Historical Marker

Camp Crittenden

With the Louisville & Nashville Railroad running through Lebanon, during the Civil War the Union army frequently established camps here. In Sept. 1861, Col. John M. Harlan founded Camp Crittenden and org. the 10th Ky. Union Inf. at Lebanon. Later, troops led by U.S. Gen. Geo. Thomas camped here prior to fighting in the Battle of Mill Springs in Jan. 1862.

Reverse

Illnesses struck Thomas’s army and many men died of typhoid. Lebanon National Cemetery began as burial ground for these troops. In 1864, more than 2,000 African American recruits, mostly slaves, joined Union army here. Lebanon was one of the largest African American recruiting grounds in the state, behind Camp Nelson and Louisville.