Dunn Loring in Fairfax County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Camp Alger
In May 1898 the Spanish-American War came to Northern Virginia with the establishment of Camp Russell A. Alger (below). The 1,400-acre camp, south of where you are now located, encompassed the fields and forests of the former Woodburn Manor farm.
Some 23,000 soldiers from 16 states were trained here, but most would never see combat. In December the United States signed a peace treaty with Spain, and the war was over.
Pvt. George B. Thayer of the First Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, Company K, wrote home from Camp Alger in July 1898:
As we are camped on a treeless, thirty acre lot, covered with weeds and corn stubble and two inches of fine dust, you can better imagine how utterly useless it is for us to keep clean.... Everyone comes back from drills covered with sweat and dust, mixed together.... I like this camp, for it is comparatively free of bad rum and mean women....I also like the rough experience here, for it is the nearest to the real thing we have seen.
Erected by The Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park - Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, Spanish-American. In addition, it is included in the NOVA Parks , and the Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD) Railroad series lists. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1898.
Location. 38° 53.502′ N, 77° 13.35′ W. Marker is in Dunn Loring, Virginia, in Fairfax County. Marker is on Sandburg Street, on the right when traveling south. Located along the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail at the site of the old Dunn-Loring Station. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 8016 N Park St, Dunn Loring VA 22027, 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. Tracks into History (here, next to this marker); Dunn Loring Station (here, next to this marker); Wedderburn Station (approx. one mile away); A Memorial to the Four Chaplains (approx. 1˝ miles away); Luther P. Jackson High School (approx. 1.6 miles away); We will never forget. (approx. 1.6 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 1.7 miles away); Vietnam Memorial (approx. 1.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dunn Loring.
More about this marker. The background of the marker is a photo of Camp Alger. Camp Alger, with kitchen at right "At Breakfast," wrote Private Thayer, "one hundred of us line up and go down to the kitchen. Our rations are served to us in tin dishes, with long handles, each man bringing his own." On the upper right is a photo of the Dunn-Loring Station during the war. Proximity to the railroad was one reason that the U.S. Army chose this site for Camp Alger, Troops and supplies moved in and out through a new depot at Dunn-Lorning Station.
Also see . . .
1. Washington & Old Dominion Railroad. Wikipedia article offering details of the railroad and a list of stations. (Submitted on November 27, 2009, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
2. Connecticut in the Spanish American War. Spanish American War Centennial Website entry (Submitted on November 27, 2009, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
Credits. This page was last revised on July 23, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 27, 2009, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 3,333 times since then and 50 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 27, 2009, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.