Camp William Penn
Author | : Donald Scott |
Publisher | : Schiffer + ORM |
Total Pages | : 832 |
Release | : 2012-11-30 |
ISBN-10 | : 9781507302163 |
ISBN-13 | : 1507302169 |
Rating | : 4/5 (169 Downloads) |
Download or read book Camp William Penn written by Donald Scott and published by Schiffer + ORM. This book was released on 2012-11-30 with total page 832 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Located in Chelten Hills just outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Camp William Penn was the largest and first Civil War facility to exclusively train Northern-based federal black soldiers during the war. Boasting the biggest free-black population in the country and the 19th-century’s epicenter of the Underground Railroad, Philadelphia and Camp William Penn, hosted the greatest anti-slavery abolitionists, including Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Robert Purvis, and William Still. Douglass and Tubman spoke to and rallied some of the almost 11,000 soldiers, many of them runaway or ex-slaves, who trained in eleven regiments that fought in a slew of major battles, helped to corner the Confederate General Robert E. Lee and his Rebel forces, as well as capture President Lincoln’s assassins. Several earned the Medal of Honor for their bravery, and many gave their lives. At a time when America’s very existence was threatened, the warriors and freedom fighters for human equality associated with Camp William Penn were a major part of the country’s salvation. The complete story is told here.