Hilltop in Columbus in Franklin County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Camp Chase
Camp Chase was a Civil War camp established in May 1861, on land leased by the U.S. Government. Four miles west of Columbus, the main entrance was on the National Road. Boundaries of the camp were present-day Broad Street (north), Hague Avenue (east), Sullivant Avenue (south), and near Westgate Avenue (west). Named for former Ohio Governor and Lincoln's Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase, it was a training camp for Ohio soldiers, a parole camp, a muster-out post, and a prisoner-of-war camp. As many as 150,000 Union soldiers and 25,000 Confederate prisoners passed through its gates from 1861-1865. By February 1865, over 9,400 men were held at the prison. More than 2,000 Confederates are buried in the Camp Chase Cemetery.
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Four future Presidents passed through Camp Chase, A Johnson, Hayes, Garfield, and McKinley, and Confederates captured during Morgan's Raid in 1863 included Gen. Basil W. Duke. The camp was closed in 1865 and by September 1867 dismantled buildings, usable items, and 450 patients from Tripler Military Hospital (also in Columbus) were transferred to the National Soldier's Home in Dayton. In 1895 former Union soldier William H. Knauss organized the first memorial service at the cemetery and in 1906 wrote a history of the camp. In 1902 the memorial Arch was dedicated. From 1912 to 1994, the United Daughters of the Confederacy held annual services. The Hilltop Historical Society now sponsors the event on the first Sunday in June.
Erected 1999 by Ohio Bicentennial Commission, The Longaberger Company, Hilltop Historical Society, Blue & Gray Magazine, Dixie Chapter UDC, Sons of Confederate Veterans, and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 27-25.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection, the Sons of Confederate Veterans/United Confederate Veterans, and the United Daughters of the Confederacy series lists. A significant historical month for this entry is February 1865.
Location. 39° 56.611′ N, 83° 4.53′ W. Marker is in Columbus, Ohio, in Franklin County. It is in Hilltop. Marker is at the intersection of Sullivant Avenue and Chestershire Road, on the right when traveling west on Sullivant Avenue. Cemetery is surrounded by a stone wall with iron fence. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2900 Sullivant Avenue, Columbus OH 43204, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. 2260 Confederate Soldiers (within shouting distance of this marker); Confederate Cannonball (within shouting distance of this marker); Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery (within shouting distance of this marker); This Confederate Cemetery (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Camp Chase (approx. 0.8 miles away); a different marker also named Camp Chase (approx. 0.8 miles away); The National Road (approx. 1.1 miles away); Maynard E. Sensenbrenner (approx. 1˝ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Columbus.
Also see . . . Hilltop Historical Society. The Hilltop Historical Society conducts the annual Memorial Service at Camp Chase Cemetery on the 2nd Sunday in June at 3PM. There is a History of Camp Chase link available for more information about Camp Chase. (Submitted on March 3, 2009, by Richard Hoffman of Columbus, Ohio.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 3, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 5, 2008, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 2,927 times since then and 54 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on October 5, 2008, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.