Camp Nelson Commemorates 160 Years This Weekend

The National Park Service will be celebrating the 160th Anniversary of Camp Nelson with educational tours, historians, the Kentucky Poet Laureate, and even fun for the kids.

The anniversary weekend will be held at Camp Nelson National Monument from the evening of Friday, July 12, through the evening of Sunday, July 14.

In 1864, the U.S. Army authorized the recruitment, enlistment, and training of African American soldiers at eight centers in Kentucky. Soon, Camp Nelson became the most prominent U.S. Colored Troops (USCT) recruiting center in the state and the third largest in the country. It also became a site of refuge for freedom seekers escaping slavery. According to Camp Nelson, Black enlistment set in motion Camp Nelson’s “dramatic evolution from supply depot to ‘Birthplace of Liberty to Kentucky.’”

This year, Camp Nelson commemorates its major anniversary with the American Awakening Symposium: “Conflict, Courage, and Contradictions.” The special commemoration will provide historical presentations by scholars, National Park Service (NPS) staff, and descendents of the USCT. The event will include a Keynote by the Slave Dwelling Project.All programs are free and open to the public.

The weekend starts with a sunset 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. NPS staff will be joined by Dr. W. Stephen McBride and the Slave Dwelling Project to conduct the tour and ceremony from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. This 1.5-mile tour will cover grassy trails. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes and are encouraged to bring water, insect repellent, and sunscreen.

Saturday and Sunday are chock full of events, and all programs are free to the public. Here is the schedule for the weekend:

Saturday, July 13

• Welcome and Introduction: The American Awakening at Camp Nelson National Monument from 9:15 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. (Location: Large Tent).
• A Living Legacy: NPS Recognition of 12th US Colored Heavy Artillery (Reactivated) 9:40 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. (Location: Barracks).
• Sleeping with the Ancestors: Slave Dwelling Project (Keynote) 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. (Location: Large Tent).
• Ancestry and Art: African American Poetry and Camp Nelson 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Location: Barracks).
• Living History Drop-In: Slave Dwelling Project 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (Locations: Barracks: Historian Cheyney McKnight and Encampment: Historian Tammy Gibson).
• “They Will Make Good Soldiers”: General Ulysses S. Grant and United States Colored Troops 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. (Location: Large Tent).
• Veteran Reserve Corps, Union Veterans, Freedmen’s Bureau, Citizenship, and Grand Army of the Republic 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. (Virtual Presentation) (Location: Barracks).
• They Calling: My Coming to Camp Nelson 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Location: Large Tent).
• Campfire Program: Slave Dwelling Project 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. (Location: Encampment Area).

Sunday, July 14

• Refugees and Realities: Graveyard No. 1 9:00 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. This program features a .5 mile walk on cut grass trails. Participants should bring comfortable shoes and bring water.
• Reel History: Emancipation in Civil War Cinema 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. (Location: Barracks).
• Freedom by the Sword: USCT and the Richmond and Petersburg Campaigns 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Location: Large Tent).
• Living History Drop-In: Slave Dwelling Project 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (Locations: Barracks: Historian Cheney McKnight and Encampment: Historian Tammy Gibson).
• From Camp to Community: Refuge, Roots, and Relevance Panel Discussion 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. (Location: Barracks).
• Battling for the Bluegrass: USCT Actions in Kentucky 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. (Location: Large Tent).
• These Honored Dead: Camp Nelson National Cemetery 2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

In addition to all of the weekend’s speakers and honorary ceremonies, there will be an NPS Education Tent up all day on Saturday and Sunday with children’s activities, including a Junior Ranger Booklet. The tent will be near the Visitor Center. Also, there will be an all-day Living History Encampment: U.S. Army, Camp Life, African American Soldiers, and Refugees at the Encampment Area near the Visitor Center. These all-day events will last from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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