Camp Jossman was a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

cantonment constructed near the town of Buenavista on

Guimaras Guimaras , officially the Province of Guimaras ( hil, Kapuoran sang Guimaras; tl, Lalawigan ng Guimaras), is an island province in the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Jordan while its largest local government ...

Island in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

after the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (cloc ...

Naming

Camp Jossman was named for Albert L. Jossman. Jossman, a graduate of the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

enlisted for the

as a member of the 35th Michigan Volunteer Infantry. He subsequently transferred to the 27th Michigan Regiment, and later joined the regular Army as a member of the 22nd Infantry Regiment. Jossman was subsequently commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, and was wounded at the Battle of Bayan. Second Lieutenant Jossman died in

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

on July 28, 1902 while en route to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

on a furlough. Jossman's remains were returned to

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

, and he received a military funeral in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

Construction and operation

The construction of a post on

Guimaras Island Guimaras , officially the Province of Guimaras ( hil, Kapuoran sang Guimaras; tl, Lalawigan ng Guimaras), is an island province in the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Jordan while its largest local government ...

was authorized by

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

in July, 1902. Subsequent acts of Congress authorized the expansion of the camp. Camp Jossman was the base for the 19th Infantry Regiment and two battalions of Philippine Scouts. In 1909 the facility was expanded to include the Punta Blanco target range. Sixty-seven buildings were planned for Camp Jossman. Not all of these buildings had been completed when the post was vacated.

Affiliation with prominent soldiers

While serving with the 3rd Engineer Battalion from 1902 to 1903, Douglas MacArthur, then a

First Lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...

, was responsible for construction of the Buenavista wharf at Santo Rosario (today known as MacArthur's Wharf), as well as the road from the

wharf A wharf, quay (, also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more berths (mooring locatio ...

to Camp Jossman.

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

John W. Heavey, Chief of the Militia Bureau during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, served at Camp Jossman from 1902 to 1904.

George W. McIver Brigadier general (United States), Brigadier General George Willcox McIver (February 22, 1858 – May 9, 1947) was a United States Army officer who served as acting Chief of the National Guard Bureau, Chief of the Militia Bureau and commanded the ...

, commander of the 81st Infantry Division's 161st Brigade in

, served at Camp Jossman from 1903 to 1905.

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

William H.H. Morris served at Camp Jossman as a Second Lieutenant in 1911.

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

David C. Shanks, assigned to Camp Jossman as a major with the 4th Infantry Regiment from 1908 to 1909.

General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

Joseph Stilwell Joseph Warren "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell (March 19, 1883 – October 12, 1946) was a United States Army general who served in the China Burma India Theater during World War II. An early American popular hero of the war for leading a column walking o ...

was assigned to Camp Jossman as a

from 1904 to 1906.

Deactivation

In 1912 the U.S. Army determined that there was no longer a need for bases on

, and Camp Jossman was vacated. The buildings and other infrastructure were subsequently demolished.

Present day

The site of Camp Jossman is now a reservoir under the jurisdiction of the Water District of Buenavista. The Punta Blanco Ranges are still visible, and are considered a local historic site.Belle Piccio
11 Ways to Enjoy Buenavista, Guimaras
June 13, 2013

References

{{coord missing, Philippines Closed installations of the United States Army Military history of the Philippines History of Guimaras