Our February program is Bastion of Freedom: Camp Nelson and the Civil War presented by National Park Service Ranger Steve Phan.

Camp Nelson was established in 1863 as a US Army fortified base, supply depot, and hospital. It served as a recruitment post and refugee camp for white Unionists fleeing Confederate occupation in East Tennessee. The following year, the base became one of the country’s largest recruitment and training centers for African American Soldiers.

The ZCWRT operates on donations alone and is open to anyone with an interest in the American Civil War. For more information contact Bob Crowder at 740-221-7388 or bobcrowder856@yahoo.com.