Winchester's Camp #2 / Preston Island

Winchester's Camp #2 / Preston Island (HM10R2)

Location: Defiance, OH 43512 Defiance County
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Country: United States of America
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N 41° 17.387', W 84° 20.796'

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Inscription
[Front Text on Marker] : "Winchester's Camp #2"

After completing Fort Winchester, Brigadier General James Winchester ordered his troops to cross to the north side of the Maumee River. The troops occupied the new site, Camp #2, from November 3-10, 1812. An earthen fortification was built for protection. Militia soldier Elias Darnell recorded on November 4th that "The weather is very rainy, which makes our situation extremely unpleasant?. Four of this army have gone to the silent tomb to-day never more to visit their friends in Kentucky; the fever is very prevalent in camp; nearly every day there is one or more buried." Winchester referred to a burial place for the encampment in his General Orders for November 5th. Camp #2 proved to be too wet and marshy, Winchester ordered his army to move to six miles down river to a site called Camp #3.

[Back Text on Marker] : "Preston Island"

The island is named for William Preston, a veteran of the War of 1812 and settler in the area. During that war, General Winchester ordered that a strong pen be built on the island for the army's cattle. After the Civil War, the island became a popular spot for reunions for veterans and their families. The island had a racetrack, grandstand, auditorium, and baseball diamond. The public could travel there by boat or by trolley on the Defiance Electric Railway. The Maumee Valley Chautauqua was held on the island annually during summers from 1901 to 1912 and featured prominent speakers of the era. The mighty flood of March 1913 swept away the island's facilities.
Details
HM NumberHM10R2
Series This marker is part of the Ohio: Ohio Historical Society series
Tags
Marker Number7-20
Year Placed2011
Placed ByDefiance County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society, National Society of the U.S. Daughters of 1812, City of Defiance, and The Ohio Historical Society
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Saturday, October 4th, 2014 at 6:48pm PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)16T E 722185 N 4574322
Decimal Degrees41.28978333, -84.34660000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 41° 17.387', W 84° 20.796'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds41° 17' 23.22" N, 84° 20' 47.76" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)419, 567
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 1042-1060 E River Dr, Defiance OH 43512, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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