On This Date June 1, 1813 and 1917
June 1, 1813 – American navy captain James Lawrence, mortally wounded in a naval
engagement with the British, exhorts the crew of his vessel, the Chesapeake, “Don’t give up the
ship!”
June 1, 1917 – construction begins at what would become Camp Dix, named for Major General
John Adams Dix, a veteran of the War of 1812 and the Civil War. On July 18, the War
Department officially named the containment Camp Dix. It was the training ground for the 78th,
87th and 34th Divisions. Following the armistice, the camp became a demobilization center.