Camp Thomas facts for kids

Camp Thomas was a special training camp for soldiers during the American Civil War. It was in North Columbus, Ohio, which is now part of Columbus. The camp helped get new groups of foot soldiers, called infantry, ready for battles in the western part of the war.

Starting the Camp

When the Civil War began, President Abraham Lincoln asked for many volunteers to join the army. Colonel Henry B. Carrington was in charge of finding new soldiers in Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania.

In July 1861, he set up a training camp. It was on a farm owned by Solomon Beers, north of Columbus. Colonel Carrington named the camp "Camp Thomas" to honor Colonel Lorenzo Thomas. He was a very important officer in the U.S. Army. Camp Thomas worked with another nearby camp called Camp Chase.

The camp had temporary buildings for its main office, guard room, and hospital. Streets were laid out, and tents were put up for the new soldiers. Recruits started arriving in mid-August. Some important officers at Camp Thomas included Captain William J. Fetterman and Major William Axton Stokes.

The 18th U.S. Infantry

For most of the war, Camp Thomas was the main base for the 18th U.S. Infantry. Colonel Carrington and his team filled the first group of soldiers in early September. Later that month, he organized a second group.

In October, the top general, Winfield Scott, visited Camp Thomas. He came to see the new soldiers. The 18th Infantry practiced at the camp for several weeks. Then, they moved to the battlefields in Kentucky. Another camp was set up in Maryland to train soldiers for battles in the eastern part of the war.

In November 1861, a group of soldiers from the 16th U.S. Infantry arrived at Camp Thomas. Their old base in Chicago had closed. More soldiers joined them, and by the end of the month, two more groups were ready.

Camp Thomas stayed active throughout the war. It was a training base for new soldiers. These new recruits were needed to replace those lost in big battles like Stones River. Most of the time, Brig. Gen. John S. Mason was in charge of Camp Thomas. Some volunteer groups and artillery units, like the 22nd Ohio Battery, also trained there.

People in Columbus wanted the Army to build stronger, permanent buildings at the camp. They hoped brick or stone buildings would last longer. They also wanted a military cemetery for soldiers who died. But these plans never happened.

After the War

After the Civil War ended, Camp Thomas was no longer needed. In October 1866, the Secretary of War officially closed it. The buildings that were put up for the camp were sold. Some of them were even turned into houses nearby.

By the year 1900, most signs of the camp were gone. The last known wooden building from the camp was torn down in the early 1990s. It had been used as a barber shop for many years.