Camp Nelson, Kentucky: A Civil War History ed. by Richard D. Sears (review)

Richard D. Sears, editor. Camp Nelson, Kentucky:A CivilWar History. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2002. 401 pp. ISBN: 0813122465 ( cloth), $ 45.00. The author' s concise yet inclusive fortysix page historical introduction provides readers with all of the necessary background material required to place the book's primary source materials into an appropriate context. Department of the Ohio commander General Ambrose Burnside selected a location " in southern Jessarnine County,on the north side of the palisades of the Kentucky river,at Hickman Bridge on the LexingtonDanville Turnpike near Nicholasville,Danville , Lancaster,Lexington, Lebanon , Land] Richmond" ( xxiixxiii )» -« jiM,» as the desired site for (: amp Nelson . Burnside hoped that his new installation would protect the vital Hickman Bridge,serve as a launchng point for his upcoming East Tennessee campaign,aid in efforts to seize the Cumberland Gap,and finally provide a location where central Kentucky troops could be consolidated. From its inception, Camp Nelson experienced critical problems with securing supplies and in providing the army with enough mules and horses to transport items to the field. Horses and mules simply perished from exhaustion due to inadequate grain supplies. Meanwhile, Burnside's soldiers lumbering away in East Tennessee began to run low on ammunition, 1 clothing, and vital food stuffs such as sugar and coffee which in turn directly impacted morale. Burnside's campaign succeeded in capturing C amp Nelson," according to Richard Sears, is a haunted place." Cxix) All locales associated with the epic struggle that was the American Civil War share a similar feeling as if time were forever frozen holding in eternal stasis thousands of faces whose presence profoundly shaped the conflict. In this wonderful combination o f ' j«„ 4»· wellcrafted narrative and illustrative primary source materials,Sears provides readers with an invaluable study ofa militaryinstallation that & *:., 1*- «,61 *. 99{* 1*. Rui16* 13**, of documentary histories. Edward **** 2****» 4* 14» r Ayer's digital project Tbe Valley of ** 0* 4***»* s**, tbe Shadow: Two Communities in tbe American Civil War and Ira Berlin' s Freedom Soldiers:The Black Military Experience in tbe Civil War offer perhaps the best examples of how documentary histories can be useful both as a pedagogical tool and as an entry point for subsequent historical revision. Richard Sears' s Camp Nelson,Kentucky accomplishes similar feats. Knoxville and seized the Cumberland Gap despite severe supply problems. " Although the total operaI . tion was ultimately successful, writes Burt»side' s invasion of East Tennessee very nearly failed on the basis of the misplacement of his depot at Camp Nelson." ( xxviii) OHIO VALLEY HISTORY BOOK REVIEWS 74 Following the successful East Tennessee campaign , General Ulysses S. Grant assessed the situation and determined that a new supply depot was desperately needed. While the camp no longer served one of its initial primary purposes, " the exigencies of black recruitment extended Camp Nelson' s military significance and its official existence ." ( xxx) The interaction between black Union soldiers and refugees and American Missionary Association agents offers a particularly compelling story that mirrors similar encounters throughout the Border States and occupied South. Despite the A.M.A.' s welldocumented paternalistic attitudes toward freedpeople, this organization, in most cases,provided exslaves their first opportunities in a classroom to learn how to read and write. If for no other reason, the interaction between A.M.A. missionaries and freedpeople which comprise a majority of the book's primary source materials evidences Camp Nelson's lasting contribution not only to the Union war effort, but more importantly as a vital hub for the early advancement of education for blacks in Kentucky. Camp Nelson, Kentucky is a wellresearched and wellpresented documentary history. The book might have benefited from the inclusion of maps showing the fort's location and an illustration,if available, detailing the fort's design. The primary documents are arranged well and include a wide array of materials originating from the Records of the United States Army in the National Timothy J. Holian. Over tbe Barrel.·Tbe Brewing History and Beer Culture of Cincinnati,Volume One,1800Probibi tion . St. Joseph, Missotiri: Sudhaus Press, 2000. 365 pp. ISBN: 0970390602 (paper), 24.95. Timothy J. Holian. Over tbe Barrel:Tbe Brewing History and Beer Culture of Cincinnati, Volume...