John Singleton Mosby on college football

courtesy sonofthesouth.net

 
I recently reviewed Gray Ghost by Dr. James Ramage, but did not mention one brief but fascinating section it included.

On pages 329 and 330, the book describes Mosby's protestation against the sport of college football after a young man playing for the University of Virginia (which Mosby had attended) was killed in a game. Mosby wrote letters asking the school to stop participating in this brutal sport and Dr. Ramage contends: "To him this was a continuation of his lifetime conflict with bullies and bruisers" where bigger kids or men picked on smaller individuals, and this also symbolized his overall dislike of sports.
 

courtesy Americanart.si.edu

The above image is a Harper's Weekly illustration by Homer Winslow, from the July 15, 1865 issue. I thank the Front Line blog at CivilWarMonitor.com for printing it, which brought it to my attention
just as a I was working on this entry. It is not from the same period as the one in which Mosby complained about the game, but it does show a very violent version of the game, perhaps at least somewhat similar to what the Colonel witnessed 40 years later.

Dr. Ramage further writes: "He compared football to cock-fighting and charged that the teams were 'largely composed of professional mercenaries who are hired to advertise colleges. Gate money is the valuable consideration. There is no sentiment of Romance or Chivalry about them.'"

That final quote from Mosby remains somewhat appropriate today, especially if you substitute words like "television" for "gate" and "student" for "Romance or Chivalry" and perhaps more so in college basketball where the "one-and-done" rule does give the sport more of a mercenary feel.

Of course, I am a sports fan and really enjoy college football and basketball, but I can see some truth in his statements, even (or maybe especially) in today's era.  College sports are now a very large industry of their own, at least for many (or most) schools at the "division I" level.  The logo of the "Bowl Championship Series" posted below may be the ultimate example of that, with tens of millions of dollars at stake for schools and conferences.

The current epidemic of stories about teams changing conferences in order to maximize their revenues further illustrates that point. With the reported involvement of U.S. Senators, including Kentucky's Mitch McConnell, in the Big 12 Conference's decision about expanding its horizons, the business aspects of college sports are becoming even more obvious.

Ironically, one of Mosby's employers and friends, Theodore Roosevelt, helped change college football, offering advice which addressed some of Mosby's concerns about the sport's violence, and which may have helped the sport survive and thrive even a century later. 

A Cheap Shot at Kentuckians?

Edit: I wonder if he was thinking of transcendentalism as a "New England" phenomenon and was surprised somebody in the then "western" state of Kentucky would pay attention to it. If so, it's still a poorly worded sentence in my opinion. 

So I'm reading a book now, a pretty good one about which I had heard a lot of good reports. So far, they are basically proving to be true and I am anxious to continue reading it and seeing what it has to say. It has been both interesting and quite informative to this point, and I am enjoying it. I'm sure I'll post a review of it sometime in the next few weeks.

However on one page, it briefly discussed William Herndon and included the following sentence, which immediately caught my attention, and honestly, even angered me, at least a bit:

"Although born in Kentucky, the short, dapper Herndon read widely and was enamored of transcendentalism." 

Harrumph.

Did the author really just say that Herndon read a lot and had intellectual pursuits "although (he was) born in Kentucky?" Really?

Geez.

I know this is not a big deal and that modern-day Kentucky is not the literacy capital of the world, but, still, that seems harsh, especially for a state that, as far as I can tell, was far more respected and important to the country in Herndon's day - the period to which the quote applied - than today. This was still the state of Henry Clay and John Crittenden, not to mention Vice-President John Breckenridge, after all.

Oh well. That sentence did catch me off-guard. I feel it could and should have been written differently, but I do hope the author did not realize how I (or maybe other Kentuckians) would interpret it. Maybe I just needed something to gripe about tonight, and that line certainly gave me the material I needed.

A Sign of Trouble to Come

This brief untitled story is from the Covington Journal of October 26, 1861 and is a precursor of a major controversy that would become a much-discussed international incident a couple of weeks later. I wonder if anybody who read this paper when it was published realized what this might mean.

