Camp Butler - Springfield, IL
Posted by: 
cldisme
N 39° 49.910 W 089° 33.406
16S E 281207 N 4412220
At the start of the Civil War, Camp Butler was a mustering point for Union volunteers from Illinois, then became a prisoner-of-war camp for captured Confederates. Today, it is a National Cemetery for all veterans.
Waymark Code: WM37J7
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 02/23/2008
Views: 18
The Historical Marker reads:
Camp Butler, Civil War concentration camp for Illinois volunteers, occupied a large area in this vicinity from 1861 to 1866. It was also a prison camp for captured Confederates. Now a national Cemetery, it contains the graves of 1642 Union and Confederate soldiers.
This sign was erected in 1934, before the term "concentration camp" obtained its vile connotation during World War Two. We would probably use the term "Training Camp" or "Mustering Point" instead.
Today,
Camp Butler National Cemetery is the site for not only Union and Confederate graves (which are distinguished by a pointed-peak gravestone instead of the more familiar rounded ones), but also veterans from all the subsequent wars.
The sign itself is in excellent condition for its age.
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