Camp William Penn Camp William Penn was a Union Army training camp located in Cheltenham , Pennsylvania from 1863 to 1865 , notable for being the first training ground dedicated to African American troops who enlisted in the United States Army during the American Civil War . Some 11 , 000 free blacks and escaped slaves were trained here , including 8 , 612 from Pennsylvania , the most black troops recruited during the war from any northern state . After Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation , many freed blacks stepped forward to fight in the army . Thousands of ex - slaves and free blacks displayed a desire to prove they were citizens , like the soldiers currently fighting the war . Often blacks who enlisted were treated rudely and were turned away . Camp William Penn became the " training camp for colored troops enlisted into the United States Army . " The family of Lucretia Mott , a women ' s rights advocate , leased land they owned to the Federal government so that a training camp could be established there . This parcel was located in Chelten Hills in Cheltenham Township , Pennsylvania , just outside the city limits of Philadelphia . Originally , the camp was to be named after Lincoln ' s Secretary of War , Edwin M . Stanton , but , when final plans were approved , the camp was named William Penn . All of the troops at Camp William Penn were black volunteers who came from a number of different states . Lt . Col . Louis Wagner , who was recovering from wounds received at the Battle of Chancellorsville , volunteered to take command of the camp in early 1863 . The camp was the largest federal training facility for African - American soldiers . The camp , which was fully operational by July 4 , 1863 , served as the training ground for eleven regiments comprising nearly 11 , 000 men in its two years of existence . Local antagonists closely observed the activities at Camp William Penn . Many worried that black recruits might defy government authority . When Frederick Douglass entered the grounds to speak with the black recruits , he observed some disturbing activities . Douglass noted black recruits being punished for various military infractions and was deeply disturbed . Many of these recruits were men who already bore the scars of slavery . Douglass told the troops : " You are a spectacle for men and angels . You are in a manner to answer the question , can the black man be a soldier ? That we can now make soldiers of these men there can be no doubt . " Because of continuing racism , the black troops were not treated equally . Many soldiers complained of harsh treatment . Still , Camp William Penn symbolized an advancement of importance for African - Americans . Although the white community seemed to lack tolerance for the soldiers , Colonel Louis Wagner insisted that his black soldiers ignore segregationist policies . Confederate soldiers hated commanders of black regiments and when black troops were taken prisoner , the commanders were often executed with their men . Famed black artist David Bustill Bowser designed the unit ' s regimental flag . The flag depicted " the Goddess of Liberty holding a flag while exhorting a freedman dressed as a soldier to do his duty . "