Living historians portraying the 21st Massachusetts Infantry at the 160th Anniversary of the Knoxville Campaign at Camp Nelson National Monument on August 12, 2023.
NPS
Camp Nelson 1864
The US Army established Camp Nelson on April 29, 1863. Over the next three years, the site served as a fortified supply depot, hospital, recruitment and training center, and refugee camp. The National Park Service (NPS) commemorates the 160th Camp Nelson (2023-26) with a series of special events, programs, and multi-media presentations!
All programs are free and open to the public.
Two Park Rangers leading a group of a visitors along a trail at Camp Nelson National Monument.
NPS
2nd Annual Summer Ranger Series
Join the NPS for the 2nd Annual Summer Ranger Series at Camp Nelson National Monument! The series features programs related to the Civil War Era, especially the 160th Anniversary of Camp Nelson (1864).
The 2024 Lineup features special programs at Camp Nelson National Monument and other sites managed by partners in Kentucky.
Saturday, June 8th: History at Sunset (7:00 pm – 8:30 pm) "The Unconditional Union Men”: U.S. Colored Troops and Kentucky in June 1864
The 3rd Annual History at Sunset Series returns with a special evening walk at Camp Nelson National Monument marking the 160th Anniversary of General Orders No. 20, issued by the War Department on June 13, 1864. The order authorized unrestricted enlistment of African American men in the U.S. Army at eight camps of instruction across Kentucky. Black enlistment set in motion’s Camp Nelson’s dramatic evolution from supply depot to “Birthplace of Liberty to Kentucky.”
Meet NPS staff at Visitor Center.
Visitors should wear sturdy walking shoes and bring water and insect repellent.
Location:
Camp Nelson National Monument
6614 Danville Road Loop 2
Nicholasville, KY 40356
Saturday, June 15th: Juneteenth Day (7:00 pm – 8:30 pm) 19th Annual Juneteenth Jubilee at African Cemetery No. 2, Lexington, KY
The NPS is honored to participate in the 19th Annual Juneteenth Jubilee at African Cemetery No. 2 in Lexington, KY to commemorate the Juneteenth Day and the 160th Anniversary of Camp Nelson. In June 1864, the U.S. Army authorized the unrestricted enlistment of African American in the United States Colored Troops [USCT] in Kentucky. By war's end, 23,703 Black Kentuckians served in the USCT. 154 Black veterans are interred at the cemetery, including 114 men who served in regiments organized at Camp Nelson—the largest USCT recruitment center in Kentucky and the third largest in the country. A year later on June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger issued General Orders No. 3 in Galveston, Texas, declaring all enslaved people in the state “forever free.”
Visitors should bring camping chairs and water.
Location:
African Cemetery No. 2
419 East Seventh Street
Lexington, KY 40508
Saturday, June 22nd: Slavery, Survival, and Spelunking: A Soldier's American Journey (1:00 pm 2:00 pm CDT)
Camp Nelson National Monument (CANE) and Mammoth Cave National Park (MACA) will commemorate Juneteenth Day and the 160th Anniversary of Camp Nelson during a presentation of a special U.S. flag to the 12th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery [USCHA] (Reactivated) on Saturday, June 22 at 1 p.m. CDT at the Mammoth Cave outdoor amphitheater. The ceremony will pay tribute to African Americans soldiers, civilians, and refugees, who pursued freedom, equality, and the rights of citizenship.
One of the enlistees to the 12th USCHA was a man named William Garvin, who was born into slavery in southcentral Kentucky in 1847 or 1848. Garvin self-emancipated by enlisting in the U.S. Army and was assigned to the 12th USCHA at Bowling Green on February 7, 1865. After the war, Garvin settled in Edmonson County, Kentucky and served as a cave guide and explorer at nearby Mammoth Cave. His famous discovery during his time at the cave was the maze-like passage known as Corkscrew which opened a variety of cave tour routes for visitors in the late 1800s.
