Camp Barry facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Camp Barry
Washington, D.C.
Barracks on the right at Camp Barry during the Civil War
Camp Barry
Coordinates	38°54′03.1″N 76°58′55.2″W / 38.900861°N 76.982000°W / 38.900861; -76.982000
Site information
Controlled by	Union Army
Condition	Residential Area
Site history
Built	1862
In use	1865
Materials	Timber
Battles/wars	American Civil War

Camp Barry was a temporary military camp near Washington, D.C. during the Civil War. It was a very important place for training soldiers who used cannons, also known as artillery. The camp also served as a storage area for artillery supplies.

Where Was Camp Barry?

A map from 1861 showing the Corcoran properties near H Street.

Camp Barry was built on land known as the "Corcoran Farm." This farm was located on H Street NE, close to a place called the Bladingsburg Tollgate.

A man named William Wilson Corcoran owned a lot of land around this tollgate. His properties included:

• "Trinidad" (which is now a neighborhood called Trinidad, Washington, D.C.)
• "Long Meadow" (this land later became part of Graceland Cemetery and is now in the Carver Langston neighborhood)
• "Mount Hamilton" (located further north on the Bladingsburg Turnpike).

Even though the exact spot of Camp Barry isn't known for sure, all old descriptions say it was very close to the Bladingsburg Tollgate. Most people believe it was located on the "Long Meadow" property.

The Story of Camp Barry

Camp Barry was set up as a special camp for artillery soldiers. Its main purpose was to teach volunteer soldiers how to use cannons. They learned drills and discipline to get ready for battles. It was also a depot, meaning a place to store artillery weapons and supplies.

When the camp first opened, soldiers lived in Sibley tents. These were large, cone-shaped tents. But during the winter of 1862-1863, wooden barracks were built. These provided much better shelter for the soldiers.

Many different groups of soldiers stayed at Camp Barry. Here are some of the units that trained or lived there:

• Battery H, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery: They stayed from October 1862 to January 1863. They swapped their old guns for new three-inch ordnance guns here. They were the first to move into the new wooden barracks on January 1, 1863.
• 12th Independent Battery, Ohio Light Artillery (Union Ohio Volunteers): They were at the camp from June 1863 to September 1863.
• 7th Battery Light Artillery (“G”) (Union Maine volunteers): They arrived on February 1, 1864, and stayed until April 25, 1864.
• 3rd Battery Light Artillery (“C”) (Union Maine volunteers): They were there from March 25, 1864, to July 5, 1864.
• 2nd Battery Light Artillery (“B”) (Union Maine volunteers): They stayed from November 5, 1863, to April 25, 1864.
• 10th Independent Battery, New York Light Artillery (Union New York Volunteers): They were at Camp Barry from July 1863 to June 1864.
• 1st Battalion, Maine Light Artillery (Union Maine Volunteers): They stayed from April 20, 1864, to July 30, 1864.
• 16th Independent Battery, Massachusetts Light Artillery: They were at the camp from July 1864 to November 1864.

On April 3, 1865, a very important event happened. The Union Army captured Richmond, Virginia, which was the capital of the Confederate States. The Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton, received a telegram with the good news. The news quickly spread across Washington, D.C. To celebrate, Battery H of the 14th Pennsylvania Artillery, located at Camp Barry, fired one hundred guns!

Images for kids

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  Artillery Depot at Camp Barry

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  17th New York Battery at Camp Barry

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  Plans for the Barracks and Officers' Quarters at Camp Barry, Washington DC