The Federal Government has dispatched the gun-boats Connecticut, Alabama and Augusta to intercept the steamer Nashville, which it is said run (sic) the blockade at Charleston, with Messrs. Slidell and Mason on board. Meanwhile the Richmond Enquirer asserts positively that the Nashville has not left the harbor of Charleston. 
--
Of course, Slidell and Mason ended up using another steamer (the Theodora) to get past the blockade and had left Charleston on October 12, two weeks before this piece was published. (The Journal was a weekly newspaper, so printing some stories late was a natural effect of that schedule.) The Theodora took the Confederate diplomats to Cuba, where they boarded the Trent and soon became part of controversy and history.

Here is a timeline on what became known as the Trent Affair.

Here is a good blog entry from the Civil War Navy Sesquicentennial blog about this incident, including the report from Union Captain Charles Wilkes about his actions.

James M Mason, courtsey docsouth.unc.edu

John Slidell, courtesy civilwarhome.com

   

Report of the Battle of Camp Wild Cat

Courtesy Civilwarwiki.net

The Covington Journal of October 26, 1861 includes this story about the Battle of Camp Wild Cat in Laurel County, Kentucky. It is a reprint of an article from the October 23 Lexington Observer.

Information about Colonel, later Brigadier General, Theophilius T. Garrard. can be found at the enclosed link.

Here is also a brief biography on Confederate General Felix Zollicofer, leader of Confederate troops in the region.


FIRST KENTUCKY BATTLE
Zollicofer with 7,500 Rebels Twice Repulsed
On Monday last, at 11 o'clock, the rebel troops, under command of Gen. Zollicofer, 6,000 infantry and 1,500 cavarly, attacked Col. Garrard at Camp Wild Cat, in Laurel County, and were twice severely repulsed. 

Col. Garrard's loss was four killed and twenty-one wounded. The loss of the rebels could not be ascertained. Garrard's forces consisted of his own (KY) regiment, and 33d Indiana, under Col. Colburn, and a portion of Woodruff's Kentucky Cavalry. Zollicofer twice attacked Garrard's entrenched position and each time was repulsed, it is supposed with considerable loss. The messenger from Camp Wild Cat reached Camp Dick Robinson at 4 o'clock yesterday morning with news of the fight.

Garrard's re-enforcements, the Ohio 14th, Col. Steadman, the Ohio 17th, Col. Connell, 1,600 Tennesseans and one battery reached Camp Wild Cat just as the engagement closed.


These re-enforcements were met by the first messenger who left Camp Wild Cat going at double-quick for the scene of the action.


The following is from the Commonwealth of the 23rd: 

Battle in the Mountains
News came by the train from Lexington last evening that Garrard's and Zollicofer's forces had had a battle and Zollicofer had been twice repulsed when the messenger left. The news was brought by an Indiana soldier who was wounded in the arm when on picket duty. He said that when he left there was heavy firing of cannon and it was the belief that a general engagement was going on.


The following is from the Frankfort Yeoman Thursday October 24. 

The latest intelligence we have from the mountains contradicts the report of an attack upon Camp Wild Cat. Our informant states that there has been several skirmishes, but no general engagement. 
 ---

In this instance, the report from Frankfort was incorrect, as there had been a battle on the 21st, with Union forces maintaining control of the field. Combined casualties were fewer than one hundred.  Here is a report Colonel Garrard made to General George Thomas on October 25.

The Cow Bell Dodge

courtesy amazon.com

 
From the Covington Journal of October 26, 1861 comes this story of a different sort of Confederate tactic.

The Rebels on the Potomac have resorted to an ingenious way of luring our men into snares. It is known, says the Lafayette Courier as the "cow-bell dodge." and it was very successful for a time, especially with newly arrived regiments, companies of which were placed on picket duty for the first time. The rebels, approaching within thirty or forty rods of our outposts and concealing themselves in the woods, commence the irregular tinkle of a cow bell. The uninitiated picket, not suspecting the ruse, and not reconciled to drinking his coffee without milk, goes out to obtain a supply from the supposed cow of some supposed Virginia rebel, flattering himself that he has got a "big thing on Secesh." Not until he finds himself surrounded by a half-dozen or so armed rebels does he learn his mistake. In Richmond are nearly a dozen soldiers who are probably now regretting their ready credulity and appetite for milk. 
--
It reminded me of this story that I had posted a few months ago.

