Winchester's Camp No. 2 / Preston Island (7-20)
Posted by: 
nohtolsteve
N 41° 17.390 W 084° 20.793
16T E 722189 N 4574328
Historical marker about General Winchester's second camp. The reverse side is about Preston Island.
Waymark Code: WMCXD1
Location: Ohio, United States
Date Posted: 10/22/2011
Views: 9
Front side-Winchester's Camp No. 2
After completing Fort Winchester, Brigadier General James Winchester ordered his troops to cross to the north side of the Maumee River. The troops occupied the new site, Camp No. 2, from November 3-10, 1812. An earthen fortification was built for protection. Militia soldier Elias Darnell recorded on November 4th that "The weather is very rainy, which makes our situation extremely unpleasant.... Four of this army have gone to the silent tomb to-day never more to visit their friends in Kentucky' the fever is very prevalent in camp; nearly every day there is one or more buried." Winchester referred to a burial place for the encampment in his General orders for November 5th. Camp No. 2 proved to be too wet and marshy. Winchester ordered his army to move six miles down river to a site call Camp No. 3
Reverse side-Preston Island
The island is named for William Preston, a veteran of the War of 1812 and settler in the area. During the war, General Winchester ordered that a strong pen be built on the island for the army's cattle. After the Civil War, the island became a popular spot for reunions for veterans and their families. The island had a racetrack, grandstand, auditorium, and baseball diamond. The public could travel there by boat or by trolley on the Defiance Electric Railway. The Maumee Valley Chautaqua was held on the island annually during summers from 1901 to 1912 and featured prominent speakers of the era. The might flood of March 1913 swept away the island's facilities.
Marker Number: 7-20
County: Defiance
Significance of Location: Place
Additional Coordinate: N 41° 17.240 W 084° 20.150
Additional Coordinate description:
Location of Preston Island within the Maumee River.
Bicentenial Mark: no
Website address: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
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