Camp Thomas Scrapbook (January 1899)

Item Information

Title:
Camp Thomas Scrapbook (January 1899)
Description:
Springfield College alumnus John Hall Sherrill (1899) arranged the Camp Thomas Scrapbook and donated it to his alma mater in January 1899. According to a note on the inside of the cover, the picture’s negatives belonged to John G. Thorne, who worked at the YMCA in Flushing, New York, before the start of the Spanish-American War.
Creator:
Sherrill, John H.
Creator:
Thorne, John G.
Date:
January 1899
Format:
Documents
Location:
Springfield College Archives and Special Collections
Collection (local):
College Archives Digital Collections
Series:
Rare Books Collection
Subjects:
Young Men's Christian Association of North America
Springfield College
Springfield College--Alumni and alumnae
International Young Men's Christian Association Training School (Springfield, Mass.)
Sherrill, John H.
Thorne, John G.
Scrapbooks
Places:
Massachusetts > Hampden (county) > Springfield
Extent:
16 Pages; 14.5in x 11.25in
Link to Item:
http://cdm16122.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p15370coll2/id/6004
Terms of Use:
Text and images are owned, held, or licensed by Springfield College and are available for personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that ownership is properly cited. A credit line is required and should read: Courtesy of Springfield College, Babson Library, Archives and Special Collections. Any commercial use without written permission from Springfield College is strictly prohibited. Other individuals or entities other than, and in addition to, Springfield College may also own copyrights and other propriety rights. The publishing, exhibiting, or broadcasting party assumes all responsibility for clearing reproduction rights and for any infringement of United States copyright law.
Contact host institution for more information.
Language:
English
Notes:
John H. Sherrill was born on November 30, 1874 in Memphis, Tennessee, and he served as the first general secretary of the Pensacola YMCA and president of Sherrill Oil Co. While at Camp Thomas, he wrote to Springfield College: “Religious services were held at irregular intervals, conducted sometimes by evangelists, sometimes be the chaplain, and sometimes by the tent secretary. These services were all of an evangelistic character and were fruitful beyond the highest expectation. Each man making a profession of Christianity was requested to sign a card, The Training School’s Mission to the Army stating his belief in Jesus Christ as his personal savior, and avowing an intention of living a new life. These cards were left with the tent secretary, who employed much of his time in looking after these men, placing in their hands good literature and interesting them in the study of the Word of God.” About the middle of August, Sherrill caught typhoid fever while at the camp. Camp George H. Thomas was a major training center for southern troops during the Spanish-American War. Located in the newly-created Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Park in Georgia and Tennessee, the land’s proximity to the major rail hub at Chattanooga and its large tracts of land made it a logical marshaling area for troops being readied for service in Cuba and other southern points. During the few months of operation, more than 72,000 soldiers passed through Camp Thomas. By the middle of September, however, nearly all the units had departed. When General Boynton assumed command of Camp Thomas, he ordered all nonmilitary trading establishments closed, including those along the infamous Midway. Lytle quickly became a ghost town.
Scale is not 1:1 because item was digitized using a Canon EOS Rebel T1i. Original size listed in the extent field. Pages are not bound together.
Identifier:
camp-thomas-scrapbook