Book Review: Faces of the Confederacy

Faces of the Confederacy: An Album of Southern Soldiers and Their Stories

by Ronald S. Coddington, forward by Michael Fellman

copyright 2008, The Johns Hopkins University Press

The carte-de-visite was a popular form of photography during the Civil War era and Ronald Coddington takes advantage of it in this volume, the follow up to his Faces of the Civil War: An Album of Union Soldiers and Their Stories (which I have not yet read.)

He searched various collections, of private individuals and public institutions to find these CDVs. His criteria included the condition of the card as well as it having the identification of the soldier pictured on it. He then researched the lives of these dozens of men and put together brief biographies of their lives, in and out of the war. 

This is a very fine and enjoyable compilation. Putting names to these old pictures gives them extra meaning and the information he uncovered about each was a great addition, almost bringing these men back to life again.

Mr. Coddington, who also publishes the blog Faces of War, did not simply find pictures of the most famous Confederate soldiers he could find and repeat information familiar to many Civil War enthusiasts; he specifically chose to focus on soldiers below the rank of colonel, i.e. the rank and file of the army, most of whose names are unknown to all but a select few. This makes the book even more valuable, providing insights into the typical soldiers who did not benefit from the privileges of holding a high rank - these were the men who carried out orders, who marched from battlefield to battlefield and who slept in tents and on the ground, whether wet or dry, hot or cold. 

I really enjoyed this book. It is well-written and moves quickly from one portrait to the next. It is a very fine volume and I do now want to get its precursor and read about the "common" Union soldiers Mr. Coddington profiled.

It is organized chronologically, based on the event that he describes for each soldier, from the start of the war to the end, and the preface, endnotes and references all are beneficial to this book, especially the endnotes, many of which include interesting further tidbits about these men.

Faces of the Confederacy  is an informative, enjoyable look at some of the "common soldiers" of the Confederacy, putting names with faces, and faces with their lives. It not only preserves the memory of these specific individuals, but also shows the human side of the war and the impact it had on these men and their families. It is a fine book and I do recommend it to anyone interested in the Civil War. 

A Bit of Humor 1861-style

From an 1861 newspaper

"A negro, on being examined, was asked if his master was a Christian. 'No sir, he is a politician,' was the reply."

Or perhaps that was just some old-fashioned social commentary. :)

US Colored Troops to be Honored in Western Kentucky

See this link about a historical marker to be unveiled on October 22.

A tip o' the hat to Jimmy Price  for "tweeting" this information earlier tonight

This unit formed in Paducah in late 1864 and spent the remainder of the war in the region. It mustered out of service in February 1866.

Here is a link that includes a roster of the soldiers that were part of this unit.

A New Word Enters the American Lexicon

From the Covington Journal of October 19, 1861 comes this piece on a word that is still used today

"Shoddy" - Since the charges, so extensively circulated against a portion of our army clothing contractors, of making the soldiers uniforms of shoddy, the word has passed into general use, and has become a synonym for everything that is false. Logwood brandy, a counterfeit note, an untrue statement, a young man who deceives a girl with false promises - are all designated by the expressive term "shoddy." Though the term is applied to everything unreal, the article has an actual existence, and many persons are engaged in its manufacture. Woolen rags are $5 and $10 per ton for making shoddy cloth. Fine black scraps are worth $100 to $150 per ton. The shoddy manufacturer passes them through a rag machine, which tears the rag to wool and cleans it of dust. When reduced to soft wool, the shoddy is saturated with oil or milk and mixed with new wool in as large proportion as possible. White shoddy is used in blankets and light colored goods, and the dark description for coarse cloth, carpets &c. The shoddy is the product of soft woolens; but the hard or black cloths, when treated in a similar manner, produce "mungo," which is used extensively in superfine cloths, which have a finish that may deceive a good judge. It is used largely in felted fabrics. Shoddy in the cloth of a coat will soon rub out of the cloth and accumulate between it and the lining.

