The occupation of Bardstown and Nelson County, Kentucky, by Union troops
began in September of 1861 and ended in September of 1865--a turbulent
time in the neutral county, and a piece of history rarely explored by
Kentuckians. In this unprecedented visual
journey, discover the unique role that Nelson County and Kentucky played
in the Civil War as a military crossroads and the site of many Union
training camps.
More than 80 different Union units were involved in skirmishes and set
up camps in Nelson County during the war. The county's turnpikes and
railroads dictated the movement of many troops and supplies through the
area--both Union and Confederate. Included
in these pages are historical images, maps, documents, and vivid
accounts passed down from generation to generation that bring the war to
life. From the Confederate invasion of 1862 and the Guerrilla activities
of 1864-1865 to the last surrender at Samuel's Depot on July 26 and the
aftermath of the war, A Portrait of the Civil War in
Nelson County offers a unique perspective of the war's effects on one
county and its people.