Historic Hempstead Plains

The Historic Hempstead Plains

Camp Black - Garden City, Nassau County 1898

Location¹

Camp Black was formed on the Hempstead Plains, in March 1898, in support of the Spanish-American War. Camp Black was bounded on the north by Old Country Road, on the west by Clinton Road, and on the south by the Central Line rail. Camp Black was opened on April 29, 1898. The first regiment to occupy Camp Black was Co. H of the 71st Regiment. The Camp officially closed on September 28, 1898.

Life at Camp Black.²

Training:

daily drill to learn marching orders
learn the meaning of bugle calls
drill in combat tactics and techniques

Daily Life:

5 A.M. reveille
Roll Call
policing their respective company areas
breakfast
training / work details

Cooking:

Cooking was done on a huge "Buzzacot oven" . It could cook for a 100 men.
The role of chef was filled by the man complaining the loudest.
Water was obtained from a neighboring town's watering cart. The company would take enough water for its needs.

Links:

Fighting 69th drilling in column formation at Camp Black - from the Nassau County Museum Collection.⁵

New York 13th Regiment at Camp Black - from the Nassau County Museum collection.⁵

Sources:
1. "The Long Island Rail Road in the Spanish-American War", Comprehensive History of the Long Island Rail Road, chapter 21, Vincent F. Seyfried

2. "The Little Warof Private post", By Charles Johnson Post, Little and Brown publishers, C 1960

3. Joe Hourigan's Web site.

4. Army's Center for Military History

5. Nassau County Museum - LISI photo collection, #9974 Camp Black - 13th regiment, #6964 Camp Black Fighting 69th drill.

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