationship between Salt Lake City and Camp Douglas. They erected a monument in the center dedicated to the memory of the soldiers killed during the Bear River Massacre. [73] Andrew Jensen, Church Chronology (Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1899), 69. Camp Douglas - Encyclopedia of Chicago On October 26, 1991, the fort closed officially, though the Utah National Guard maintained control of the museum, and the 96th ARCOM received the parts of the fort that were not deeded to the university. Richard S. Van Wagoner, vol. The military correspondence for the fall of 1862 clearly indicates that the choice of names was Connorshe dubbed the post Camp Douglas rather than being directed to do so by General George Wright in California or by an even higher authority in Washington. As the camp filled up with prisoners, its soggy, crowded environment became a breeding ground for disease. As early as September 1862, his official reports began to include complaints about Mormons and Mormonism. [15] Edwin M. Stanton to General James Craig, 24 August 1862, in WOTR3, 453. Hold your troops well in hand. . 2 (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1897), 371 (hereafter cited as WOTR2). Home Front Travel Mart & Restaurant. . Its importance increased when the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads joined rails at Promontory Summit, Utah, on May 10, 1869, completing the Transcontinental Railroad. This portion of the fort is designated the Stephen A. Douglas Armed Forces Reserve Center. Email agent. Under the guard of Union soldiers, augmented by local police officers and volunteer constables, the captivestraitors, the Chicago Tribune branded themmarched some 400 yards to the gates of Camp Douglas, a Union army camp that had been hastily repurposed as a military prison to accommodate them.

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