Camp Nelson Presentation with NCGR

This August, join us for Bastion of Freedom:  Camp Nelson and the Civil War, a Nelson County Genealogical Roundtable meeting led by Steve T. Phan, Park Ranger and Chief of Interpretation at Camp Nelson National Monument. Mr. Phan will discuss the role of Camp Nelson in the Civil War during this program, which is open to the public. We'll gather on Tuesday, August 5th, from 10 am-12 pm in NCPL Main Branch Community Room #1.

About Camp Nelson: Camp Nelson was established in 1863 as a US Army fortified base, supply depot, and hospital. It also served as a recruitment post and refugee camp for white Unionists fleeing Confederate occupation in East Tennessee. The following year, the base evolved to become one of the country’s largest recruitment and training centers for African American soldiers during the Civil War and served as a refugee camp for their wives and children. 

About Steve T. Phan: Mr. Phan recently served as the historian at the Civil War Defenses of Washington. He has also worked at Gettysburg National Military Park, Richmond National Battlefield Park, Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, Stones River National Battlefield, Rock Creek Park, and Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument. A military history scholar of the Civil War era, Phan’s research focuses on military occupation, operational command, African American soldiers and refugees, and fortifications during the Civil War. He is the author of articles about Asians and Pacific Islanders in the Civil War and the Defenses of Washington for numerous publications. He was nominated for the National Park Service Tilden Award for Excellence in Interpretation in 2019 and 2020. He holds a master’s degree in American History from Middle Tennessee State University.