Existing comment:
The Navy In The Mountains:
Needing men with military training and political connections to the region, President Lincoln called upon two Navy officers to help organize the war effort in eastern Kentucky.
William "Bull" Nelson:
A lieutenant in the Navy and a Kentucky native, Nelson was instructed to recruit and train soldiers to "liberate" east Tennessee. He established Camp Dick Robinson for that purpose. Nelson was known for his hot temper which eventually led to his death at the hands of a fellow Union officer.
Samuel P. Carter:
Carter was on the USS Seminole, stationed near Brazil, when he was ordered home to help recruit and train refugees fleeing to Kentucky from his native east Tennessee. Carter selected the location for Camp Wildcat. He later became the only soldier ever commissioned a brevet major general in the Army and a rear admiral in the Navy. |