Camp Nelson Confederate Cemetery

Camp Nelson Confederate Cemetery is a historic cemetery located near Cabot in northern Lonoke County, Arkansas and is the site of a Confederate military camp where 1,500 Confederate soldiers died during an epidemic during the fall of 1862. Camp Nelson is located on Rye Drive, just off Cherry Road, just off Mt. Carmel Road in north Lonoke County about 2 miles east of Cabot.

Camp Nelson Confederate Cemetery
LocationRye St., approximately 1 mi. NW of jct. of AR 321 and AR 319, Cabot, Arkansas
Coordinates34°56′46″N 91°58′49″W
Built1897
MPSCivil War Commemorative Sculpture MPS
NRHP reference No.96000503[1]
Added to NRHPMay 3, 1996

History

Camp Nelson was a central staging point in central Arkansas for Confederate troops gathering from Texas and Arkansas. The camp was named for Brigadier General Allison Nelson, commander of the 10th Texas Infantry Regiment.

During the fall of 1862, an epidemic of measles and typhoid fever ran rampant through the troops congregated there. Brigadier General Nelson was among the approximately 1,500 Arkansas and Texas soldiers who died from disease-related conditions during a two-month period. The majority of these soldiers were buried in unmarked graves in the surrounding hills.[2]

During the early 20th century, Confederate veterans placed markers and erected a 12-foot obelisk at the site to memorialize the unknown soldiers buried here. Improperly maintained, the site was ultimately overtaken by forest undergrowth.[2]

The cemetery was returned it its original condition before the end of the century, however, after local high school students, members of the ROTC and other area residents embarked on a restoration project during the 1980s. The Camp Nelson Confederate Cemetery is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. "Camp Nelson Confederate Cemetery". The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
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