Camp Morton

And in early of 1862, Eli became obsessed, again, to get support to raise his own artillery unit.

He haunted the Indiana governor, Oliver Morton, for permission for two months nonstop.

I just pictured him showing up at Morton's bedside like, can I make the artillery unit

now? But during this time, Lilly was starting artillerist manuals nonstop.

He wrote of it, quote, I studied artillery practice.

I recited my lessons and learned the theory of maneuvers.

But persistence paid off.

And during the summer of 1862, I imagine Governor Morton just going, fine, enough.

They arranged them feet to feet, leaving this wide packed dirt walk down the middle between the rows of headboards.

And then you look at Camp Morton in Indianapolis and it reveals a completely different, highly privatized mechanism.

Oh, right.

They didn't even use the military for that.

Exactly.

Instead of the military handling the logistics internally, like at Elmira, the Camp Morton burials were contracted out to the local civilian economy.

Which is

wild to think about.