Skip to main content

Camp Van Dorn: Military Mystery

Written by: Darren Dedo
Case Filed: 08/08/01 - Centreville, Mississippi
Executive Producer: Rick Garner
Part 1 of 4



It's been 58-years since an alleged atrocity happened at Camp Van Dorn in Centreville, Mississippi. Several people claim over one-thousand black soldiers were slaughtered by white military policemen.
 
Author Carroll Case wrote "The Slaughter," a book about the infamous incident. "The story is basically that the Army could not deal with a group of soldiers, the 364th - all black group, and they had to find a solution. I believe, I state in my book, the solution was to kill these men and to hide them, hide their bodies and to cover the story up."


Case said he was told by a former Camp Van Dorn Military Policemen Bill Martzell that MP's killed 1,227 black soldiers, then buried them somewhere near the base. The Army denies the incident ever happened. Army Lt. Col. Charles Graul, a military historian at the U.S. Army Center of Military History, says, "There isn't a shred of credible evidence that any unusual activity occurred at Camp Van Dorn, Mississippi."

There are lots of discrepancies in this tale. Some say it happened in Spring, others in Summer, or early Fall. The consistency to this story, the incident supposedly happened in 1943.

We found a source close to Camp Van Dorn. A man, who we'll call "Mister X", says he knew the men who killed the soldiers. He says the black soldiers became angry after being denied access to a dance in town. They got drunk and wanted revenge. "Mister X" wasn't present the day of the shooting, but says after talking and eventually working with five Camp Van Dorn MPs, he knows exactly what happened.

"They set up 30 caliber machine guns on both sides of the tracks, and these soldiers came up the railroad tracks heavily armed, cussing, gonna kill white people. They got in between these banks. They opened up the machine guns, killed a number of them, and the others ran."

The Army says stories like Mister X's are urban legends grown out of control. During their investigation, they talked with some former members of the 364th who say that a shooting never happened.

"Not a single person had heard of this incident, or could name a soldier who might have disappeared under unusual circumstances," says Graul.

In our search for the unexplained, we found two more men of the 364th that the Army didn't interview. Their accounts shed even more light on what might have happened at Camp Van Dorn. Next Wednesday night, we'll speak with these two veterans as his investigation continues.

Additional Resources:



"Betty" Full Video Interview


Malcolm LaPlace Full Video Interview


"Mister X" Full Video Interview


Lt. Col. Charles Graul: Full Video Interview


Author Carroll Case: Full Video Interview


Ron Caulfield: Full Video Interview


Paige Cothren: Full Video Interview


Dr. Lucius Lampton: Full Video Interview


Edythe Lensing: Full Video Interview


Theodore Bullock: Full Video Interview


NEW Congressman Bennie Thompson Letter

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Haunted History of Kings Landing | Unexplained Cases (2024)

Written by:  Rick Garner Case Filed: 9/1/24 Executive Producer:  Rick Garner   In Calvert County, Maryland, along the shore of the Patuxent River, the 260-acre Kings Landing Park is a wonderful location to experience history and nature. Once an active farm and later a YMCA camp, kayakers, canoeists, fishman, nature lovers, and families enjoy Kings Landing Park for its access to the river, creeks, marshes, and hiking trails. Picnic areas are available for small and large groups, large pavilions require reservations, and an event hall is also available for rent. Captain John Smith - the English explorer who played an important role in the establishment of the colony at Jamestown, Virginia - explored the region between 1607 and 1609. Also, British warships chased the American fleet up the river during the War of 1812. History at Kings Landing Park is being experienced in other ways. Driving onto this peaceful and beautiful property, it's difficult to imagine it being a p...
2 comments
Read more

Secrets of the House in Between | Unexplained Cases (2024)

Written by:  Rick Garner Case Filed: 6/29/24 Executive Producer:  Rick Garner   Why are some places haunted while seemingly others are not? Why are some considered very haunted? One home in Mississippi appears to be very haunted when you consider the variety and frequency of documented supernatural activity. Under constant surveillance, the focus of two documentaries and countless investigations, what’s become known as “The House In Between” once was just a uniquely designed home in Florence. In 2011, our own Darren Dedo was an anchor and reporter for ABC affiliate WAPT. This was many years after our creation of “Unexplained” at the local CBS affiliate WJTV. Darren was the first journalist homeowner Alice Jackson entrusted with the secrets of her haunted house. Ten years later, in 2021, Darren reconnected with Alice and she shared consistent and additional details about her house. In November 2023, Rick Garner visited this infamous home one afternoon. While he wou...
Post a Comment
Read more

What Happened When We Spent The Night In A HAUNTED Jail? | Unexplained Cases (2025)

Written by:  Rick Garner Case Filed: 4/28/25 Executive Producer:  Rick Garner   Once home to prisoners, executions, and sorrow, the Fauquier History Museum at the Old Jail carries a heavy energy within its now bright and welcoming halls. Built in 1808, expanded in 1823, and saved from demolition in 1966, this historic site has seen lives begin, end... and perhaps linger. 👻 Visitors, volunteers, and staff have experienced full-body apparitions, shadow figures, phantom footsteps, mysterious knockings, and even lights flickering without explanation. ⚡ Unexplained Cases teamed up with Loudoun County Paranormal Research and Investigations to explore these chilling claims. The findings? Let’s just say... not everything within these walls has moved on. 🕯️ Visit them online: https://www.fauquierhistory.org/ ABOUT UNEXPLAINED CASES: The Unexplained Cases team is focused on preserving history while documenting the strange, paranormal and unexplained. What separates Unexplai...
Post a Comment
Read more