HISTORY: Historic Huntingdon, 1767-1909, Chapter 20, Military Encampments, Huntingdon County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Nancy Lorz

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Historic Huntingdon, 1709-1907.  Huntingdon Old Home Week, September 
5-11, 1909.  Souvenir Edition.  Huntingdon, Pa.: Historical Committee 
of the Old Home Week Association, 1909.
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                              CHAPTER XX.

                 Military - Encampments at Huntingdon.

  DURING the Civil War the town of Huntingdon was frequently the scene 
of military excitement.  As early as September 1, 1861, a camp for the 
rendezvous of soldiers was located about three miles from the town in 
Oneida Township on the Shoemaker farm, and was named Camp Crossman.
  At this camp the 84th and 110th Penna. Volunteer Regiments were 
recruited, together with what was known as the Irish Brigade, and 
remained until about Dec. 1st, 1861, when they were transferred to Camp  
Curtin at Harrisburg.  While these soldiers were at Camp Crossman a 
guard was stationed in Huntingdon and had their tents on Third Street 
between Penn and Washington Streets.  The soldiers composing this guard 
were posted throughout the town at the various street corners and their 
duty was to arrest soldiers who were absent from camp in disregard of 
orders and to keep the peace.  At the rear of the Court House on 
Washington Street a calaboose was improvised by the use of the body of 
an old market car which was about the size of a modern "caboose" car.
  At a later period of the war several independent Battalions recruited 
from Huntingdon, Centre and Blair Counties, in response to President 
Lincoln's call for 100,000 men to serve for a period of six months, 
issued June 15, 1863, when the Confederate troops were marching towards 
Pennsylvania, rendezvoused in a camp about a mile and a half from 
Huntingdon in what was then known as Walker

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Township, on the Kerr farm.  These soldiers were mustered into service 
early in July, 1863, just after the battle of Gettysburg, and remained 
in their camp until August 8, 1863, when they were discharged.