Description: In 1912, there was renewed interest in Anniston for having a nearby Army training facility. Alabama's Third District congressman Henry D. Clayton Jr. brought to the Department of War's attention to the potential of the Choccolocco Mountains for artillery training. Twenty-thousand National Guardsmen were sent to the area for maneuvers. Officials of the participating Army War College found the terrain highly suitable for artillery training, and advocated purchase of the land. On 17 March 1917, the Federal Government acquired 18,952 acres (76.70 km2) of this land for $247,000 (equivalent to $4,989,400 in 2020).On April 6, 1917, Congress declared war on Germany and it has been suggested that without it "it’s likely that Fort McClellan as we remember it would never have been born". The Department of War formally established Camp McClellan on 18 July 1917, named in honor of Major General George B. McClellan, General-in-Chief of the Union Army, 1861–1862. Camp McClellan was one of 32 mobilization camps formed to quickly train men for World War I. Like the other National Guard mobilization facilities, Camp McClellan used hastily constructed wooden buildings for headquarters, mess halls, latrines, and showers, with rows of wooden-floored tents for housing the troops. There were 26 blocks of training areas composed of central buildings and tents, each designated for a particular function (infantry, artillery, ammunition, etc.). Overall, about 1,500 buildings were built, including a base hospital with 118 buildings. The Anniston city limit at that time was a circle 1.3 miles (2.1 kilometers) in diameter. The Camp McClellan reservation was approximately a square some 3.0 miles (4.8 kilometers) on each side, adjoining the northeast quarter arc of the city limits and extending northward along the Anniston to Jacksonville, Alabama, pike. The training blocks were in the northern part of the reservation. An existing Southern Railway line was close by the western boundary; a terminal facility called Remount Depot was built near the southwest corner of the reservation and, farther north, a spur into the camp was constructed.[citation needed] The first troops arrived in late August 1917; by October there were more than 27,000 men from units in New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia training at the camp under the 29th Infantry Division, commanded by Major General Charles G. Morton. Other troops included the 1st Separate Negro Company of Maryland, the 6th Division, the 157th Depot Brigade, the 11th and 12th Training Battalions, and the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Development Regiments. World War 1 Camp McClellan Anniston, Alabama large Troop Banner w/Flag Click images to enlarge Description For your consideration I am offering the original banner for Camp McClellan in Anniston, Alabama in the year 1917. This ginormous rare banner (pennant) measures 22 x 57 inches. I obtained this banner from the great granddaughter of the WW1 soldier who obtained it. NOTATION: Before going to fight in the Argon forest in France during the 1st World War…This banner hung in my brother’s room in Maryland when I was a child. In 1912, there was renewed interest in Anniston for having a nearby Army training facility. Alabama's Third District congressman Henry D. Clayton Jr. brought to the Department of War's attention to the potential of the Choccolocco Mountains for artillery training. Twenty-thousand National Guardsmen were sent to the area for maneuvers. Officials of the participating Army War College found the terrain highly suitable for artillery training, and advocated purchase of the land. On 17 March 1917, the Federal Government acquired 18,952 acres (76.70 km2) of this land for $247,000 (equivalent to $4,989,400 in 2020).On April 6, 1917, Congress declared war on Germany and it has been suggested that without it "it’s likely that Fort McClellan as we remember it would never have been born". The Department of War formally established Camp McClellan on 18 July 1917, named in honor of Major General George B. McClellan, General-in-Chief of the Union Army, 1861–1862. Camp McClellan was one of 32 mobilization camps formed to quickly train men for World War I. Like the other National Guard mobilization facilities, Camp McClellan used hastily constructed wooden buildings for headquarters, mess halls, latrines, and showers, with rows of wooden-floored tents for housing the troops. There were 26 blocks of training areas composed of central buildings and tents, each designated for a particular function (infantry, artillery, ammunition, etc.). Overall, about 1,500 buildings were built, including a base hospital with 118 buildings. The Anniston city limit at that time was a circle 1.3 miles (2.1 kilometers) in diameter. The Camp McClellan reservation was approximately a square some 3.0 miles (4.8 kilometers) on each side, adjoining the northeast quarter arc of the city limits and extending northward along the Anniston to Jacksonville, Alabama, pike. The training blocks were in the northern part of the reservation. An existing Southern Railway line was close by the western boundary; a terminal facility called Remount Depot was built near the southwest corner of the reservation and, farther north, a spur into the camp was constructed. The first troops arrived in late August 1917; by October there were more than 27,000 men from units in New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia training at the camp under the 29th Infantry Division, commanded by Major General Charles G. Morton. Other troops included the 1st Separate Negro Company of Maryland, the 6th Division, the 157th Depot Brigade, the 11th and 12th Training Battalions, and the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Development Regiments. Get images that make Supersized seem small.Showcase your items with Auctiva's Listing Templates! THE simple solution for eBay sellers. Track Page Views WithAuctiva's FREE Counter
Price: 750 USD
Location: Saint Augustine, Florida
End Time: 2024-02-17T17:09:54.000Z
Shipping Cost: 0 USD
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Item must be returned within: 30 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back