Out along Cold Spring Rd. in a wooded area at the south end of Riverside Park, trees conceal a ten-ton granite boulder precariously placed atop a stone base sitting on the bluff overlooking White River. Imbedded in this glacial rock is an aging bronze plaque commemorating Camp Robinson, a Civil War camp of the 11th Regiment “Indiana Zouaves,” Indiana Volunteer Infantry. Col. Lew Wallace selected this heavily wooded site, far from the temptations of the city, on the high west bank above White River for the training camp of his regiment which had been mustered for three years service on August 31, 1861. Named for Lieut. Col. William J. H. Robinson, the commander of the first battalion, the camp was located among several fine springs and a nearby meadow that was used for a drill ground. A wood of beech trees provided shelter for the men, and in their spare time many carved their initials, names, and dates on the trees until breaking camp on September 6, 1861.
A free-standing metal marker erected by the Indiana Historical Bureau in the 1900 block of N. Alabama St. commemorates Camp Morton. Named for Indiana Governor Oliver P. Morton, the camp encompassed the 36-acre site of the new State Fairgrounds. Within days of the fall of Ft. Sumter and the call for troops for three-months service to suppress the rebellion, the “organized military companies” of Indianapolis went into quarters at the fairgrounds “eating in the camp style and sleeping in the horse stalls” and animal barns. As other companies from around the state rendezvoused at Camp Morton, the ladies of the city, under the leadership of the First Lady of Indiana, provided blankets and bed clothing for “the nights are cold and the ground damp.” They also saw “that the sick are cared for — that not one suffers from the lack of mother’s care or sister’s nursing.”
As companies formed into regiments at Camp Morton, some regiments left for other training sites. The old Bellefontaine Railroad car shops served as the barracks for the 11th Zouave Regiment. Later named Camp Dumont in honor of Col. Ebenezer Dumont, the barracks quartered his 7th Regiment. Military Park, the former site of the state fairgrounds, known to many as Camp Morton No. 2, was formally named Camp Sullivan in honor of Col. Jeremiah C. Sullivan, commander of the 13th Regiment, Indiana Infantry. Camp Sullivan initially quartered companies that eventually formed “the five regiments called into service of the State by the Governor.” When Col. Sullivan and the 13th Regiment deployed, the camp was renamed Camp Vajen in honor of Indiana State Quartermaster General John H. Vajen. However, over time the name Camp Sullivan endured and today a free-standing metal marker erected by the Indiana Society, Children of the American Revolution, commemorates the site.
Although not officially designated a military camp, the City Hospital, located in the northwest corner of Indianapolis at Indiana Ave. and Fall Creek, was given to “state authorities for military purposes” by the city council. It soon became full of ill soldiers, “most of whom are suffering from measles.” The doctors in charge, assisted by the Sisters of Providence and “other kind hearted and benevolent ladies,” saw to the needs of the patients.
“To get troops inured to camp duties and to camp life,” of the 8th and 10th Regiments, the last of those mustered for three-months service, trained for two weeks in early June 1861 at Camp McClellan before leaving for western Virginia. Named for Major General George B. McClellan, commander of the Department of the Ohio, the camp was five miles east of the city on the Jacob Sandusky farm, future site of Irvington. Three months later, the 39th (8th Cavalry) Regiment pitched tents at Camp Harrison on the Greenly H. McLaughlin farm. Located southeast of the city along the Michigan Road and watered by Pleasant Run, the Sharp Shooters named their camp for the regiment’s commander, Col. Thomas J. Harrison. Today, the site lies in the developed area west of Sherman Dr. and south of English Ave. Appropriately, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 2999 sits near Pleasant Run on a portion of the site of Camp Harrison.
Other camps located well outside of the city included Camp Bridgland on the Patterson farm, along Fall Creek near the present State Fairgrounds. Home to the 2nd Cavalry Regiment in the fall of 1861 the site provided “splendid parade grounds.” It was named in honor of the regiment’s commander, Col. John A. Bridgland. West of the Canal and a quarter of a mile north of the Lafayette Railroad Freight Depot (approximately W. 10th St. and Fayette St.), the German (32nd) Regiment established Camp Willich named for the regiment’s commander, Col. August Willich. North of this camp was Camp Murphy, named in honor of Indiana Inspector General Miles Murphy. It was home to Captain Patrick Carland’s Company K, 1st Cavalry (28th Regiment) in June 1861.
Three light artillery companies, one each from Evansville, Connersville, and Rising Sun occupied the open ground northwest of Camp Sullivan and south of the City Hospital. Each company established its own camp; Camp Klaus, named for Capt. Martin Klaus of Evansville; Camp Frybarger, named for Capt. William W. Frybarger of Connersville; and Camp Rabb, named for Capt. David G. Rabb, of Rising Sun. The camps “constitute the chief military attraction to citizens and visitors. The big guns, glistening in the sun, look indeed like ‘swift-winged messengers of death’ to rebels and traitors.”
Along the east bank of White River, west of Camp Sullivan (Military Park), soldiers of Company G, 14th Regiment pitched their tents at Camp Kimball named for the regiment’s commander Col. Nathan Kimball. Nearby, Camp Bill Taylor, home to Company E, 10th Regiment commanded by Capt. William Taylor, was adjacent to Camp Morris, located north of the Terre Haute Railroad depot. The 8th and 27th Regiments trained at this camp named for Indiana Quartermaster General Thomas A. Morris in September1861.
As the war entered its second and third year and Camp Morton housed prisoners of war, additional camps were established across Indianapolis. South of Camp Morton on 16th St., stood Camp Burnside (also known as Burnside Barracks), named for Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside. At the Canal and Fall Creek, near 15th and Missouri streets, was Camp Carrington, named for Col. Henry B. Carrington, 18th Infantry Regiment, U. S. Army. A mile and a half north of this site was Camp Joe Reynolds on the west bank of the Canal near White River. It was named after Gen. Joseph J. Reynolds, commander of 2nd Brigade. The Fletcher Place neighborhood of the city was home to Camp Fremont, the training camp for the 28th Regiment, United States Colored Troop, Indiana’s only African American regiment. It was named in honor of Maj. Gen. John C. Fremont and a state marker at the intersection of Virginia Ave. and McCarty St. commemorates the site.