Despondent Reporter

This story is interesting. It shows how confident the writer is in the southern cause, yet expresses disappointment over what he perceives as a lack of aggression on the part of southern leaders, as the year neared its conclusion. It seems like a rather exaggerated description on the mood at the time, but it is also likely that he was not alone in feeling at least some disappointment.

The Covington Journal of October 19, 1861 reports:

A correspondent of the Richmond Dispatch is manifestly dissatisfied with the aspect of affairs on the South side of the Potomac. He says:

"The most dispiriting news which has ever reached our camp, is, that we may probably go into winter quarters on this  side of the Potomac - than which nothing could be more disappointing and dissatisfactory to the Southern soldiers, with the unmurmering patience with which they have endured the diseases which have decimated their numbers, and all the privations and wants of a first campaign; and now that a benign Providence has rebuked the disease, and health and vigor again returned to our ranks, they cannot appreciate the policy which would keep 250,000 Southern men - a number sufficient to do almost everything - inclosed in ice and snow five or six months, to defend Virginia alone." 

Example of the Dispatch, courtesy http://www.lib.unc.edu/blogs/civilwar/

Musings on a Small Piece of Lead

The following consists of some "stream-of-consciousness" thoughts that went through my mind recently.I did edit it a little bit for some clarity in places, but it remains true to the basic thoughts I had that evening.

This small minie ball, just under 1 inch in length and 1 ounce in weight certainly does not look  like much - a small piece of metal, deformed by contact with a rock, tree, log or some other such object. Perhaps just the ground caused it to change from its former caliber. Was it a .58 or a .577 or something else? I do not know, cannot know.

It is not pretty, nor beautiful, nor does it inspire any words of poetry or an ode to some magnificence. In fact, it appears rather ugly and dirty and it makes one wonder why anybody would want to keep such an item. Just an old, beat up piece of dirty, ill-shapen lead.

On the other hand, when I hold it, look at it, look at it closely and think about why its shape changed, why it looks as it does and how that deformation came about I start to realize one thing - in all probability this little piece of lead was used to try to kill another human being.

To kill another human being. 

Now, I realize that it is conceivable this was used in target practice, or for hunting or maybe who knows how many other reasons, but even if so, the others I have and hold and gaze at - well, how many of them were used in battle? Or maybe in a military execution? Or some raid or surprise attack?

A small, unattractive, seemingly innocent hunk of lead, yet it may have been used to try to kill another human. And now I sit here, holding it in my hand, looking over its rough edges from where pieces are missing or bent as though it were a simple rock or a stick or a dirt clod, treating it as something worthy of preserving and something I'm happy to own.

How should I feel? Should I even think about it like that? After all, tens, or hundreds, of thousands of such relics exist today, in the hands of collectors, sellers, museums or others interested in the Civil War. Mine is hardly the only "minie" that may have been an intended killer. After all, it was war, and as the cliche goes, "war means fighting and fighting means killing." These were not invented, patented and manufactured to be mementos on a bookshelf or relics in a display case, after all.

What are the implications of owning something like this? Of holding it? Of thinking about it in this way? Of thinking of the many that lost their arms, legs, lives due to bits of lead just like mine? Are there any implications? Does it matter?

Am I giving too much thought to this relatively tiny, misshapen object? Are all my questions just a waste of time and thought? 

Despite these doubts, these questions, I cannot help but realize - this is not "just a piece of lead." It is a bullet - a used bullet, apparently fired from a gun, likely for the sole purpose of killing or maiming another man. And now I hold it and think and look and wonder in the peace and quiet and comfort of my home. I find myself pausing, pondering...





Just a small piece of lead?

picture courtesy Library of Congress and, perhaps, small pieces of lead

 

Escaped slave tries to enlist

From the Covington Journal of October 12, 1861 comes this brief story

While the train containing the Ohio Second Regiment stopped at Cynthiana, in the night, a man came aboard and desired to enlist, and was brought to our place. He was discovered next day to be a negro man with a red head, and was arrested, by order of Col. Harris and lodged in our jail. He belongs to a gentleman in Cynthiana.
[Paris Citizen]

Colonel Harris appears to be Leonard A. Harris. If the owner of this man claimed loyalty to the Union, the refugee was likely returned to him instead of being accepted as "contraband."