The special commemoration event and flag presentation is free and open to the public. The Mammoth Cave outdoor amphitheater is located between the main hotel building and the camp store and is wheelchair accessible.
Location:
Mammoth Cave National Park
1 Mammoth Cave Pkwy
Mammoth Cave, KY 42259
Saturday, July 27th: History at Sunset(7:00 pm – 8:00 pm) In the Footsteps of Freedom: Woodford County, US Colored Troops, and Camp Nelson Huntertown Community Interpretive Park, Versailles, KY
The NPS is partnering with the Huntertown Community Interpretive Park to trace the story of 494 African American men and other freedom seekers from Woodford County, KY who journey to Camp Nelson to enlist with the US Colored Troops in 1864-65. After the war, USCT veterans established Huntertown and other communities in Central Kentucky. Outdoor presentation at Huntertown Community Interpretive Park.
Visitors should wear comfortable shoes and bring water.
Location:
Huntertown Community Interpretive Park
1546 Huntertown Road
Versailles, KY 40383
160th Anniversary Commemoration
The American Awakening Symposium
"Conflict, Courage, and Contradictions"
Date: July 12-14, 2024
In 1864, the US Army authorized the recruitment, enlistment, and training of African American soldiers at 8 centers in Kentucky. Camp Nelson became the largest US Colored Troops [USCT] recruiting center in the state and the third largest in the country, and a site of refugee for freedom seekers escaping slavery. Black enlistment set in motion’s Camp Nelson’s dramatic evolution from supply depot to “Birthplace of Liberty to Kentucky.”
The American Awakening Symposium: "Conflict, Courage, and Contradictions" marks the 160th Anniversary of Camp Nelson in 1864. The special commemoration features history presentations by scholars, NPS staff, and descendants, and is keynoted by the Slave Dwelling Project; guided tours; immersive living history demonstrations; and children's activities. All programs are free and open to the public.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Friday, July 12th
History at Sunset: “Unpromised Freedom: African American Refugees and Camp Nelson”
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
The 160th Anniversary of Camp Nelson begins with History at Sunset featuring a walking tour from the Visitor Center to the site of the original African American refugee encampment formed near the US Army Bakery at Camp Nelson in June-July 1864. The special program includes a wreath laying and libation ceremony honoring African American freedom seekers and their descendants. NPS staff will be joined by Dr. W. Stephen McBride and the Slave Dwelling Project to conduct the tour and ceremony.
This tour will cover 1.5 miles over grassy trails. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes and are encouraged to bring water, insect repellent and sunscreen.
Saturday, July 13th
Welcome and Introduction: The American Awakening at Camp Nelson National Monument
9:15 am - 9:30 pm
Superintendent Ernie Price welcomes all participants and guests by examining Camp Nelson through the lens of “Courage, Conflict, and Contract.” The NPS will recognize our philanthropic partner, the Camp Nelson Preservation and Education Foundation, and descendants, community partners, and stakeholders.
Location: Large Tent
A Living Legacy:NPS Recognition of 12th US Colored Heavy Artillery (Reactivated)
9:40 am - 10:00 am
NPS staff will recognize the service and living legacy of the 12th U.S. Heavy Artillery (Reactivated) Living History group with a special ceremony in the Reconstructed Barracks. The 12th USCHA Reactivated has served as the educational arm for Camp Nelson since 2001.
Location: Barracks
Sleeping with the Ancestors: Slave Dwelling Project (Keynote)
10:00 am - 11:00 am
Joseph McGill, Founder of the Slave Dwelling Project and co-author of Sleeping with the Ancestors: How I Followed the Footsteps of Slavery, delivery’s the keynote presentation of the 160th Anniversary of Camp Nelson by sharing the project’s mission and role in connecting the public to sites of enslavement across the country.
Location: Large Tent
Ancestry and Art: African American Poetry and Camp Nelson
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Frank X. Walker, Kentucky Poet Laureate and Professor of English at the University of Kentucky, presents on his latest work, Load in Nine Times: Poems on U.S. Colored Troops, that will be published on October 1, 2024, and features works highlighting the individual and collective experience of African American soldiers during the Civil War.
