Camp Merritt, California
Encyclopedia
Camp Merritt, California was a U.S. military camp
for American troops destined for the Philippines
during the Spanish-American War
. Formerly a racetrack, the camp, named for General Wesley Merritt
commanding officer of the Philippine expeditionary forces and the Eighth Corps at the time, was located between Point Lobos Avenue (Geary) and Fulton Street between First (Arguello) and Sixth in San Francisco, California
.
, commander of the U.S. Volunteers, established the headquarters for the Philippine Islands Expeditionary Forces at the southwest corner of the camp on slightly elevated ground at Fulton Street and 4th Avenue.
. Camp Merritt existed only long enough for the fleet to be assembled for the 18,000 troops disembarking for the Philippines to be sent off. Problems with disease, mostly measles and typhoid, also accelerated its closing.
Military camp
A military camp or bivouac is a semi-permanent facility for the lodging of an army. Camps are erected when a military force travels away from a major installation or fort during training or operations, and often have the form of large campsites. In the Roman era the military camp had highly...
for American troops destined for the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
during the Spanish-American War
Spanish-American War
The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
. Formerly a racetrack, the camp, named for General Wesley Merritt
Wesley Merritt
Wesley Merritt was a general in the United States Army during the American Civil War and the Spanish-American War. He is noted for distinguished service in the cavalry.-Early life:...
commanding officer of the Philippine expeditionary forces and the Eighth Corps at the time, was located between Point Lobos Avenue (Geary) and Fulton Street between First (Arguello) and Sixth in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
.
Commissioning
The camp became Camp Merritt on May 29, 1898 based on General Order 7 of the U.S. Expeditionary Forces. General Elwell Stephen OtisElwell Stephen Otis
Elwell Stephen Otis was a United States of America General who served in the Philippines late in the Spanish-American War and during the Philippine-American War.-Biography:...
, commander of the U.S. Volunteers, established the headquarters for the Philippine Islands Expeditionary Forces at the southwest corner of the camp on slightly elevated ground at Fulton Street and 4th Avenue.
Units Processed Through Camp Merritt
Confirmed Units processed through Camp Merritt:- 1st Nebraska Volunteer Infantry (Col. John P. Bratt commanding) (May 19, 1898 - June 15, 1898)
- 10th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry (Col. A. L. Hawkins commanding) (May 25, 1898 - June 14, 1898 (departed for Philippines as part of Second Expeditionary Force))
- 18th U.S. Infantry, 1st Battalion (Col. C. M. Bailey commanding) (May 29, 1898 - June 14, 1898 (departed for Philippines as part of Second Expeditionary Force))
- 13th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry (? - June 26, 1898)
- 20th Kansas Volunteer Infantry (May 20, 1898 - August 5, 1898 (transferred to Camp Michigan)
- 1st Colorado Volunteer Infantry (Col. Irving Hale)
- Utah Volunteer Artillery, Light Battery A (Capt. R. W. Young)
- Utah Volunteer Artillery, Light Battery B (Capt. F. A. Grant)
Decommissioning
The camp was abandoned about August 27, 1898 when the remaining troops were moved to Camps Merriam and Miller a bit north at Presidio of San FranciscoPresidio of San Francisco
The Presidio of San Francisco is a park on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in San Francisco, California, within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area...
. Camp Merritt existed only long enough for the fleet to be assembled for the 18,000 troops disembarking for the Philippines to be sent off. Problems with disease, mostly measles and typhoid, also accelerated its closing.