Penrose in Arlington in Arlington County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Camp Casey
From 1863-1865, the property southeast of Columbia Pike and Courthouse Road was the stie of Camp Casey, a key training location for Black United States Army soldiers during the Civil War. The camp included five barracks, a hospital, stables, a guardhouse, and a store operated by Charles and William Syphax, formerly enslaved men from the Arlington plantation. Here, the 2nd and 23rd Regiments of United States Colored Troops (USCT) were organized, followed by recruits for more than 20 other Black regiments. Most served in the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign, and some remained in Arlington after the war. President Abraham Lincoln later wrote of the USCT, "Keep it and you can save the Union. Throw it away, and the Union goes with it."
Erected 2026 by Arlington County, Virginia.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Settlements & Settlers • War, US Civil.
Location. 38° 51.993′ N, 77° 4.647′ W. Marker is in Arlington, Virginia, in Arlington County. It is in Penrose. It is on South Scott Street north of 9th Street South,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area and in Northern Virginia. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: St. John's Baptist Church (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Harry W. Gray House (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Arlington Radio Towers (approx. 0.2 miles away); Selina Gray (approx. ¼ mile away); History of Bocce Ball (approx. ¼ mile away); George Washington Carver Cooperative Apartments
Another marker is no longer nearby. Site of Arlington Chapel (was approx. 0.3 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 19, 2026
3. The marker stands on the grounds of Towers Park.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 19, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 19, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 4 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 19, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
