Diamond Cottage became a basic training camp called Camp Angeroth. Diamond Cottage Park is marked in green below. The park later was a favorite place for sports activities from the 1880s until the early 1920s.
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The
2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery Volunteers - Recruiting and Training
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| The Civil War hostilities (April 1861 - April 1865) produced more American wartime
casualties than we sustained during WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, combined.
More than 580,000 casualties from disease and battle wounds in a war of more than
18,000 hostile conflicts - termed major engagements, battles, encounters, skirmishes,
or deadly "minor" incidents lasting less than 1 hour in duration. We have honored
many brave and noble deeds and sacrifices of various combatants with many monuments
and publications. Here are excerpts from Black's story of the men of the 112th Regiment - Second
Battalion of Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery (2nd PA HA) and the role they
played in the defense of the United States during that tragic time. During spring and summer of 1861 secessionist activities grew stronger and threatened the security of the nation's capital. The government began planning and constructing an extensive network of defensive fortifications around the capital. By war's end there were 68 forts and 93 batteries encompassing about 50 miles of defensive lines. The defense of the capital, primarily by heavy artillery units, enabled the Federal Army to adopt an overall offensive military strategy. Until mid-1863, many military units were mustered for short periods of 30 days to 1 year. The most common enlistment was for 1 to 3 years. Most soldiers served with units formed within their neighborhoods of residence. Men responded to the "call of duty" for various reasons. Some thought it would be fun and some thought it was their patriotic duty to save the Union as they got caught up in the "mood of the moment" and were swept away by band music and cheering crowds. The problem facing responsible authorities during this flood tide of patriotism was not to obtain men but to hold volunteers down to manageable numbers. When recruitment began in October 1861 for the 2nd PAHA, the recruits came mainly from the counties of Franklin, Allegheny, and Monroe, or from the city and county of Philadelphia. The initial 3 month recruiting period from October to January 1862 produced sufficient numbers to form 9 batteries (companies) of 150 men each, designated A through I. By November 1862, three additional batteries, K, L and M, were added to the regiment bringing the total number of batteries to twelve. Why J was skipped is not known. |
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"When authority was given me to recruit Co. F, I was shown the order giving Charles Angeroth, our first Colonel, authority to raise the regiments in 1861. It has long been a source of regret that I neglected to make and preserve a copy of that order, and a diligent effort made to find it among the records and papers of the regiment in a department at Harrisburg was unsuccessful. I am therefore obliged to rely upon my memory for the details of the order, which was issued and signed by Major General George B. McClellan, then in supreme command of the army at Washington. Inducements offered to join the organization were numerous and variegated. All kinds of assertions as to the light duty to be required of men were made, and in one or two instances the handbills of recruiting officers stipulated that "members of this regiment will have nothing to do — no marching required, and as quarters equal to most hotels will be provided in fortifications, the men will virtually be at home." Sub-recruiting stations were opened in several localities, in and outside of Philadelphia. Battery A was recruited in Margaretta Street by Charles Auer and William Troost. Battery B was recruited at the Actien Brewery, or Actien Hall, as it was called, on Third Street, below Callowhill, by Charles Shoenleber and Alexander Kost. Battery C's headquarters were on Second Street below Callowhill, Joseph Loeven and Erhardt Feidler being its recruiting officers. Battery D had its recruiting office on Second Street near Callowhill, David Sadler and Charles H. Beine being in charge; also on Market Street above Second, where Nicholas Baggs presided. Edward S. Rowand and J. H. Oberteiiffer, Jr. recruited Battery E on Third Street above Arch. William M. McClure, William Candids, Jr., John M. Wilson, and Samuel D. Strawbridge recruited Battery F at Danville, Muncy, Bloomsburg and Philadelphia. Battery G was recruited by C. N. Cadwallader and James L. Anderson in the basement at the northwest corner of Sixth and Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia. Battery H was recruited by Thomas Wilhelm and John S. Jarden, on Fifth Street above Arch. Gustavus L. Braun and Charles Angeroth, Jr., recruited Battery I at Second and Arch Streets. Battery K was recruited at Uniontown and thereabout by Amzi S. Fuller, John B. Krepps and Pressly Cannon. As soon as recruits were received, they were sent to Charles G. Zimmerman's Diamond Cottage, a pleasure resort in Camden, N. J. where a rendezvous camp was established, and where they were drilled in the "school of the company." There being no arms or clothing available at that time, the men were in citizen dress, and armed with clubs when on guard duty, making it an easy matter to "run the guard," as very many did, and spent most of their time in the city of Philadelphia. In February 1862 the 2nd PA HA was moved to occupy forts around DC to defend our capital city. The different characteristics of the officers and men soon began to show themselves. The majority of them were faithful, patriotic and earnest, and rapidly advanced in knowledge and usefulness. There was the usual number of derelicts that are inevitable accompaniments of all times of excitement and especially of war. The pay was $13 per month for a volunteer. |
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By 1926 the park (marked by a green rectangle below) was paved over for the entry point to a bridge over the Delaware River. |
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