Elmira as a Draft and Rendezvous Site

On April 23, 1861 the Governor of New York declared Elmira a military depot for western New York. Two years later the U.S. Government named Elmira a military draft rendezvous. This meant that military supplies were distributed to and from Elmira while men enlisted and received very basic training before being sent south. With east to west and south to north railway lines, Elmira was connected to Chicago, New York City, Washington, DC, and other cities so troops and supplies could be shipped in and out of the area. Eventually, four camps were built to accommodate the soldiers. Each camp included barracks, drill field and artillery ranges. The military camps were named after prominent Elmirans John

Activities

Arnot, William T. Post, John T. Rathbun, and John M. Robinson. Camp No. 1 (Arnot Barrack) was located on Madison Ave. between Washington Ave. and Fifth St; Camp No. 2 (Post Barrack) was north of Washington Ave. between Lackwanna Ave. and Lake St.; Camp No. 3 (Rathbun Barrack) was on Water St. beyond Hoffman St.; Camp No. 4 (Robinson Barrack) was on Pine St. and Mount Zoar St. on the Southside. The military headquarters in Elmira was located in the Brainard House (current location of the Chemung Canal Trust Company).

Over the course of the war 20,796 soldiers were trained in Elmira’s camps. By 1864, two of these camps were closed, while Camp No. 1 remained a training camp and Camp No. 3 became a Confederate prison camp.