New Restrictions: Philippines War Tour

The trolley terminus in the Presidio.

The building behind the kiosk was the Presidio terminus of the trolley line from the downtown and the wharfs. With the increased in troop activity near the turn of the century came many changes at the Presidio. New orders restricting activities on the Presidio were issued in the spring of 1899:

"News reporters can no longer use a camera on the reservation. Women can neither enter a barracks nor sit on barracks porches or steps. Privates are not allowed to "walk, stand, or lie" on the boardwalk leading from officers' row to the trolley terminus. The civilian fruit stand at the terminus is to be closed and a post exchange opened at the site."

The new post exchange at this site supplied cigars and candy to soldiers and visitors, the profits of which contributed to the comfort and welfare of the command.

In 1898 this was the edge of a large tent camp that spread over the area now covered by the Letterman Digital Arts Center. It was known as Camp Miller, and volunteer regiments like the First California volunteers camped here before going to fight the Spanish in the Philippines. This camp and others located up the hill across Lombard Street and over in Tennessee Hollow later became known as Camp Merriam, with its East and West Cantonments.

While waiting to ship out, volunteers from around the country took part in the local sports scene. The entire 51st Iowa Infantry regiment took a train to Stanford University where its football team beat Stanford 6 to 0. Later the team tied the University of California 0-0.

But by the end of October 1898 Camp Merriam lay almost deserted after most volunteers had sailed for the Philippine Islands. A year later these regiments began returning. The 51st Iowa's historian wrote of their return in 1899.

"General Shafter, himself, with cavalry and artillery, led our regiment on a parade from the pier up Market Street to Golden Gate Avenue, down Van Ness, then Lombard to the Presidio. Company M still had its two dogs, Bob and Dewey, who had gone overseas the year before. At the post, the brick barracks were familiar but nearby stood a new army general hospital. The hillsides were covered with round-topped tents pitched along well kept streets with adjacent wooden kitchens and other buildings."

The 1st Idaho Infantry left Manila on July 29. The ship was quarantined for two days at Yokohama, Japan, because of measles. Arriving in San Francisco Bay on August 29, the regiment marched to the Presidio, only quite a number were unable to stand the walk, and made the trip on the street cars. Pvt. James Camp wrote:

"On the voyage home we had good food. We marched to Camp Presidio where we lived pretty good. The people from San Francisco brought us food to eat. The Sibley tents of the new Model Camp on the warm hillside had board floors and a small stove heated each."