Camp Lincoln (Massachusetts) Explained

Camp Lincoln was an American Civil War camp that existed in 1861 in Worcester, Massachusetts.[1] It was located on the Agricultural Fairgrounds, around the Elm Park neighborhood. It was named after Levi Lincoln Jr., the 13th Governor of Massachusetts and first Mayor of Worcester. On June 3, 1862, the camp was renamed Camp Wool, in honor of John E. Wool, the oldest general in the regular army. Units trained here included the 21st, 25th, 34th, 36th, 49th, 51st, and 57th regiments of Massachusetts infantry.[2] Camp Scott, named for Major General Winfield Scott, also existed in Worcester for about 6 weeks in June–August 1861 as a training camp for the 15th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment.[3]

Units Trained

Today

The site today is a dense neighborhood, partly occupied by Becker College, established in 1887. A plaque commemorating the Camp stands at Elm Park, which sits just across from where the fairgrounds were located.[2]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Western Massachusetts - Camp Lincoln . American Forts Network . July 16, 2020.
  2. Web site: Browne . Patrick . Civil War Training Camps in Massachusetts, Part One . Historical Digression . March 19, 2019.
  3. Book: Roberts, Robert B. . Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States . Macmillan . 1988 . New York . 0-02-926880-X . 409–410 .