A four-year effort by U.S. Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) has resulted in Camp Nelson Civil War Heritage Park being designated as Kentucky’s first national monument.
“Today is a great day for Jessamine County, the Commonwealth, and the nation,” said Rep. Barr on Oct. 27 during an event also attended by U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to announce the designation made on Oct. 26 by President Donald Trump.
“I am proud to advocate for Camp Nelson, a site which has the ability to unite the American people,” the lawmaker said. “I appreciate the community stakeholders and Camp Nelson descendants for their dedication to securing this designation and would like to thank President Trump and Secretary Zinke for their recognition of this historical site.”
According to Trump’s presidential proclamation, Camp Nelson initially was established as a Union Army supply depot and hospital in Jessamine County, Ky., before it became a key site of emancipation for African American soldiers and a refugee camp for their families during the Civil War.
“The Union Army’s efforts to remove refugees from Camp Nelson culminated in the tragic, forced expulsion of approximately 400 African American women and children during frigid weather in November of 1864, causing the deaths of 102 refugees,” according to the proclamation. “That tragedy brought national attention and public support to the plight of the refugees at Camp Nelson.
“In response, the Union Army established the Camp Nelson Home for Colored Refugees in January 1865, creating a safe haven for the wives and children of enlisted African American soldiers,” the proclamation states. “Influenced by these events, the Congress took action in March of 1865 by emancipating the wives and children of any enlisted member of the United States Colored Troops.”
Consequently, the law protected camp refugees and incentivized African American men to enlist in the Union Army, resulting in the steady increase of recruitment numbers through the end of the war, according to the document.
In fact, by the spring of 1865, Camp Nelson and the refugee home had grown to their largest size, with thousands of new recruits, Union troops, refugees, and civilians working and living in hundreds of structures, the proclamation says.
In 2016, the Camp Nelson Historic and Archeological District was designated as a National Historic Landmark for its national significance as the site of one of the nation’s largest recruitment and training centers for African American soldiers during the Civil War, as well as a refugee camp for the families of those African American soldiers. This designation is cited among other provisions in the proclamation as support for the national monument designation made by President Trump.
Many accolades came in last week for Rep. Barr. For instance, Jessamine County Judge Executive David West applauded the congressman “for tirelessly advocating for the designation of Camp Nelson as Kentucky’s first national monument.”
“We are excited to share this story with our great nation,” said West. “The historical, cultural and personal significance and stories of Camp Nelson will inspire and enlighten visitors for generations.”
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who sponsored legislation in the Senate to designate the site as a national monument, also noted that the new recognition “would not have been possible without the consistent leadership of Congressman Andy Barr.”
“I would like to join the people of Kentucky in thanking him for his commitment to this landmark,” the senator said. “Kentucky’s unique experience during the Civil War is of national historical importance, and I am grateful to the President and Secretary Zinke for working with us to protect Camp Nelson.”
Additionally, Rev. Robert Gates of the Historic First Baptist Church of Camp Nelson said that the site’s national monument designation is “an eternal recognition of the United States Colored Troops.”
“As a descendant of a soldier in the 119th U.S. Colored Infantry and a pastor of the Historic First Baptist Church at Camp Nelson, I’m honored to share the legacy of my great-great-granddaddy, and I look forward to now being able to preserve this scenic site, which holds so many cultural and historical treasures,” Rev. Gates said. “Congressman Andy Barr should be commended for this valiant effort and I greatly appreciate his support for securing this designation.”