GEOLOGIC NOTES ON FORT PLACEMENT
tem (Jillson, 1945, 1948) form one of the most scenic cases of stream modified stratigraphic and structural barriers in Kentucky. The Camp Nelson Limestone is dolomitic and is erosionally resistant compared to the rocks southeast of the fault zone. The faults define a graben with about 315 feet of displacement. A marked difference in topography sets this area apart for military considerations as well. Elevation created by these forces form two walls of a generously spacious bastion: a north wall contributed by the fault zone at a strike of nearly N 45 E in the up-river and the latest incisions of the Kentucky River, west of Camp Nelson, strike nearly N 15 W to make a western barrier (Fig. 6 blue lines).
Union power in the landscape would
have been confirmed by the development of Camp Nelson at a key bridge defense point in the Bluegrass: it guards one of only two bridges over the Kentucky River. In Unionist Kentucky, forts, made of various materials and designs, defended cities, bridges, rail heads, tun- nels and trestles. A railhead existed in Nicholasville, only ten miles north of Camp Nelson (Fig. 8). This offered relief should the Camp become invested (besieged) by the enemy; it also served as a regional Union point of embarkation
The landscape shown in Figure 8 is a
legacy of the 1800s, when a mature horse industry existed in the Lexington region. Intense weathering of the Lexington limestone which underlies the plateau and contains small quantities of apatite leads to a phosphate-rich and therefore highly fertile soil, providing ideal pasture for horses. Rarely, the phosphate is suf-
Figure 7 - Surface Geology of Camp Nelson and Cross Section of Kentucky River Fault Zone and the Lexington Peneplain (Wolcott, 1969). Star = site of Camp Nelson (Wolcott, 1969).
ficiently concentrated to make the soil itself a mineable agricultural commod- ity. In 1850’s, analysis of phosphate soil content in Jessamine County found less than 0.2 % in the vicinity of the canton- ment area but North of Nicholasville, a result of half of a percent was assayed (Owen, 1857).
From Camp Nelson, approximately
10 miles south of Nicholasville and only one day’s ride from Lexington, capital of the Blue Grass region (and home of Henry Clay as well as of the rebel John Hunt Morgan), troops could easily access the rich Inner Bluegrass terrain to their north (Fig. 8).
Part of Camp Nelson’s
Figure 8 - Inner Bluegrass with “gentleman farm” land use.
(modified from, Oakes,1977). 58 TPG •
Jul.Aug.Sep 2019
purpose was also to discourage the fre- quent Confederate raids on the Inner Bluegrass, where rebels often sought fresh mounts. Moreover, this geographic situation allowed Camp Nelson to train and develop cavalry which could fully exploit the equestrian resource in favor of the Union.
Strategic Value of Camp Nelson: As we have seen, geology gives the
camp considerable strategic value; 1) its position in the Inner Bluegrass
denies products from the enemy (prod- ucts like grain and horses),
2) it defends a bridged crossing, one of
only two over this river, and thus 3) blocks a vital road, 4) It has reasonable access to rail. Tactically speaking, Camp Nelson
occupies the high ground, giving its defenders the advantage of clear vis- ibility and downward-directed fire on their attackers Camp Nelson had very adequate access to water in case of siege as well as wood, soil and stone for con- struction of blockhouses, stockades and breastworks. The terrain would have been clear-cut for a mile or more from the
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