Jefferson Barracks Citizens Military Camps - Jeffersonian Yearbook (Lemay, MO)

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f g f JEFFERSON BARRAOKS-CENTENARY THE JEFFERSQNIAN' These hills and woods, with their inspiring view of river and prairie, have witnessed many stirring scenes during the century since they ceased to he commons of an old colonial settlement. They have resounded with the footsteps of hundreds of thousands of armed men ,who have served their country, well and many of whom have given their lives for it. Regiments have come and gone, men whose names are written large on the pages of our history have lived here. What they may witness during the next hundred years, we can not foresee,l9ut there must always be annarmy post somewhere , near the great city that lies to the north of us and in all probahility, the second century of service here at the Barracks will not be inferior in import- ance and in practical results to that which has just preceded. This old post has deserved well of its country, and all those who love their country can do no less than render to feferson Barracks also a full tribute of respect and ajectionf' -From Centennial Day Address by Arthur E. Bostwicle, fuly 4, 1926 One hundred years of existence-crowded with historic names and episodes-was rounded out by JeHerson Barracks, Sunday, July 4, when the centenary of its establish- ment as a regular army post was appropriately celebrated with a patriotic program. Significantly, the celebration was arranged by the Sixth Infantry-the regiment which played suchan important role in the establishment of the post just one hundred years ago. Cannon boomed out the national salute of forty-five guns, and the entire garrison, under Colonel Moor N. Falls, assembled to take part in the centenary commemoration of the founding of Jefferson Barracks. Interesting sidelights on the history of the post were given by Arthur E. Bostwick, Librarian of St. Louis, who sketched the story of the last one hundred years, as follows: On the Fourth of July, 1826, one hundred years ago today, the track of land where we have now assembled was part of the commons of the settlement known as 'Vide Pochoi, meaning 'empty pocket', having been named partly in ridicule to a body of settlers who had a particularly hard time to maintain themselves and their families. Such lands for common use formed a regular part of all French settlements made in Louisiana territory. ln the previous March, General Gaines, commanding the lliestern Department, and Brigadier General Atkinson, commanding the Sixth Infantry, had selected this locality as the site for a large garrison to be established in the lX4ississippi Valley. General Jacob Brown, the 'hero of Lundy's Lane and in command of the United States armv, had already decided that this garrison should be located near St. Louis in order that 'detachmentis could be sent to re-inforce or relieve garrisons stationed on the Lakes, the Blississippi. the Arkansas, the Red, and the Sabine rivers, and at New Orleans, forming thus what is known as a 'Corps de Reserve'. L There had, of course, been a garrison of United States troops in or near St. Louis ever since the acquisition of the Louisiana territory. The troops first occupied the en- closure knoiwn as.'The Fort on the Hilll, bounded by Fourth, Fifth, Elm, and Market streets, which had been erected years before for the Spanish military garrison. This they occupied only two years, when they moved'to Fort Bellefontaine' at the mouth of the Missouri river. The abandonment of this site in 1826 was due to the belief that it was unhealthy, there having been much sickness during the twentv vears of its occupancy. The terms of occupancy by the government seem to have' been vaguely stated if first and the result was a long litigation which was not finallv settled until asilate as the year 18Q2. 'In that year the legislature of Missouri ceded toithe United States exclusive jurisdiction tothe territory on which this military post now stands. ln a deed Given bv the city council of Carondelet in 1854, the tract was stated to embrace 1 702 acreshbut this was reduced by Act of Congress in 1894 to its present area of 1260 iici-es the b'il'1ncc being released to adjoining owners. i K ii i 1 Page One Hundred Sixteen Q Yl 'u's'uQ'u' QQ' QVVQVSYVQKQQQYQKQV D .v-v-v.mv.v.vmv.v.v.v.v.wv.v.v vvy, .v.v.v.w a -- lg C

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' H Hluet One hundred years ago today, Colonel Talbot Chambers with four companies of the Flrstlnfantry arrived here from Fort Bellefontaine and established a cam near Rock Spring which he named 'Cantonment Adams' in honor of President John guincy Pildams, then tinboifiice. General Gaines issued an order on the following day, July 5, for t e ereetlpn O ui 1ngs.for an Infantry Corps of Instruct1on', but the name of 'Jefferson Barracks was not officially bestowed until an order dated October 23 1826. Thomas Jefferson died on July 4th just one hundred years ago today and on the day when Colonel Chambers encamped here at Rock Spring. The hrst entire regiment of troops to occupy the post was the Third Infantry, under command of Colonel Henry Leavenworth, which arrived September 17 1826. Both these and the four companies of the First Infantry lived in tents and huts protected by long fgnces in front, being encamped on the slope of the hill south of the present parade groun s. By Christmas, all troops were installed in log barracks, and in the following April 1827, the Sixth Infantry, under General Henry Atkinson, arrived and General Atkinsori at once began the construction of stone buildings, a considerable part of which were erected by the soldiers themselves. Besides the barracks, there was a large hospital, quarters for the officers and stabling for a large number of horses. There had been expended on the buildings prior to 1840 about 870,000 , c'Of these substantial buildings, however, no trace now remains except part of the foundations which are said to be visible near the south edge of the parade ground. The coat of arms of the United States in stone taken from the headquarters building, is still to be seen on the slope of the lawn in front of the present building. The old buildings were demolished in 1892 and the stone used for foundations, etc., when the construction of new buildings was authorized by Congress. In 1862, at the beginning of the Civil War, many additional buildings were erected for hospital purposes and elaborate improvements were made. These included a Water- works building, a hotel for the accommodation of persons visiting sick friends, and a building used as achapel, library, and reading room. f'The present buildings, as we see them, date only from 1905, when, on the con- version of the Barracks into a recruitinglstation, there was another wholesale reconstruc- tion. The grand-stand and the cafeteria, however, were erected in 1918 and 1919 during the Great War and some of the temporary wooden buildings of that era also remain to us. Important subsidiary features of the Barracks have always been the powder depot and the national cemetery. The former, containing approximately one hundred and ten acres, was established. about 1840 when two elaborate stone magazines were erected. Just after the Civil War, others were built in deep sink holes. Only one of these buildings is now used for the storage of powder, contents of the rest having been transferred in 1890 to the Rock Island arsenal. The others have been used for the storage of medical and other supplies. ' The national cemetery was originally the post cemetery of the Barracks and ac- quired its present status in 1867. In 1921, the grounds were doubled in size and now include forty acres. Approximately 13,000 graves of soldiers, or their immediate families, including veterans of nearly all American wars from the Seminole to the World WVar, are buried therein. c'During the period, before the Mexican war, the post was a grand rendezvous for western troups and was a point of distribution. Many of the most important military exploring expeditions made the post their starting point, and the reserve of the western army was usually to be found here. At the outbreak of the Black Hawk War, General Atkinson, with six companies of the Sixth Infantry, set out from this post by steamboat for the Upper Miississippi. In- cidentally, one company of the Illinois volunteers who took part with them inthe engage- ment at Bad AxRiver,where Black Hawk was captured, was led by Captain Abraham Lincoln, whose name most of the Sixth Infantry then doubtless heard for the first, but not for the last time. THE JEFFERSONIAN Page One Hundred Seventeen 8 v v v ofnfo 5vbVoVaVu'4'uY11oVu1uYa'u'n':'aY.VpVyVA '4V4'4VAV n A 0 0