Camp Moore
It was a training camp for about 25,000
Louisiana soldiers before they entered combat for the Confederacy
during the Civil War.
After the fall of New Orleans in April
1862, with Baton Rouge threatened by the Union Navy, Governor
Moore made Camp Moore his headquarters during the second week
in May 1862.
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Photo Credit - Capital Resource Conservation
and Development Council
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Situated on roughly 450 acres of land just north
of the town of Tangipahoa, Camp Moore is of historical significance
because it was the training camp for about 25,000 Louisiana
soldiers before they entered combat for the Confederacy during
the Civil War. In May 1861, the site for the camp was selected
and the troops began to arrive. The new camp was named for
Governor Thomas Overton Moore, and Confederate Brig. General
E. L. Tracy was placed in charge of it. During the remainder
of 1861, the 4th-13th and 16th-20th regiments, as well as
a battalion of infantry, successively trained here. Each of
these regiments was organized with about a 1000 men. Due to
the policy of moving regiments to the front as soon as they
were sworn in, there were probably never more than 5000 men
at Camp Moore at any one time. The 5th-10th regiments were
sent to bolster the Confederacy's armies in Virginia, where
they formed part of two Louisiana brigades. The other regiments
served in the Confederate Army of Tennessee against the Union
armies.
After the fall of New Orleans in April 1862, with Baton Rouge
threatened by the Union Navy, Governor Moore made Camp Moore
his headquarters during the second week in May 1862. At the
end of July 1862, Confederate General John C. Breckenridge
assembled about 5000 troops at Camp Moore. They marched to
Baton Rouge and made an unsuccessful attempt to force the
Federals out of the city on August 5, 1862. During the rest
of the war, Camp Moore served as a base for small calvary
units and as a training camp for some conscripts. Since the
1890s, local organizations including the Sons of the Confederate
Veterans, the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and the
Children of the Confederacy have worked with the State Legislature
to preserve and maintain the cemetery. As of the present,
the state of Louisiana's Office of State Parks owns approximately
seven acres, including the cemetery and the Camp Moore Confederate
Museum.
Camp Moore is located along Hwy 51 just north of Tangipahoa.
The museum is open from 10:00am to 4:00pm Tuesday - Saturday;
there is a fee for admission. Call 985-229-2438 for further
information or visit the museum's at www.campmoore.com.
Information provided by The Louisiana Office of State Parks
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