Location: Barracks
Living History Drop-In:Slave Dwelling Project
11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Historians Cheyney McKnight and Tammy Gibson will interpret the experience of African American women at Camp Nelson through first-person living history demonstrations inside the Barracks and at the Living History encampment. The Living History “Drop Ins” amplify the voices of Black women at Camp Nelson and other sites of enslavement and liberation during the Civil War.
Location: Barracks (Cheyney McKnight) and Encampment (Tammy Gibson)
"They Will Make Good Soldiers”: General Ulysses S. Grant and United States Colored Troops 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Nick Sacco, Historian and Curator at Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site, in St. Louis, MO, presents on Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and his evolving views towards U.S. Colored Troops in his ranks. He'll examine how Grant viewed race and slavery at the beginning of the war and how those attitudes evolved as emancipation became a war aim in 1863.
Location: Large Tent
Veteran Reserve Corps, Union Veterans, Freedmen's Bureau, Citizenship, and Grand Army of the Republic
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm (Virtual Presentation)
Stephen A. Goldman, M.D., a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, has decades of experience in patient care, academia, public health, and medical product safety. Dr. Goldman recently published One More War to Fight: Union Veterans’ Battle for Equality through Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and the Lost Cause, a groundbreaking book on Union veterans’ landmark political activism, and their powerful warrior identity.
Location: Barracks
They Calling: My Coming to Camp Nelson
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Michael E. Crutcher, Sr., historian and distinguished scholar of Frederick Douglass, presents on his personal and professional journey to Camp Nelson as a descendant of Private Daniel Gilcrest, who served in Co. C, 13th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery—the largest of eight USCT regiments organized at Camp Nelson—and as the former president of the Camp Nelson Preservation and Education Foundation.
Joseph McGill, Founder of the Slave Dwelling Project and co-author of Sleeping with the Ancestors: How I Followed the Footsteps of Slavery, leads a campfire discussion about sites of enslavement. The program features audience centered conversations about slavery, freedom, liberation, memory, and relevance.
Location: Encampment Area
All Day Activities 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
NPS Education Tent: Children's Activities, including Junior Ranger Booklet.
Location: NPS Tent near Visitor Center
Living History Encampment: U.S. Army, Camp Life, African American Soldiers and Refugees
Location: Encampment Area near Visitor Center
Sunday, July 14
Refugees and Realities: Graveyard No. 1
9:00 am - 9:45 am
NPS staff together with the Slave Dwelling Project—Joseph McGill, Cheyney McKnight, and Tammy Gibson—will acknowledge the plight of refugees at Camp Nelson with a wreath laying and libation ceremony at Graveyard No. 1.
The program features a .5-mile guided walk from the Visitor Center to Graveyard No. 1 on cut grass trails. Participants should wear comfortable shoes and bring water.
Reel History:Emancipation in Civil War Cinema
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Perhaps no force is more powerful in the telling of history than Hollywood. Over the past century, filmmakers have conveyed a wide range of themes in their interpretations of emancipation during the Civil War Era. Dr. Jared Frederick, host of Reel History, will present a vibrant multimedia lecture that blends then and now. Frederick is an Assistant Teaching Professor of History at Penn State Altoona and is the author of ten books.
Location: Barracks
Living History Drop-In:Slave Dwelling Project
11:00 am - 2:00 pm
Historians Cheyney McKnight and Tammy Gibson will interpret the experience of African American women at Camp Nelson through first-person living history demonstrations inside the Barracks and at the Living History encampment. The Living History “Drop Ins” amplify the voices of Black women at Camp Nelson and other sites of enslavement and liberation during the Civil War.
Location: Barracks (Cheney McKnight) and Encampment (Tammy Gibson)
From Camp to Community: Refuge, Roots, and Relevance Panel Discussion 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Family genealogy and history are deeply rooted at cultural sites, including Camp Nelson National Monument. A panel of historians, genealogists, and descendants will discuss research, ancestry, and living legacy of the African American experience at Camp Nelson and other sites in Kentucky.
