Camp Wildcat Battlefield
The Civil War lasted barely a month for Private Lewis McFerren of the Union Army. He died on the morning of October 21, 1861, less than twenty minutes into his first battle. He was one of 15 men listed as killed in the fight at Camp Wildcat, the first engagement of regular troops in Kentucky.
Camp Wildcat wasn't one of the great battles of the Civil War. Yet, for the inexperienced soldiers who faced fire for the first time it might as well have been Gettysburg.
About Camp Wildcat Preservation Foundation
Civil War battlefields are part of our national heritage; scenes of struggle and sacrifice where American soldiers lost their lives. Camp Wildcat Preservation Foundation works to preserve, protect and interpret this unique battlefield so that future generations can learn about the sacrifices made here.
The Camp Wildcat Preservation Foundation, Inc., was incorporated on May 26, 1994. The membership consists of approximately forty members with a wide background of interests. There are no requirements for membership other than an interest in preserving, protecting and interpreting the Camp Wildcat Battlefield.
Though the armies have long since disappeared, many of their trenches remain as reminders of what happened on that October day. If you visit the battlefield and stand quietly behind the trenches you may feel your heart begin to pound just like the soldiers' hearts pounded in 1861.
The battlefield looks much different from the etchings made in 1861. Most of it has been logged-over several times. A few trails lead to the faint outlines of old trenches that remain.
The remoteness of location of this battle makes it unique, because you can still see these trenches. Battlefield sites located in gentler terrain were farmed over and developed, destroying signs of the battle.
New Trail on Infantry Ridge added
Late in 2007 a new trail was completed on Infantry Ridge. The completion of this new trail will now allow easy access to the complete battlefield.
Camp Wildcat Battlefield has trails to Hoosier Knob and Robinson Spring, with more in the planning stage at this time. The trails are ideal for both nature walks and for seeing Camp Wildcat's trenches and artillery emplacements.
The Camp Wildcat Civil War Battlefield is located in Laurel County, Kentucky, approximately eight miles north of London near the small rural community of Hazel Patch. The battlefield is located on the Wilderness Road which extended through the Cumberland Gap to Crab Orchard and westward through the Bluegrass region of Kentucky to the Ohio River.
Camp Wildcat and the associated Civil War features remain in excellent condition today. In this battle the Confederate forces, numbering an estimated 7,500 men under the command of General Felix Zollicoffer, were defeated by a Union force of approximately 5,400 men under the command of Colonel Theophilus Garrard and General Albin Shoepf. This was the first Union victory in the battle for Kentucky and one of the Union's first victories in the Civil War.
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