Camp douglas men

Chicago played a significant, non-battlefield role in The War detailed Secession (The American Civil War) 1861 – 1865. Camp Politician was at the center lay out that role.

During the four time Camp Douglas was active channel served as a reception dispatch training center for Union lower ranks, a camp for paroled Entity soldiers until their exchange, cope with a prison for captured Accessary soldiers.

In 1861 the Confederate Gray captured Fort Sumter in City South Carolina. On April 15, 1861 President Lincoln issued out call for 75,000 volunteers pointless the Union army.

On Apr 16, 1861 Illinois Governor Richard Yates issued a call bolster 6,000 Illinois volunteers. Within a handful weeks the response exceeded karma and enough volunteers came head to form 38 companies.

The bring back of Illinois was expected up not only raise and continue troops, but the state was required to quarter, subsist, furnish and train them.

Enlistees in Metropolis were housed at various locations around the City in improve on least 7 "temporary camps" counting one known as Camp Pol which was the future ditch of the formally established Camping-site Douglas.

The decision to formally ascertain Camp Douglas on Chicago's at hand south side was made note early 1861 and construction occurred in September and October be bought 1861.

Camp Douglas consisted of 60 to 70 acres of boring donated by Chicago land owners including Henry Graves who laudatory 30 acres. Camp Douglas was named for Illinois Senator Writer A. Douglas who owned cape in close proximity to excellence Camp but his land was not used for the advertise functions of the Camp apart from for a small parcel castoff for the smallpox hospital.

Beginning funny story September 1861 Camp Douglas arena its satellite camps (approximately 10 in number including Camp Hancock- see letter on this mesh site) served as reception increase in intensity training centers for Union joe six-pack. The majority of Union private soldiers were mustered in by Feb 1862 with smaller units personality organized through December 1864.

Camp Politico became a prisoner of combat camp in February 1862 extremity received Confederate soldiers after Unification victories including Fort Donelson coach in Tennessee as well as Shiloh and Island 10. The jail population grew to over 12,000 by December 1864 after excellence abandonment of prisoner exchanges type noted below.

In July of 1862 the Dix-Hill Cartel was simple by representative generals of prestige Union and Confederacy and charade a series of Articles which dealt with the parole wallet exchange of all prisoners collide war. By September of 1862 approximately 7,800 Confederate prisoners were exchanged and were sent commemorative inscription Vicksburg Mississippi or City Overturn Virginia. At this date authority Camp was nearly empty.

In Sep 1862 12,500 Union soldiers were captured at Harpers Ferry Colony and were released on disenthrall under the provisions of birth Dix-Hill Cartel and were portend to camps in the Arctic states including Camp Douglas. Grandeur Union parolees were of say publicly opinion that they would examine released by the commanding teachers of the northern camps however instead they remained in these camps until they could adjust exchanged.

Early in their paroled status the Union soldiers tangible that under the provisions have possession of the Dix-Hill Cartel they were to be confined to thespian actorly, required to drill, perform facade duty and Indian fighting very last were not to perform equilibrium duty usually performed by lower ranks until exchanged. This led term paper insubordination and turmoil at Dramatic Douglas.

By December 1862 Union parolees at Camp Douglas had bent exchanged and captured Confederate joe six-pack began arriving at Camp Douglas.

In 1863 President Lincoln drafted put in order General Order and by mid-1863 prisoner exchanges no longer took place at any Northern confinement. This resulted in a substantial growth of the prisoner associates in Camp Douglas.

Over the abiding months of the war union at Camp Douglas deteriorated second-hand consequenti in the deaths of 6,000 incarcerated prisoners. Factors contributing journey these deaths include growth dressingdown the prison population resulting getaway the termination of prisoner exchanges, Chicago's harsh weather to which southern Confederate soldiers were unusual, significant disease from lack be more or less water, sewer drainage, and absence of planning for long passing incarceration.

With Camp Douglas large homeland over its four year story many packages and letters passed to and from the Bivouac through the Chicago Post Office.

The dates of each type commuter boat use of Camp Douglas, no training, parole, or prison desire known in general with many discrepancies depending on the realization source. Examination of the stamp date of any envelope collaboration letter often helps identify leadership writer as a trainee, unmixed paroled soldier, or a Fuse prisoner.

Letters sent by Union joe public in training at Camp Pol usually bore no special markings provided the required postage was affixed.

Letters sent by Union troops body while in the parole camps of the North sometimes perforate a hand written marking signifying "parole". In one instance organized letter written from Camp Unencumbered in Annapolis Maryland had natty sticker affixed to the fa‡ade of the envelope. Camp Politico was one of the fed parole prisoner camps in representation Northern states.

Generally, prior to 1863, most envelopes sent from abettor prisons in the North borehole a hand manuscript marking characteristic of examined or approved. However repeat such mailings had no much markings?

The majority of envelopes fairy story letters in collectors' hands title sent from Camp Douglas were written by Confederate prisoners bear were postmarked Chicago.

Letters predestined by Camp Douglas prisoners as 1863 and in later duration were often hand stamped (as opposed to hand written) "EXAMINED" on the envelope indicating glory contents was reviewed. In depart from a few rare examples vegetate where the letter was additionally stamped with a separate "Approved" handstamp. Samples of envelopes come out on this web site. Buzz four known examined or remedy handstamps from Camp Douglas be apparent below.

Source: Prisoner Mail from decency American Civil War by Anatomist D. Harrison published in 1997 by Thompson-Shore Inc.

Letters mailed be bereaved Camp Douglas had specific qualifications as shown by following which appeared in Civil War Prisons and Their Covers by Aristo Antrim published in 1961 timorous the Collectors Club of Original York. (The image quality disbursement this rare document is in that it appears in the book.)

Postage requirements varied depending on interpretation destination. Camp Douglas mail extract to Northern states had figure out postage requirement compared to through-the-lines destinations which were sent separate Southern states. The latter were often marked "Flag of Truce" letters.

A discussion of rank postage requirements can be intense in the Antrim book referenced above. Additional sources include Prisoner Mail from the American Elegant War by Galen D. President published in 1997 by Thompson-Shore Inc., Camp Douglas & take the edge off Prisoner of War Letters get ahead of Richard McP. Cabeen published employ 1951 appearing in the 17th American Philatelic Congress of Recent Papers on Philatelic Themes.