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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | May 8, 2013 11:52 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Stephen McCarter |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Resolution Honoring the 150th Anniversary of Camp William Penn |
Camp William Penn was established in 1863 and became the first recruiting and training center for African American soldiers to be operated by the United States Government. All of the troops at Camp William Penn were volunteers who, unlike the white volunteers, were not credited to any particular state but rather became a part of the Regular Army of the United States. The first recruits arrived at Camp William Penn on June 26, 1863. Between that time and May 19, 1865, a total of 10,940 men, in 11 regiments, were formed, trained in as little as two months' time, and dispatched to service in the battlefields of the South. Of the eight northern camps set up for the training of African American troops, Camp William Penn has the distinction of being the only one set up exclusively to train African American troops. Today, only a few remnants of the camp still exist, including its restored front gates and recently, a ceremony has taken place in which a historic marker was installed at the gates. Please join me in co-sponsoring this resolution to recognize the 150th anniversary of Camp William Penn in honor of the bravery of all those who were trained there and served the country during the Civil War. |
Introduced as HR342