Near Springfield in Sangamon County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Camp Butler
By Larry Senalik, December 18, 2011
1. New Camp Butler Marker as of December 2011
The Camp later served as a Prisoner of War (POW) facility for thousands of Confederate soldiers captured in battles along the Cumberland, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas Rivers, such as Fort Donelson and Fort Hindman (Arkansas Post). Living conditions within this camp, for both recruits and prisoners, were primitive at best.
Disease was widespread within Camp Butler. Pneumonia, Small Pox, Dysentery, and other illnesses claimed the lives of 639 Union and 866 Confederate soldiers, many of whom were buried within the confines of the Camp. Included among the Confederates were soldiers from Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama. Today the Confederate graves are distinguishable by their pointed headstones.
Although the Camp was deactivated in 1866, the cemetery remains an active military burial site. In 2011, the National Cemetery occupied over 53 acres
By Larry Senalik, December 18, 2011
2. New Camp Butler Marker located at the entrance
Erected 2011 by the Illinois Sesquicentennial Civil War Round Table Commission and the Illinois State Historical Society.
Marker series. This marker is included in the Illinois State Historical Society marker series.
Location. 39° 49.935′ N, 89° 33.442′ W. Marker is near Springfield, Illinois, in Sangamon County. Marker is at the intersection of Camp Butler Road and Old River Road, on the left when traveling east on Camp Butler Road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Springfield IL 62704, United States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Abraham Lincoln and the Talisman (approx. 3 miles away); Lincoln’s Farewell to Springfield (approx. 5.1 miles away); Great Western Depot (approx. 5.1 miles away); Great Western Railroad Depot (approx. 5.1 miles away); The Lincoln Depot (approx. 5.1 miles away); The 1858 Senate Campaign
By Larry Senalik, December 10, 2011
3. Wreaths Across America
December 10, 2011
Also see . . .
1. Original 1934 Historical Marker at this location. (Submitted on January 22, 2012.)
2. New marker unveiled at Camp Butler. (Submitted on January 22, 2012, by Larry Senalik of Pleasant Plains, Illinois.)
Categories. • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • War, US Civil • War, World II •
By Angie Shaffer, January 6, 2008
4. View of Camp Butler burial sites
By Angie Shaffer, January 6, 2008
5. View of Camp Butler burial sites
By Angie Shaffer, January 6, 2008
6. Nearby Blue Star Memorial Marker
Nearby is a familiar marker reading,
Blue Star Memorial
A tribute to the Armed Forces that have defended the United States of America.
Sponsored by The Garden Clubs of Illinois, Inc., Blue Star Fund in cooperation with Camp Butler National Cemetery, Department of Veterans Affairs
May 19, 2000
A tribute to the Armed Forces that have defended the United States of America.
Sponsored by The Garden Clubs of Illinois, Inc., Blue Star Fund in cooperation with Camp Butler National Cemetery, Department of Veterans Affairs
May 19, 2000
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. This page originally submitted on January 22, 2012, by Larry Senalik of Pleasant Plains, Illinois. This page has been viewed 594 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 18, 2011, by Larry Senalik of Pleasant Plains, Illinois. 3. submitted on December 11, 2011, by Larry Senalik of Pleasant Plains, Illinois. 4. submitted on January 7, 2008, by Angie Shaffer of Springfield, Illinois. 5, 6. submitted on January 10, 2008, by Angie Shaffer of Springfield, Illinois. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.
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