Camp Groce
| Company type | Military post |
|---|---|
| Industry | Military |
| Founded | 1861 |
| Headquarters | Hempstead , United States |
| Products | Training camps, POW detention |
1861–1862
In the spring of 1861, the Confederate Military Post at Hempstead was created, featuring several training camps situated east of the town along Clear Creek. Initially, Camp Hebert, positioned on the eastern side of Clear Creek, functioned as the headquarters for the Post.
The following spring, 1862, saw the establishment of Camp Groce CSA on Liendo Plantation, intended as a training ground for Confederate infantry recruits. Originally called Camp Liendo, it was later renamed in honor of Leonard Waller Groce, the plantation’s owner and slaveholder. Contracts for building barracks at both Camps Groce and Hebert were issued in February 1862. Numerous Confederate regiments were formed and outfitted at these locations. Nonetheless, due to poor sanitary conditions, both camps were deserted in spring 1862, briefly reactivated until spring 1863 before being abandoned once more. Nearly two hundred Confederate soldiers died from disease while stationed at these camps between 1861 and 1863; many received treatment at the Post Hospital in downtown Hempstead. The majority of those who perished are interred at McDade Plantation cemetery to the west of town.
1863
Camp Groce reopened in June 1863 as a detention center for Union prisoners captured during the Battles of Galveston and Sabine Pass I and II. That year, it housed 427 Union captives, with 21 fatalities recorded; most of those who died are buried northeast of the camp.
1864
In May 1864, Camp Groce resumed operations to detain 148 Union prisoners taken at the battle of Calcasieu Pass, Louisiana, including sailors from the USS Granite City and USS Wave. Additional detainees arrived from Camp Ford and other Confederate units, bringing the total number of POWs to 683 that year. Due to outbreaks of disease, many prisoners were transferred later in the year to Camps Gillespie and Felder. Throughout 1864, a total of 221 prisoners died or went missing across these facilities; by December, 444 had been paroled.
Summary:
- In 1863: 427 POWs detained, with 21 deaths and 2 escapes
- In 1864: 683 POWs detained; fatalities numbered 147; 28 unaccounted for; 20 escaped or deserted; others had unknown status
- Overall: 1,110 POWs held; total deaths reached 168; multiple escape attempts and desertions occurred
Additionally, at least 277 Confederate soldiers died or disappeared near Hempstead during the conflict.
The majority of Union and Confederate soldiers who died locally are buried within three principal cemeteries surrounding Camp Groce and McDade Plantation Cemetery near Austin Branch Road. A Texas State Historical Marker titled "Union Army POW Cemetery" identifies this location, which includes graves of Navy POWs as well as Confederate casualties treated in Hempstead hospitals.
Recent memorial efforts include a Waller County Historical Marker placed within Camp Groce to honor both POWs and Confederate burials. This marker is located near FM 359 south of Clear Creek. Furthermore, the Washington County Historical Commission erected a Texas State Historical Marker near Chappell Hill commemorating Camp Felder’s role during the war.
1865
In March 1865, approximately 8,000 Confederate soldiers from Walker's Division under Maj. Gen. John H. Forney arrived in Hempstead from Louisiana, expecting Confederate President Jefferson Davis to establish what was hoped to be the Confederacy’s final stronghold there. Following critical surrenders — General Lee on April 9, General Johnston on April 26, and Davis’s capture on May 10 — Maj. Gen. Kirby Smith surrendered the Trans-Mississippi Department on June 2, effectively ending organized Confederate resistance in Texas. Subsequently, Confederate troops stationed in Hempstead and throughout Texas largely disbanded. About one month later, United States forces entered Texas; initially, the 29th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment arrived in Hempstead before being succeeded by the 37th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment, which maintained garrison duties at the US Post into 1866.
In August of that year, Maj. Gen. George A. Custer led a volunteer cavalry division into Hempstead, encamping primarily around Liendo Plantation before units either relocated or were mustered out between late 1865 and early 1866. This cavalry contingent comprised the 1st Iowa, 2nd Wisconsin, 7th Indiana, as well as the 5th and 12th Illinois Cavalry regiments. Meanwhile, Company K of the 37th Illinois Infantry provided security for both Hempstead town and its railroad until May 1866. The US Post headquarters was based within town limits rather than at Liendo Plantation.
Across Texas, US military camps were established to oversee parole procedures for former Confederate soldiers, recover seized property belonging to Confederates, and reestablish order throughout the region. Many ex-Confederate soldiers evaded parole or fled across the border into Mexico during this period. By late 1865, most volunteer US regiments had withdrawn from Texas altogether.
1866–1869
During the autumn of 1866, Companies A and B from the 1st Battalion of the 17th US Infantry reached Hempstead and established their encampment to the north of the Post Office. Their main objective involved providing assistance to the Freedmen's Bureau. In the fall of 1867, a yellow fever outbreak devastated the local civilian community in Hempstead and resulted in the deaths of close to 40 soldiers from the 17th Infantry.