Brigadier General James S. Jackson, casualty at Perryville

courtesy westernkyhistory.org

 
James S. Jackson was born in central Kentucky in 1823 and studied briefly  at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky before transferring to Jefferson College in Pennsylvania. He eventually returned to his native state and graduated from the law college at Transylvania University in Lexington. He took up the practice of law.

He served as a private in the Mexican War and was promoted to third lieutenant. He eventually resigned after participating in a duel, choosing to avoid the possibility of being dismissed by court martial.

He was elected to Congress, as a Unionist in 1859 or 1860, but he resigned his office in December 1861 to enter the army. He was chosen as a colonel of Kentucky cavalry and in mid-1862 became a Brigadier General of volunteers. After helping with the organization of forces around Louisville, he assumed command of an entire division of troops, men he would lead in what became the battle of Perryville, the largest Civil War engagement in Kentucky.

According to a link on Centre's website (here) the New York Times described Jackson as "brusque and overbearing. . . a party to numerous quarrels,which sometimes resulted in duels, " which may have been a reference to the incident in Mexico.This paper also accused him of having killed a man in a street fight when he was in Hopkinsville, in western Kentucky.

In early October 1862, Confederate General Braxton Bragg's invasion of Kentucky was in full force, and Union General Don Carlos Buell, barely retaining his command after Union officials tried to remove him, was leading his army combat this invasion.

It was a hot, dry summer, and the search for water was part of each army's daily activities. This search helped lead both to the area around the Chaplin River in Boyle County, and forces from each side soon collided with each other, leading to the battle on the hills of this region, near the town of Perryville.

The fighting was fierce, and both sides suffered many casualties. On October 8, Jackson was with a section of his men on the Open Knob, now knows as Parson's Ridge, on the left of the Union line, when Confederate forces approached. The Union men, defending the battery of Charles Parsons, tried to maintain their position, but Jackson was killed fairly soon,  and these troops, now led by Brigadier General William Rufus Terrill retreated. They eventually found support and were able to stall the Confederate advance until nightfall came. (Terrill would also be killed during this action)

At the end of the day, the Confederates had gained ground and inflicted about 4,211 casualties on the Union forces, while suffering approximately 3,396 of their own (numbers taken from  the article The Battle of Perryville by Thomas L. Breiner at http://www.battleofperryville.com/). Bragg, however, realized that the Union forces in the area greatly outnumbered his own, so he ordered a retreat, leaving the field in Union hands, so Perryville is generally considered a Union victory since Union forces held the battlefield after the fighting ended.  

Marker on the Open Knob on Perryville Battlefield (author's photo)

Path to positions Jackson's men held when he was killed  (author's photo)

Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_S._Jackson

http://www.bryansbush.com/hub.php?page=articles&layer=a0609

http://www.battleofperryville.com/

http://www.centre.edu/web/library/sc/special/perryville/jackson.htm

http://www.westernkyhistory.org/christian/military/federal.html

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=5894202

Patriotic Cover: Uncle Sam Goes Fishing

Here is an interesting patriotic cover, which is a bit busier and more detailed than most I've seen (though granted that number is not a large one.) This link provides a larger version that may help you see the details better.

This illustration shows Uncle Sam on a picnic sitting on a bank, with a picnic basket marked "Union" next to him. Both appear to be sitting on a United States flag.

Uncle Sam is saying" Here's the bait" as he holds a fishing pole out over the water, with the United States flag apparently serving as a floater and a cannon in the water as the hook. In the background the sun is setting, with the words "Our Union" among the suns rays. 

In the water, entitled "Secession Pond," await a few fish and other water creatures. The one at the top,  halfway in and halfway out is Kentucky. This may be a symbol of Kentucky's attempt at neutrality - not fully in the secession waters, but not all out of it either.

Swimming deeper are fish called "NC" (at the far right), then "LA" just left and below of NC. "SC", which seems to be in the shape of a puffer-type of fish (is this a reference to South Carolina's reputation as the "fire-eater" and most aggressive of the southern states?) is the one in front of the cannon, while immediately below it sits "Texas" in the shape of a snake or eel. 

