Camp Merritt, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Camp Merritt |
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| Part of Department of California | |
| San Francisco | |
Transport Indiana receiving troops and freight at Pacific Mail Docks, 1898.
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 Camp Merritt
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| Coordinates | 37°46′35.51″N 122°27′42.89″W / 37.7765306°N 122.4619139°W |
| Site history | |
| In use | May 1898 – August 1898 |
Camp Merritt, California was a special military camp in the United States. It was used to get American soldiers ready for a big journey. These soldiers were going to the Philippines during the Spanish–American War.
The camp used to be a racetrack. It was named after General Wesley Merritt. He was a very important leader of the U.S. Army forces at that time. Camp Merritt was located in San Francisco, California. It was in an area that is now near Point Lobos Avenue and Sixth Avenue.
Opening Camp Merritt
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Camp Merritt officially opened on May 29, 1898. This was done by a special order from the U.S. Army. General Elwell Stephen Otis was in charge of the soldiers going to the Philippines. He set up his main office at the camp. His office was located at Fulton Street and 4th Avenue.
Soldiers at Camp Merritt
Many different groups of soldiers came through Camp Merritt. They stayed there to get ready before sailing to the Philippines. Here are some of the units that were processed at the camp:
- 1st Nebraska Volunteer Infantry
- 10th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry
- 18th U.S. Infantry, 1st Battalion
- 13th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry
- 20th Kansas Volunteer Infantry
- 1st Colorado Volunteer Infantry
- Utah Volunteer Artillery, Light Battery A
- Utah Volunteer Artillery, Light Battery B
- 1st Tennessee Volunteer Infantry
- 1st Montana Volunteer Infantry
Closing Camp Merritt
Camp Merritt did not stay open for very long. It closed around August 27, 1898. The remaining soldiers were moved to other nearby camps. These camps were called Camp Merriam and Camp Miller. They were located at the Presidio of San Francisco.
Camp Merritt was only needed for a short time. It helped gather about 18,000 soldiers. These soldiers were then sent off to the Philippines. The camp also faced some problems. Diseases like measles and typhoid spread among the soldiers. This made the army decide to close the camp sooner.
