Union army POWs v Union army POWs in 1861

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Pre-pro Baseball
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Awaiting Review
Date of Game 1861
Location San Antonio, TX, United States
Home Team  Add Club Page Union army POWs
Away Team  Add Club Page Union army POWs
NY Rules Likely
Description

The Houston Weekly Telegraph, July 31, 1861: "The San Antonio Ledger has an account of a visit by the editor, to the military camps in the neighborhood.... The [Federal army] prisoners are described as having a good time, with nothing to do but eat and sleep and play at base ball."

This refers to a POW camp of roughly 400 prisoners, taken in and around San Antonio when the United States army garrisons in Texas were surrendered in early 1861. This may be the first reference to baseball played in San Antonio. It is likely that the US army garrison soldiers played ball here pre-1861.

The two San Antonio POW camps appear to have been Camp Van Dorn, 3 miles from the city near Salado Creek, and a camp near San Pedro Springs.

Sources

The Houston Weekly Telegraph, July 31, 1861

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Found by Bruce Allardice
Entered by Bruce Allardice
First in Location TX



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