What Is Camp Nelson National Monument?
Camp Nelson National Monument preserves and interprets a crucial Union supply depot and training center for the United States Colored Troops!
What Makes It Historical?
In 1863, the Army of the Ohio commandeered the property of Oliver and Fannie Perry to set up a supply depot, which they called Camp Nelson after Major General William “Bull” Nelson! It was a great location, protected on three sides by river-carved cliffs, so only the north needed to be fortified. That made it the perfect spot to stockpile food, weapons, wagons, and livestock! Twenty warehouses at Camp Nelson fueled the Union campaigns of Knoxville, Atlanta, and Saltville!
Most famously, Camp Nelson trained 10,000 Black soldiers, which had been a debacle in Kentucky! To keep the Bluegrass State loyal to the Union, the federal government had exempted Kentucky from the Emancipation Proclamation, which delayed enlistment of Black soldiers until 1864! By then, like it or not, Kentucky had to open its doors to Black enlistment, which was a sure path to emancipation! July 25, 1864 set a record for recruitment in a single day: 322 men enlisted in the 12th US Colored Heavy Artillery regiment! This didn’t sit well with Kentucky’s slaveowners, who pressured General Speed Fry to expel those soldiers’ families from Camp Nelson on November 23, 1864. Outrage over this expulsion reached the highest levels of the military, and though Major General Stephen Burbridge reversed the expulsion four days later, 102 people had already died from disease and exposure!
On December 15, 1864, a permanent “Home for Colored Refugees” opened at Camp Nelson, and after the camp closed in 1866, Reverend John & Matilda Fee purchased the property to set up a community for its residents! Despite opposition by the Freedmen’s Bureau and the KKK, they created the community of Ariel in 1868, which continued all the way through World War II. Some descendants of the USCT soldiers of Camp Nelson still live in the area today!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Volunteer at Camp Nelson National Monument!
- Become a member of the Jessamine County Historical Society!
- Be a responsible visitor! Remember the old adages: Pack out what you pack in! Take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints!
How Do I Get There?
6614 Danville Rd
Nicholasville, KY 40356
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit the Park?
The park is open daily from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM, except on major holidays!
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