Camp Chase, also known as Camp Wilson, was a training camp for
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
militia during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
located in
Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell () is a city in Massachusetts, in the United States. Alongside Cambridge, It is one of two traditional seats of Middlesex County. With an estimated population of 115,554 in 2020, it was the fifth most populous city in Massachusetts as of ...
. Several thousand recruits were trained at Camp Chase before being sent south to the battle front.
In 1860, the Middlesex North Agricultural Society purchased land south of the center of Lowell from the Boston & Lowell Railroad Company for a fairground. Before the war began, the fairground was frequently used for musters and drills of Massachusetts militia units under the command of
Major General
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...
Benjamin Butler
Benjamin Franklin Butler (November 5, 1818 – January 11, 1893) was an American major general of the Union Army, politician, lawyer, and businessman from Massachusetts. Born in New Hampshire and raised in Lowell, Massachusetts, Butler is ...
, a prominent attorney of Lowell and Massachusetts militia officer. When the war began, Butler played a large role in creating a more permanent camp on this location.
At least eleven units were trained at Camp Chase during its two years of operation from 1861 to 1863. These included the
26th,
30th, and
31st Massachusetts regiments of infantry, the 2nd Massachusetts Battalion of Cavalry, the
3rd Massachusetts Cavalry Regiment, and the
4th,
6th,
7th and
15th Massachusetts Batteries of Light Artillery.
Units from other states were also trained at Camp Chase including the
11th Maine Infantry, the
12th Maine Infantry, and the
9th Connecticut Infantry Regiment.
After the war, the military camp was discontinued and the site returned to use as an agricultural fair ground. The fair ground ceased operation in 1906.
See also
*
List of military installations in Massachusetts
This is a list of current and former military installations in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Current military installations in Massachusetts Joint facilities
;Bases
* Joint Base Cape Cod (state designation, not federally recognized)
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
{{Coord, 42.620, N, 71.311, W, display=title
1861 establishments in Massachusetts
Buildings and structures in Lowell, Massachusetts
Military facilities in Massachusetts
Military installations established in 1861