The History of Camp Watts

Camp Watts was located on what is now known as Union Camp Road in Notasulga, AL. This location is
currently private property and is used for cattle. This location was once a hospital, camp, train depot and
supply point for confederate soldiers during the civil war. Camp Watts was commanded by Major William G.
Swanson in 1862. This Camp was capable of supporting anywhere from 2000-3000 men at any given time.
This location served as a camp of conscripts for training soldiers and picking up supplies as well. Which
came in on the railroad still located just across the street. The old rail road spur that once ran from the main
rail way right to the camp can still be seen in the bare trail stretched across the back side of the baseball field
just in front of the property. The hospital which was once here is still a mystery as to just where exactly the
hospital was situated on this property. Along with the hospital there is no way to pin point the cemetery either.
This cemetery would hold the remains of confederate and union soldiers alike. It's said that after the camp
was removed the property was bought and the land was farmed. The graves of these soldiers where never
moved. The slaves that farmed this land moved the large white stones that marked each grave to farm the
land. This property has changed hands on many occasions threw the years, and the location of the grave
sites are forever lost.
Investigating Camp Watts

Investigating Camp Watts has posed difficult, in that 320 acres of farm land populated by sometimes honary
cattle makes it difficult to conduct a thorough investigation of the property. Currently we are looking to pin
point where the hospital and camp would have been. We have found evidence of where the camp and
hospital may have been based on artifacts found on the property. Some of the items we have found are
parts of an old well, to include the brick and mortar and an old bucket. The property itself gives us clues as to
where a large scale tent or building may have been. The ground close to the location where the well was
found is built up like a road may have once been there.
The grave markers here are in an obvious place under a large and very old oak tree. However we know
this is not the location of the buried soldiers. Since we know that farmers and slaves moved stones from
the fields. We know this location was chosen by family as a memorial site but not the actual resting place
of the soldiers who died here. There is evidence in The Civil War Archives of Alabama that some of the
Union General Lovell H. Rousseau's raiders may be buried here as well.
The Alabama Paranormal Research Team is still investigating the Camp Watts location to hopefully uncover
some hard evidence of where the hospital and grave sites are located. As well as some evidence of the
legends of this historic place being haunted by civil war soldiers. Sounds of cannon fire and the voices of men
talking are just a few of the reports from this location. The city of Notasulga lost there records room to a fire in
1997. Many historic records where lost in that fire to include information on Camp Watts as well as other
locations in Notasulga our team has been asked to investigate. Even if our team finds no evidence of
paranormal activity it's our duty as American's to help preserve our history.
Camp Watts
Notasulga, Al.