Scenes of...Camp Pike National Army Cantonment Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas: Camp Pike National Army Cantonment [87th Division, United States National Army], c1918. Presumed First Edition, First printing. Wraps. Format is approximately 10 inches by 12.5 inches. String tied at left side. Decorative front cover with a mounted image of Maj. Gen. Samuel D. Sturgis Commanding 87th Division, National Army. Front cover is torn with a corner separated but present, soiled, worn, and chipped. Rear cover is completely separated near the spine (but present) and is worn, stained, soiled and chipped. Spine is chipped. This is a pictorial work, much like a scrapbook. There are 18 pages with tipped in photographs, some pages have more than one photograph. One bibliographic reference lists only 17 pages of photographs. The photographs are: Entrance to the camp, Division Headquarters, Barracks at South Avenue Entrance, Barracks at North Avenue Entrance, Quartermaster's Warehouse, Base Hospital, The Receiving area, Inspection of Recruits (small tear at lower right corner of image), photograph with five images (Army Y.M.C.A. Brigade Building, Depot Brigade, Remount Station, Hostess House Y.M.C.A. and an uncaptioned image of troops), another photograph with five images (Clean Up After Mess, Filling sleeping sacks, Infantry on the hike, Recruit Registration, and Setting up Exercises), Two photographs on the page, both captioned Passing in Review but the images are different, Y. M. C. A. Auditorium, Knights of Columbus Hall, The Officer's Club, Liberty Theatre, Camp Library, A Regimental Exchange, and Camp Bakery (with one image inset into the larger photograph). Samuel D. Sturgis Jr. (August 1, 1861 – March 7, 1933) was a senior officer of the United States Army who commanded the 87th and 80th divisions during World War I. In August 1917, Sturgis was promoted to temporary major general and assigned to command Camp Pike, Arkansas and the 87th Division. After leading it though its organization and training, Sturgis led the division in France beginning in August 1918, when it was used to provide replacement troops for front line units. He remained in command until the end of the war in November. From November 1918 until April 1919, Sturgis commanded the 80th Division during its post-war occupation duty. After the war, Sturgis commanded the demobilization centers at Camp Gordon, Camp Pike, and Camp Sherman between 1919 and 1921. Camp Pike, Arkansas was named in honor of Brigadier General Zebulon M. Pike, U.S. Army, discoverer of Pike's Peak; killed in action, 1818. Established July 18, 1917 to serve as training camp for 87th Division (National Army) , which occupied the cantonment August 1917 to June 1918. Construction started June 17, 1917 and continued through 1918. Designated as infantry replacement and training camp, April 1918, as infantry training center, August 21, 1918, and as a demobilization center, December 3, 1918. Retained as permanent reservation. Known as Camp Joseph T. Robinson since 1937. The cantonment was awarded to Little Rock on June 11, 1917. A major factor in the decision to award the cantonment to Little Rock was the similarity of the terrain to that of European battlefields. The first troops began to arrive on September 5, 1917. The first man to register was Walter Sherman Sarten, a farmer from Bentonville, Arkansas. By September 8, 1917 there were 1,500 men in camp; that number would grow to as many as 100,000 by the fall of 1918. Construction on the camp was completed in December 1917. After arriving at the camp all new soldiers were restricted to barracks for a ten-day quarantine to prevent the spread of contagious diseases. After completing the quarantine the soldiers were issued uniforms and began training. The majority of the soldiers stayed in two story wooden structures. Sleeping quarters were on the top floor and consisted of approximately 100 cots arranged in single rows along the two outer walls and down the middle. Each cot had a mattress filled with straw. Located on the first floor were a mess hall and a squad room. All cots and mattress were moved outside each day, weather permitting, and the floors were scrubbed. The camp had an immediate impact on the economy of central Arkansas. Although no records exist to determine how much of the camp’s supplies were purchased locally, of necessity a large portion would have been procured from sources in central Arkansas. The post was built as a home for the 87th Division of the National Army. After completing their training, the 87th left Camp Pike for France in August, 1918 and an infantry training center was established at Camp Pike. A total of 22,291 soldiers received infantry training at Camp Pike and were sent overseas. The post was designated as a demobilization center on December 3, 1918 and over 105,000 soldiers were demobilized at Camp Pike. Condition: Fair.
Keywords: United States National Army, 87th Division, Little Rock, Arkansas, Military Training, Military Recruits, Cantonment, Military Installations, Military Posts, WWI, First World War, Infantry, Physical Fitness, Military Life, Samuel Sturgis
[Book #82549]
Price: $125.00