We arrived at Camp Nelson just south of Lexington, KY to tour one of the newest parks in the system. This was a Civil War depot for the north and a training center for the African American troops. It is adjacent to a National Cemetery for Camp Nelson. This is a large park but essentially grasslands. While there are signs indicating what was on various spots of the grounds there is very little left. Some of the earthen works that comprised several linked forts and a barn. They have a VC but it was not open and a building reconstructed to represent a barracks. We walked about 3 or 3.5 miles of mowed trail past six of the named forts and the stable area. While there was nothing left of that part the signs were very interesting. The army rehabilitated horses and mules here. About 25,000 horses were returned to service from this place. It was also a busy area. There were between 100 and 250 wagons arriving and leaving every day. Five mules would haul a wagon that weighed about 4000 pounds to distant ports or to the nearby railroad and then the supplies were sent to the armies in the western theater.
This park is number 311 on our quest.
We later visited Old Fort Harrodsburg - just the outside, Pleasant Hill Shaker Community - where we had lunch in the Trustee’s House and the Perryville Battlefield, a Kentucky State Historic Site.
Photos will not load tonight, I will post them sometime during the day.
Camp Nelson National Cemetery.
The fort that is in the left of the frame was designed to teach how to build an earthen fort. It served as a second line of defense. In the distance our two yellow flags showing positions of other forts in the line.
A street scene from Pleasant Hill.