Results tagged “Camp Security” from Universal York

Tray of items found at one level in one hole of dig

Many thousands of artifacts were found during the recent archaeological dig at the Schultz House, items such as pieces of pottery and dishes, bottle glass and window glass, animal bones, coal, bricks, mortar, plaster and nails--lots and lots of nails. Even a few Native American items were found. I didn't get to participate in the dig, but I was privileged to be one of the volunteers that spent nearly two weeks cleaning and marking the artifacts. Archaeologist Steve Warfel will spend the winter cataloging the artifacts and present a report to Historic York, Inc., the owner of the house, in the spring. The items will be placed with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, also the custodian of the items found in the 1979 limited dig that identified part of the prisoner of war camp.

The four+ acres on which the Schultz House sits was part of the whole tract of 280 acres owned by David Brubaker during the Revolutionary War. Camp Security was located on about 40 acres of the same tract.

It was somewhat disappointing not to find any military-related artifacts, as Camp Security was just across the field. Maybe we shouldn't be too surprised though. The Shultz House is said to have been a tavern during the Revolutionary period. Even if it was frequented by the guards, they may not have left much behind in the immediate vicinity of the house. The prisoners themselves would have been expected to stay close by the camp. The ones confined in the stockade, which still has not been located, wouldn't have had a choice. The others, those with more freedom, still needed permission to move about.

Still, the importance of the dig was twofold. First, the Schultz House is at least 245 years old. As a historic house, it is significant enough to warrant exploration. Secondly, there was no way to know if any military artifacts were there without doing a dig. To me, that underscores the importance of further exploration of other parts of the original 280 acres. My hope is that owners of the two large remaining tracts, known as the Wiest farm and the Rowe farm, someday give permission for further archaeological exploration.

Click the links below for more on Camp Security's history.

Documenting Camp Security.

Another clue to Camp Security.

Camp Security prisoner numbers hard to pin down.

See below for more photos.

The 280 acres on which Camp Security was located is highlighted in yellow.

I am glad to see that there is going to be an archaeological dig this summer at the Schultz house, which was the original pre-Revolutionary house on the land that David Brubaker owned during the Revolutionary War. Camp Security was located on part of David Brubaker's 280 acres from 1781 to 1783. It is located in present-day Springettsbury Township, but it would have been part of Hellam Township at that time.

Historic York, Inc. presently owns the house and the four+ acres on which it stands. True, four+ acres is a fraction of the property in Brubaker's time, but it is a start, or restart, into exploring the only undeveloped site of an American Revolutionary War prison camp. (There were previously two limited digs done on another part of the original acreage.)

Camp Security was probably similar to this Charlottesville, Virginia Revolutionary War prisoner-of-war camp. Some of Camp Security's prisoners were previously detained at the Charlottesville camp.

"At York they were kept in huts newly constructed, also surrounded by a high stockade, and were also strictly guarded. At a little distance from, but in sight of, our men's huts, upon a rising ground were situated a number of huts occupied by soldiers of General Burgoyne's army, also prisoners of war, but without stockade or guard. Our men named their own camp " Security," and the other camp " Indulgence."

Exactly where were the camps described above by General Samuel Graham, one of the British troops surrendered at Yorktown? How far did they extend? We don't really know, and we will never know if more thorough archaeological investigation is not done on the site, the whole of which we now call Camp Security.

Upon returning recently from a trip to Florida to visit relatives, I discovered that there was a new proposal for development at the site of Camp Security, this time on both the Weist and Rowe parcels.

After catching up on the newspaper articles, I reread the archaeology reports produced in 1979 and 2000. The 1979 study, funded by Springettsbury Township and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, with participation of Historic York, Inc. and others, was more extensive than the 2000 archaeological survey done for the developer who owns the Wiest tract. As a result of these surveys, some features have been identified and artifacts have been found.

Those excavations and samplings are a start, but there are clearly more questions to be answered. Where was the stockade? Where was the cemetery? We have clues from contemporary reports and documents and passed down stories. Even after extensive documentary research, researchers don't agree on locations. Clearly, more definitive archaeological studies need to be done.

I was present at the October 11, 2001 meeting when Dr. Brent Glass, then Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, offered to do extensive archaeology on the site the following summer, at no cost to the developer. That offer was turned down. Once houses and condos are built on Camp Security, this last remaining American Revolution prisoner of war camp, it will be too late. Let's hope something substantial is done before time runs out.

For a concise history of Camp Security, see below for my previous York Sunday News column.

Some of the artifacts from the 1979 exploration are on display at the Pennsylvania State Museum.

Numerous newspaper stories on Camp Security and threatened development can be found by doing a search at www.InYork.com.

Copies of the archaeological reports, contemporary accounts, modern papers and much more on Camp Security are contained in file 16140 at the York County Heritage Trust Library/Archives. There is a nominal daily fee for non-members of the Trust. (It is a large file, so allow plenty of time for in depth perusal.)

Click below for links to more blogs on Camp Security.

Prisoner numbers hard to pin down.

Another clue.

Endangered site.

Marker replaced with new text.

New excavations at Schultz House near Camp Security.

Researching history is like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. You take little odd-shaped pieces and try to fit them together to create a complete picture.

Along with others, I have been gathering information for years on Camp Security, where British prisoners of war were detained from 1781 to 1783.

Click here for background on Camp Security.

The camp was located on part of David Brubaker's 280 acres, about four and a half miles east of York in the area of Stony Brook. That land has been subdivided since, with the two largest remaining parcels known as the Wiest and Rowe properties.

Some previously untapped sources have recently come to light.