Camp Nelson Civil War Heritage Park
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Camp Nelson
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| Location | Jessamine County, Kentucky, USA |
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| Nearest city | Nicholasville, Kentucky |
| Coordinates | 37°47′16″N 84°35′53″W / 37.78778°N 84.59806°WCoordinates: 37°47′16″N 84°35′53″W / 37.78778°N 84.59806°W |
| Architect | U.S. Army of the Ohio Eng. Corps; Simpson, Lt.Col. J.H. |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP Reference # | 00000861 (NRHP), 13000286 (NHL) |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | March 15, 2001 |
| Designated NHLD | February 27, 2013 |
The Camp Nelson Civil War Heritage Park is a 525-acre (2.12 km2) historical museum and park located in southern Jessamine County, Kentucky, 20 miles (32 km) south of Lexington, Kentucky. It was established in 1863 as a depot for the Union army during the Civil War. It became a recruiting ground for new soldiers from eastern Tennessee and escaped slaves, many of whom trained to be soldiers.
Camp Nelson was established as a supply depot for Union invasions into Tennessee. It was named for Major General William "Bull" Nelson, who had recently been murdered. It was placed near Hickman Bridge, the only bridge across the Kentucky River upriver from the state capital (Frankfort, Kentucky). The site was selected to protect the bridge, to have a base of operations in central Kentucky, and to prepare to attack the Cumberland Gap and eastern Tennessee. The camp was also used as a site to train new soldiers for the Union army. The Kentucky River's steep palisades contributed to the selection of the site—they would help defend the camp from Confederate attack.
Camp Nelson may have been the best choice for a central Kentucky depot, but it was inadequate. When Union Major General Ambrose Burnside attacked the Cumberland Gap and Knoxville, Tennessee, Camp Nelson's distance from the Gap and Knoxville, combined with lack of railroads and the weather, hampered the Union advance. When overall Union commander Ulysses S. Grant visited Camp Nelson in January 1864, he was displeased, observing that "no portion of our supplies can be hauled by teams from Camp Nelson". The situation of the camp had not improved by spring of 1864, and Grant leaned toward abandoning it entirely. William Tecumseh Sherman advocated that its role be diminished instead, which saved Camp Nelson. It took on the role of training black soldiers, who volunteered for the US Colored Troops.
In July 1863 and June 1864, Union forces feared that the camp might be attacked by Confederate general John Hunt Morgan, who was conducting raids in Kentucky and other border states, as well as Ohio. In 1863 Morgan was headed for Indiana and Ohio in his most famous raid. It was never confirmed whether he intended to attack the camp in 1864.
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