160th Camp Nelson Anniversary Commemoration

 

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 8^th: History at Sunset (7:00 pm – 8:30 pm)
"The Unconditional Union Men”: U.S. Colored Troops and Kentucky in June 1864

The 3^rd Annual History at Sunset Series returns with a special evening walk at Camp Nelson National Monument marking the 160^th 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 15^th: Juneteenth Day (7:00 pm – 8:30 pm)
19^th Annual Juneteenth Jubilee at African Cemetery No. 2, Lexington, KY

The NPS is honored to participate in the 19^th Annual Juneteenth Jubilee at African Cemetery No. 2 in Lexington, KY to commemorate the Juneteenth Day and the 160^th 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 22^nd: 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 160^th 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 27^th: 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.

The SCHEDULE OF EVENTS for Saturday, July 13th and Sunday, July 14th will be released soon.

Location:
Camp Nelson National Monument
6614 Danville Road Loop 2
Nicholasville, KY 40356

 

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!