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- During the American Civil War, Indianapolis, the state capital of Indiana, was a major base of suppliesfor the Union. Governor Oliver P. Morton, a major supporter of President Abraham Lincoln, quickly made Indianapolis a gathering place to organize and train troops for the Union army. The city became a major railroad hub for troop transport to Confederate lands, and therefore had military importance. Twenty-four military camps were established in the vicinity of Indianapolis. Camp Morton, the initial mustering ground to organize and train the state's Union volunteers in 1861, was designated as a major prisoner-of-war camp for captured Confederate soldiers in 1862. In addition to military camps, a state-owned arsenal was established in the city in 1861, and a federal arsenal in 1862. A Soldiers' Home and a Ladies' Home were established in Indianapolis to house and feed Union soldiers and their families as they passed through the city. Indianapolis residents also supported the Union cause by providing soldiers with food, clothing, equipment, and supplies, despite rising prices and wartime hardships, such as food and clothing shortages. Local doctors aided the sick, some area women provided nursing care, and Indianapolis City Hospital tended to wounded soldiers. Indianapolis sent an estimated 4,000 men into military service; an estimated 700 died during the war. Indianapolis's Crown Hill National Cemetery was established as one of two national military cemeteries established in Indiana in 1866. During the war, the city's population increased with the arrival of new businesses and industries that offered additional employment opportunities, spurred real estate development, and ushered in the beginning of the city's urban, industrial development. In addition, street crime was prevalent, causing the city government to increase its police force and local merchants to hire private security. The era was also a time of bitter political disputes between Indiana's Democrats and Republicans. In May 1863, in an incident sarcastically called the Battle of Pogue's Run, Union soldiers stopped and searched two departing trainloads of delegates to a statewide Democratic convention, many of whom tossed their personal weapons into a nearby creek. In July 1863 Indianapolis residents feared an attack from Confederate forces during Morgan's Raid into southern Indiana, but the Confederates turned east toward Ohio and never came to the city. After the war, increased wartime manufacturing and industrial growth ushered in a new era of economic prosperity, and Indianapolis's population increased from 8,000 in 1850 to 45,000 at the end of 1864. A real-estate boom led to the establishment of new residential suburbs, but the city retained its slums. Indianapolis also experienced improvements to its public services, such as health care, utilities, street railways, and public schools. By 1880 Indianapolis was Indiana's commercial and industrial center. Construction for the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument began in 1888, in the center of downtown Indianapolis, after decades of discussion. The city's iconic monument was dedicated on May 15, 1902. (en)
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- During the American Civil War, Indianapolis, the state capital of Indiana, was a major base of suppliesfor the Union. Governor Oliver P. Morton, a major supporter of President Abraham Lincoln, quickly made Indianapolis a gathering place to organize and train troops for the Union army. The city became a major railroad hub for troop transport to Confederate lands, and therefore had military importance. Twenty-four military camps were established in the vicinity of Indianapolis. Camp Morton, the initial mustering ground to organize and train the state's Union volunteers in 1861, was designated as a major prisoner-of-war camp for captured Confederate soldiers in 1862. In addition to military camps, a state-owned arsenal was established in the city in 1861, and a federal arsenal in 1862. A Sold (en)
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