Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Protecting The West

Officially established on October 26th 1862, Camp Douglas in Utah was named for Stephen A Douglas.

It was necessary to recall regular army troop back from frontier duty when the Civil War started.  This left the overland mail route and telegraph open to attack from Indians.  Camp Douglas was a small garrison located about three miles east of Salt Lake City, Utah.  Union Colonel Patrick Edward Conner of the 3rd California Infantry was chosen to set up a camp in the Utah Territory, and he selected the site.  The Camp was named after late Illinois Senator Stephen A Douglas by Abraham Lincoln and was formally established on October 26th 1862.  The first winter the post was made up of quickly built dugouts.  Connor had troops from California and Nevada posted at the Camp during the Civil War.  It became the headquarters of the Department of the Pacific and the District of Utah.

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