Camp Curtin facts for kids
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Camp Curtin was a very important military training camp in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It was used during the American Civil War. It was the biggest training camp for the Union Army during the war. The camp also had a place to store supplies, a hospital, and even a camp for prisoners of war.
How Camp Curtin Started
The Civil War started in April 1861 when Fort Sumter was attacked. After this, President Abraham Lincoln asked for 75,000 volunteers to join the army. These men were needed to help stop the Southern states from leaving the United States.
Across the Northern states, many people were excited to help. They cheered for the flag. They called those who wanted to leave the country "traitors." Governor Andrew Curtin of Pennsylvania asked for 13,000 Pennsylvania men to volunteer. He wanted them to help keep the country together.
Within just three days, thousands of men came to Harrisburg to join. But there was no good place for them to train. Governor Curtin decided to use the County Agricultural Society grounds in Harrisburg. On April 18, 1861, Major Joseph F. Knipe officially opened the camp. He named it Camp Curtin to honor the governor.
By the end of April, Camp Curtin had already sent 25 groups of soldiers to fight. From December 1861 to March 1862, Major Truman Seymour was in charge of the camp.
A Big Battle Near Camp Curtin
In June and July of 1863, General Robert E. Lee and his army invaded Pennsylvania. He wanted to reach Harrisburg and Camp Curtin. But before he could get there, his soldiers accidentally met Union troops. This started the famous Battle of Gettysburg. After this big battle, Lee's army went back to Virginia. So, Camp Curtin was safe.
What the Camp Was Like
More than 300,000 soldiers passed through Camp Curtin. This made it the largest army training camp during the Civil War. Harrisburg was a great location because it had major railroad lines. These lines ran in all directions. This made it easy to move soldiers and supplies to the armies.
Besides soldiers from Pennsylvania, troops from many other states used Camp Curtin. These included men from Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
The camp and the area around it were also used as a place to store supplies. There was a hospital to care for sick or hurt soldiers. There was also a camp for Confederate prisoners of war.
When the war ended, Camp Curtin was used as a place where thousands of soldiers could go home. It officially closed on November 11, 1865.
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