WISCONSIN CIVIL WAR CAMPS

Camp Barstow
A temporary Civil War encampment, located at or near Janesville in Rock County. Camp Barstow was established in October 1861 as the recruiting point and training camp for the 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry regiment. William A. Barstow, Ex-governor of the State was the Colonel of the Regiment.

Camp Bragg
A temporary Civil War organization point and training center for the 21st and 32nd Wisconsin regiments. It was named in honor of Brigadier General Edward S. Bragg of the “Iron Brigade” (6th Wisconsin Infantry). The site of the post is now within the Camp Bragg Memorial Park on the Northwest corner of Hazel and Cleveland Streets in the City of Oshkosh, Winnebago Co.

Camp Hamilton (Camp Wood)

This training camp was located in the fields beyond Fond du Lac and is now within the city with only a small park area remaining. Under the name Camp Hamilton, it was the training site for the 3d WI VI and named after its commander, Charles S. Hamilton, and as Camp Wood, for the 14th WI VI and name changed for their commander, Col. David E. Wood.
There is a description of the camp under the 14th's regimental information.

Camp Harvey
A temporary Civil War training camp. Camp Harvey occupied ground south of the city of Kenosha. Now a part of Greenridge cemetery. It was named for Governor Louis Powell Harvey, who was accidentally drowned while on a trip to inspect Wisconsin troops after the Battle of Shiloh, Tennessee. It was the training site for the 1st WI Cav.

Camp Holton

On the east side of the parade grounds are two sets of officers' quarters. The other three sides had eight barracks for enlisted men, the qrartermaster and commissary buildings, and the kitchen and post hospital. The guard house is at the lower left.

Name for Edward D. Holton (Abolitionist), renamed Camp Sigel after General Franz Sigel, German professional soldier and immigrant, who rallied the enlistment of scores of Europeans. Then renamed Camp Reno in 1864 in memory of General Jesse L. Reno, killed Sept. 14, 1862 at the battle of South Mountain, Va., In 1861, shortly after the outbreak of the Civil War, Camp Reno was established on rented land as a reception center and training post in the city of Milwaukee. The property was leased to the Government for the nominal sum of $1.00, for a term expiring August 23, 1865, by Colonel George H. Walker, a former Mayor of the City. the camp’s eastern boundary was North Prospect Ave. on Lake Michigan. West to Bartlett St. South to Royal Pl. and North to Lafayette Pl. Sometime in early 1866, the post’s buildings were auctioned off by the Government. The only remaining structure is the camp’s two story guardhouse, moved several years after the war from the Camp Reno site to Albion street, and used as a dwelling since then.
Shown as Camp Holton for the 10th WI VI, Camp Sigel for the 9th, 24th, 26th, 27th WI VI.

Camp Randall (Camp Randall and Environs)
A Civil War training post located on the grounds of the University of Wisconsin at Madison, Camp Randall was named in honor of Governor Alexander W. Randall. Occupying 42 acres extending from University Avenue to Monroe Street, between Breeze Terrace and Randall Avenue, the acreage was donated in 1861 by the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society to the state legislature as a drill ground for Union troops. The camp became the center of Wisconsin military activities, and more than 70,000 men were quartered and trained here. After the War, the property became the state fairgrounds, but in 1893 it was acquired by the university as an athletic field. In 1911 a section of the property was set aside as the Camp Randall Memorial Park, with a memorial arch completed in 1912 to honor Wisconsin’s Civil War soldiers. During World War I, the camp was temporarily reactivated as a drill ground for troops destined for overseas, many of them university students.
This was the training site for the 2nd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 11th, 12th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 19th, 20th, 23th, 29th, 30th, 36th, 37th (Part), 38th, 40th, 42th, 46th, 49th WI VI . and saw the departure of Co. G, Berdan's Sharpshooters.

Camp Salomon

La Crosse had a training camp which was called Camp Salomon in honor of Gov. Salomon (Gov. Harvey had drowned while visiting Shiloh).

Camp Salomon became the training grounds for the 25th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment, under the command of Col. Milton Montgomery of Sparta. The 25th comprised Companies from western Wisconsin, up and down the Mississippi River. There are descriptions of the building of the camp, from period papers, in the 25th's regimental material.

Camp Scott
A Civil War reception center and training camp established in 1861 at Milwaukee. Camp Scott was located on Spring Street (now Wisconsin Ave.), west of 12th Street. Wells Street and Kilbourn Avenue are the thoroughfares that bound the Camp Scott area today. This was the training site for the 1st WI VI.

Camp Treadway

Located in Janesville, WI, this site saw the training of the 13th WI VI.

Camp Trowbridge

Located in Milwaukee, WI, this was the site of the training of the 18th WI VI.

Camp Utley

Located in the Racine, WI area, this camp saw the 4th, 22nd and 33rd WI VI train as well as the 1st through 10th batteries of WI Light Artillery.

Camp Washburn
A Civil War reception center and trading post established in October 1861, Camp Washburn was located on the old Cold Spring Racetrack west of 27th Street, which at the time of the war was outside of the city limits of Milwaukee.
Camp Washburn saw the training of the 28th, 34th, 35th, 39th, 43rd, 48th & 51st Wisconsin VI, the 2nd WI Cav., and the 13th Battery WI Light Artillery.

Training for the following are not listed or out of the area:
44th, 45th, 47th, 50th, 52nd & 53rd WI VI, several of which were mustered by company and immediately sent out of state.
41st WI VI originated in Milwaukee but no camp is specified.
31st WI VI began in Prairie du Chien and later was at Camp Randall and Camp Utley.
4th WI Cav. was from the 4th WI VI.
The Milwaukee Cav. does not show a training camp and became part of the 5th Missouri Cav.
The 12th WI Light Artillery became the 1st Missouri Artillery.
The 11th WI Light Artillery (Oconto Irish Guards) went to Camp Douglas in Chicago for the Irish Brigade.
The 1st WI Heavy Artillery (orig. Co. K, 2nd WI) were re designated in the summer of 1861 and a new Co. K incorporated into the 2nd.


Info:    Encyclopedia of Historic Forts Roberts, Robert B. Macmillan Publishing Company Copyright 1988
            Quiner's The Military History of Wisconsin, 1866
            The Fond du Lac Commonwealth 1860's & 90's