Camp William Penn1863
In 1863, Cheltenham received national attention whenit was chosen as the site for Camp William Penn, thecountry's first Federal recruiting and training camp forblack soldiers. The Militia Act of July 17, 1862 wasthe first Federal law enabling the president to callblack men into military service.
The first installation was located on land owned by JayCooke, a well-known abolitionist and Civil War finan-cier. The camp was soon moved to a better site donat-ed by Edward Davis. The larger parcel provided spacefor barracks, officers' quarters, stables, and supportfacilities. The site was a more suitable one because ofits proximity to Philadelphia and the North Pennsyl-vania Railroad depot. Unlike Philadelphia, Camp-town's Quaker and abolitionist residents welcomed theblack recruits and provided friendship, religious guid-ance, and accommodations for visiting families. TheCamp William Penn gate and gatehouse remain today.
Camp William Pennand the Civil War
'Our Civil War was at first a war for the Union. Assuch, the war was viewed as a "white man's war."Those blacks who came forward were rudely turnedaway . . . as Union defeat after defeat piled u p , . . . theremorseless logic of war, as well as the pleadings ofabolitionists, led first to use of blacks as "Contraband"labor units, then as full scale military units.
Northern blacks yearned to get into the fight. Theirmotives were complex, but revolved around a desire to"Prove" themselves worthy of citizenship. They knewthat the war meant the death of slavery, but not neces-sarily the birth of freedom or equality. They hoped toprove, to the racist white population in the North, theirworth in the crucible of battle.'
Steve Conrad
On January 1, 1863 with the EmancipationProclamation, President Lincoln paved the way forthe recruitment of blacks into th federal army.
Camp William Penn was the largest Federal trainingcamp established for black soldiers. A total of 11regiments, the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 22nd, 24th, 25th, 32nd,41st, 43rd, 45th, and 127th, totaling 10,940 men, and200 black and white officers were trained here underCamp Commander Lieutenant Colonel Louis Wagner.1,056 casualties were suffered by the men of CampWilliam Penn.
3rd Regiment USCT Flag. Original painted by David Bowser.
Map of Camp William Penn1863
1. shooting gallery2. bathing house3. ice house4. daguerreotype
gallery5. blacksmith shop6. wash tub7.target8. laundry9. kitchen
10. base hospital11. dining room12. base hospital
13. regimentalquartermaster
14. sink15. prison16. guard house17. sutler18-22. barracks23-27. line officers
quarters28. field officers
quarters29. garden30. fountain
31-35. line officersquarters
36-40. barracks41. church & school42. post sergeant43. post headquarters44. carpenter45. post headquarters46. post commissar47. forage room48. stable49. stables50 sheds
51. regimental quartermaster
This map was drawn in 1863 by John McArthur, Jr.,the noted architect of the Philadelphia City Hall.
Troops assembled at Camp William Penn shortly after thedeath of President Abraham Lincoln.
This gate is the only remaining physical structure associat-ed with the original camp
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