Camp Nelson

Camp Nelson Camp Nelson National Monument Kentucky National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Men in a cavalry unit of the US Colored Troops stand for review outside their barracks at Camp Nelson. More than 10,000 Black soldiers trained here. Camp Nelson provides a window into America's complicated soul. The year was 1863. The United States Civil War was entering its third year and the US Army needed a secure place for a new supply depot. Army engineers scouted south from Nicholasville. They came to this plateau and stopped. This was it. The land dropped steeply on three sides to the Kentucky River and Hickman Creek. The engineers quickly designed fortifications to protect the north end. {See the map on the other side.) NATIONAL ARCHIVES Military campaigns soon shifted to other parts of the country, and Camp Nelson evolved into a new role. It became a major recruitment center for the US Colored Troops (USCT). Thousands of Black men freed themselves from enslavement by enlisting. {See "Soldiers" below for how this happened.) The army disbanded the USCT after the war but soon formed permanent Black-only regiments. Many veterans enlisted again. Later nicknamed Buffalo Soldiers, some became the first rangers in America's national parks. Camp Nelson National Monument is a portal to understanding how the Civil At Camp Nelson, Black soldiers were joined by their families, who were not War inspired the fight for civil rights. This quiet landscape holds the stories freed. Their status was uncertain and dangerous until a tragedy brought their of soldiers and refugees, freed and enslaved, attempting to forge their place Camp Nelson served as a supply depot and staging area for operations in plight to national attention. {See "Refugees" about the hardships they endured.) in America and to secure their rights as humans and citizens. The fight for the surrounding region. It featured 300 buildings, including barracks, hospicivil rights continues today. tals, workshops, stables, and mess halls. {Depot details are below.) From here, After the war, the army shut down Camp Nelson. Most refugees left the US Army launched its successful campaign to liberate the people of East Kentucky to search for new opportunities. A few stayed here, establishing a Come, look through the window with us. Tennessee from the Confederacy. community called Ariel on the site of the refugee camp. Now known as Hall, its residents still include descendants of USCT soldiers and refugees. ARMY DEPOT HARNESS AND SHOEING SHOPS Farriers bend to the task of protecting horse and mule hooves with iron shoes. SOLDIERS HOME AND CAMP OFFICES Up to 300 wounded men could be cared for here before going back to war or being discharged. SOLDIERS NATIONAL ARCHIVES ARMY-BUILT COTTAGES Soldiers' families pose outside their cottages. Not everyone had such sturdy housing. REFUGEES UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY Camp Nelson served as a major supply base for the US Army. A constant flow of people, animals, wagons, and cannons from central Kentucky stopped here on their way to the battlefields of Tennessee, Virginia, and Georgia. The army also trained and equipped thousands of soldiers at this base. The US Army relied on soldiers, civilians, and enslaved people to construct and operate the depot. Camp Nelson teemed with activity, and at times its population rose higher than Lexington's. Each day saw a variety of people coming on to the base to work or otherwise interact with the military. They included merchants, shop owners, photographers, leather workers, horse trainers, teachers, preachers, doctors, and nurses. The base also provided shelter for White refugees fleeing the war. Many found their way into military service at Camp Nelson. The army organized them into regiments of infantry, mounted infantry, cavalry, and artillery. The US Army's liberation of Knoxville, Tennessee, in September 1863 showed Camp Nelson's important role in military success. However, the supply lines proved too long and difficult to maintain. As a result. Camp Nelson's mission evolved from supply depot to recruitment center for the US Colored Troops (USCT). Kentucky was a border state during the Civil War—it remained in the United States but maintained the institution of slavery. President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863, defined a path toward freedom for enslaved people in most seceded (Confederate) states. It did not apply to people in the border states of Kentucky, Delaware, Maryland, Missouri, and West Virginia. their enslavers. Even so, hundreds made it to Camp Nelson each day. However, Lincoln's proclamation provided a new option for Black men in Kentucky starting in 1864. If they volunteered for the USCT, they would be emancipated— if they could get to an army base. Many were assaulted, murdered, or returned to At Camp Nelson, the army also organized the 124th US Colored Infantry for boys and older men who could not enlist due to age. They served as guards and in other positions around the camp. Here they had refuge from enslavement. Most centers recruited for only one USCT branch, the infantry. Camp Nelson was different. It organized over 10,000 men into regiments of artillery, cavalry, and infantry. Some would fight in campaigns, including in Virginia at Saltville, Richmond, Petersburg, and Appomattox. Camp Nelson's third major role in the Civil War was as a refugee camp. Thousands of civilians and enslaved people were being displaced by the war, and many found their way here. The army's treatment of the refugees depended on their race. White refugees were provided shelter, food, and medical treatment. Black refugees, including the families of USCT soldiers, were considered fugitives who could be captured back into slavery or removed from camp. The army forcibly removed Black refugees from Camp Nelson at least eight times in 1864. The most tragic incident occurred in late November. Over 400 people were forced from the camp during a winter storm. As a result, more than 100 people died. Most were women and children. The incident received national media attention. In response, the US Army built the "Home for Colored Refugees" at Camp Nelson (below). The