The panel features Yvonne Giles (African Cemetery No. 2); Denyce Peyton (African American Genealogy Group of Kentucky); Sioux Finney (Huntertown Community Interpretive Park); Bob Bell (12th USCHA), Michael Crutcher (13th USCHA and Frederick Douglass)
Location: Barracks
Battling for the Bluegrass: USCT Actions in Kentucky
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Taylor Bishop, Historian and Student Conservation Association Intern, will present on the numerous and unknown battles, skirmishes, raids, and expeditions involving U.S. Colored Troops, particularly units organized at Camp Nelson, in Kentucky during the Civil War.
Location: Large Tent
These Honored Dead: Camp Nelson National Cemetery 2:30 pm - 3:00 pm
The 160th Anniversary of Camp Nelson concludes at Camp Nelson National Cemetery. NPS staff together with the Slave Dwelling Project—Joseph McGill and Cheyney McKnight—and Dr. W. Stephen McBride will deliver a few remarks at the Union Veterans’ Monument at the cemetery. The cemetery, known as Graveyard No 2, served as a final resting place for soldiers and civilians who perished at Camp Nelson during the Civil War. In 1866, it was designated as Camp Nelson National Cemetery. 2,452 burials date to the war, including 837 United States Colored Troops, and dozens of civilian employees, U.S. soldiers from several regiments organized at Camp Nelson are interred here.
The program features a with a wreath laying and libation ceremony at the Union Veterans Monument, located at the historic section of the cemetery east of the lodge and restroom.
Location:
Camp Nelson National Cemetery
6980 Danville Road, Nicholasville, KY 40356
All Day Activities 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
NPS Education Tent: Children's Activities, including Junior Ranger Booklet.
Location: NPS Tent near Visitor Center
Living History Encampment: U.S. Army, Camp Life, African American Soldiers and Refugees
Location: Encampment Area near Visitor Center
107th US Colored Infantry, organized at Louisville, Kentucky in 1864, stand in front of a guardhouse at Fort Corcoran in Northern Virginia (Defenses of Washington).
Library of Congress
The Unchartered Road to Freedom
After the Army of the Ohio’s successful liberation of East Tennessee, the US Army nearly abandoned Camp Nelson as fortified supply depot in March 1864. However, the army’s controversial decision to organize, recruit, and train US Colored Troops [USCT] at Camp Nelson and other centers in Kentucky sparked the destruction of slavery in the Bluegrass State.
Learn more about USCT HERE and African American Refugees HERE.
US Sanitary Commission Soldiers' Home at Camp Nelson during the Civil War.
National Archives and Records Administration
Army of Liberation
Click here to learn about the formation of the Army of the Ohio and its operations in Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee over the course of 1863. The new army was organized to liberate Unionists in East Tennessee from Confederate occupation and it would ultimately achieve that objective, but it would require marching far and fighting hard. The 21st Massachusetts Infantry was only one of many regiments in the Army of the Ohio, but the experiences of its members reveal both the hardships and triumphs of the 1863 campaign.
Oliver Perry House (White House) at Camp Nelson National Monument.
NPS
Civil War 160th in 60
The National Park Service (NPS) commemorates the 160th Anniversary of Camp Nelson (2023-26) in a brand-new video series: Civil War 160th in 60!
The special presentations take viewers to battlefields and historic sites across the National Park Service System to highlight the stories and individuals connected to Camp Nelson during the Civil War. The short 1-2 minutes videos will premiere on the Camp Nelson National Monument Facebook page and will be featured here!
Last updated: June 11, 2024
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Contact Info
Mailing Address:
6614 Old Danville Road Loop 2
Nicholasville,
KY
40356
Phone:
(859) 881-5716
The phone is usually answered 7-days per week, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. Voice messages are checked regularly.