complex included a school and hospital. Civilian charitable societies provided education and religious services. After the base closed in 1866, Reverend John G. Fee and his wife Matilda helped Black veterans and their families purchase land for the community of Ariel. Now called Hall, the community is next to the Fee Memorial Church. The church is part of Camp Nelson National Monument. See the map on the other side for locations of photos ofQ-Q. A November 1864 tragedy forced Some people built shanties (far HOME FOR COLORED REFUGEES left). Whatever their shelter, Unlike White families who followed the army to build a barracks and about 100 cottages (center rear and thousands of Black refugees were their soldiers. Black families were taking steps toward freedom. not welcomed at Camp Nelson. The upper right), then put up tents. UNIVERSITY Of KENTUCKY Explore Camp Nelson The national monument protects the core of Camp Nelson (green areas). The original base is outlined in brown; it occupied over 4,000 acres. Luminarias are placed in memory of a tragic night in November 1864. The US Army forced over 400 Black refugees to leave Camp Nelson during a winter storm. More than 100 people died. NPS Why Here? Visiting Camp Nelson Almost all of Camp Nelson's 300-plus structures are gone, b u t t h e landscape remains. It and these maps show w h y army engineers chose this site. They had been scouting south f r o m Nicholasville along a t u r n p i k e ( n o w US 27) f o r a site easy t o d e f e n d and w i t h access t o t h e south. On this hilly plateau, rocky palisades t o t h e west and south plunge over 400 f e e t t o t h e Kentucky River. To t h e east, t h e land drops steeply t o Hickman Creek. A n d a bridge led s o u t h — t h e only river crossing in this part of t h e state. To secure t h e n o r t h , engineers designed earthen fortifications t h a t are still visible today. The m o n u m e n t has t h r e e sections t o visit: Start at the visitor center, w h i c h has a short f i l m and exhibits. The reconstructed barracks give you a glimpse o f army life. Trails take you t o earthworks and other sites. This area also includes the Oliver Perry " W h i t e House," t h e only historic structure remaining f r o m t h e Civil War era. It is closed f o r renovations. The people of Jessamine County k n e w Camp Nelson was an i m p o r t a n t part o f US history. In t h e 1990s local residents and scholars collaborated t o protect t h e current site as a county park. Camp Nelson became t h e 418th u n i t of t h e National Park Service in 2018. Civil War to Civil Rights You can learn more a b o u t t h e Civil War and civil rights at many other National Park Service sites. In Kentucky visit A b r a h a m Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, and Mill Springs Battlef i e l d National M o n u m e n t . In Ohio visit Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National M o n u m e n t . You can visit these and other sites online at w w w . n p s . g o v or w i t h t h e NPS A p p . oiwei Fort Jones (Eastern Fortifications) can be reached by trails f r o m t h e visitor center. Exhibits describe camp operations. Fee Memorial Church, built on t h e site of t h e " H o m e for Colored Refugees," is t h e farthest south of the park's sites. A n exhibit explains t h e refugee camp and t o w n of Ariel. Also visit Camp Nelson National Cemetery, run by t h e US D e p a r t m e n t of Veterans Affairs. It includes graves of US soldiers w h o died here and at other nearby Civil War sites. Open daily d a w n t o dusk. Park grounds and trails are open d a w n t o dusk. The visitor center is typically o p e n 9 am t o 5 pm. Check t h e park website or NPS A p p f o r seasonal changes. Find more visitor i n f o r m a t i o n at t h e b o t t o m right o f this page. Visiting the Park Stay Safe and Protect t h e Park Stay on t h e trails and keep off t h e earthworks. • A l l dogs must be leashed and waste properly disposed. • Be aware of b i t i n g insects and poison ivy near t h e trails. • Seek shelter if thunderstorms approach; l i g h t n i n g is c o m m o n . • Private lands surround t h e m o n u m e n t ; respect landowner privacy. • Metal detectors and relic h u n t i n g are p r o h i b i t e d . • Federal laws protect all natural and cultural features. Accessibility We strive t o make facilities, services, and programs accessible t o all. Check t h e park website f o r details. More Information Camp Nelson National M o n u m e n t 6614 Danville Loop 2 Rd. Nicholasville, KY 40356 859-881-5716; www.nps.gov/cane E m e r g e n c i e s call 9 1 1 Use t h e official NPS A p p t o guide your visit. Follow us on social media. To learn more a b o u t national parks, visit www.nps.gov. • National Park Foundation. Join the park community. www.nationalparks.org GPO:2022—419-059/82926 New ,n 2022 REFUGEE SCHOOL Over 100 students and teachers pose by the school, built in 1865. Reverend John Fee hired the teachers and organized the classes as part of his missionary work at Camp Nelson. UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY AMBULANCE YARD A grim reminder of war, dozens of ambulance wagons wait. What battlefield would they go to next? Who would they bring back? NATIONAL ARCHIVES / / // PRISON Like any city. Camp POWDER MAGAZINE This earth-covered structure stores Nelson needed a secure place for people who broke the law. Soldiers weapons and barrels of gun powder. It was set deliberately and civilians were kept behind this far from barracks and shops in ten-foot-tall fence while serving their sentences. case it exploded. BAKERY Workers take a break from the hot ovens inside. They baked enough fresh bread each day for the over 10,000 people who lived and worked at Camp Nelson. NATIONAL ARCHIVES NATIONAL ARCHIVES NATIONAL ARCHIVES PUMP STATION A steam-powered engine pushed water from the Kentucky River up 470 feet to the camp. As much as 150 gallons a minute poured into a reservoir. UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY DEMONSTRATIONS Members of the 12th US Colored Heavy Artillery Reactivated demonstrate skills used during the Civil War. Their unit keeps alive the history of the USCT soldiers of Camp Nelson. NPS