The large one below the cannon is "VA." 

Another eel-like creature lies on the ground below Uncle Sam's feet, and is known as "Maryland."

On the bottom of the picture, on the land, is a longer snake-like creature, called "Secession" and below its open mouth are the words "out of breath." 

The only other text on the envelope states "Copy Right Secured by BERLIN & JONES 134 William St N.Y.' No copyright date is apparent.

I honestly am not sure how to interpret this one, though it obviously is a pro-Union, anti-secession piece. On one hand, it looks like it is saying the sun is setting on secession, and the beached serpent appears to show that secession is dying. 

On the other hand, why is Kentucky pictured halfway in the water? If this was late in the war the Confederacy was nearing defeat, Kentucky had already abandoned neutrality.  Then again, maybe this was a very optimistic early-war scene and the artist thought that secession was not going to last very long.

I also refuse to deny the possibility that this cover has some obvious meaning that I'm totally missing. 

Whatever its meaning may or may not be, this is still an interesting image with great detail in it.

Kentucky Civil War Heritage Trails Sites Announcement

Here is some information I received from the Kentucky Historical Society. It looks like a really nice website. I'll be exploring it quite frequently, I do believe.

Department of Travel and Tourism
Ky. Civil War Heritage Trails Sites Announced

Press Release Date:     Monday, October 03, 2011       
Contact Information:    Kimberly Clay
502-564-4930   

As the nation observes the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, a new state program to link Civil War sites throughout Kentucky will help visitors and residents understand how the conflict shaped a state torn by the war.

The Kentucky Civil War Heritage Trails program was unveiled last weekend at the 149th anniversary of the Battle of Perryville. Besides battlefields and other war sites, the program includes a new website, www.kentuckycivilwartrails.org, which features maps, a monthly listing of commemorative events and a blog providing interpretive information.

“The trails initially include more than 50 sites that are ready to receive visitors, have historical interpretation and are near to major routes for both in-state and out-of-state travelers,” said Tourism, Arts and Heritage Secretary Marcheta Sparrow. “More sites will be added to the trails as they meet these criteria.”

Rather than running in one continuous route, the trails provide clusters of sites that can be visited conveniently in various regions of the Commonwealth, said Kimberly Clay, cultural heritage tourism director with the Department of Travel and Tourism.

“We believe the trails will attract visitors from outside the state who aren’t necessarily Civil War buffs, but who want to learn more about what happened here,” said Clay, who has worked with officials from the Kentucky Historical Society, Heritage Council and the Transportation Cabinet to coordinate the project. 

The initial sites include:

1. Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park (Hodgenville)
2. Abraham Lincoln Boyhood Home at Knob Creek (Hodgenville)
3. Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate (Lexington)
4. Battle of Ivy Mountain (Prestonsburg)
5. Battle of Richmond (Richmond)
6. Battle of Sacramento (Calhoun)
7. Battles of Cynthiana (Cynthiana)
8. Camp Nelson (Nicholasville)
9. Cave Hill Cemetery (Louisville)
10. Civil War Fort at Boonesboro (Winchester)
11. Columbus-Belmont State Park (Columbus)
12. Cumberland Gap National Historical Park (Middlesboro)
13. Farmington Historic Plantation (Louisville)
14. Fort Duffield (West Point)
15. Fort Heiman (Calloway County)
16. Fort Hill (Frankfort)
17. Fort Smith (Smithland)
18. Frankfort Cemetery
19. Frazier International History Museum (Louisville)
20. Freedoms Underground Railroad Museum (Maysville)(Covington)
21. Green Hill Cemetery (Frankfort)
22. Hardin County History Museum (Elizabethtown)
23. Hunt-Morgan House (Lexington)
24. James A. Ramage Civil War Museum/Battery Hooper (Fort Wright)
25. Jefferson Davis Birthplace State Historic Site (Fairview)
26. Lexington Cemetery
27. Lexington History Museum - statues at old courthouse
28. Lincoln Homestead State Park (Springfield)
29. Lincoln Memorial at Waterfront Park (Louisville)
30. Lincoln Museum (Hodgenville)
31. Lincoln Statue in downtown Springfield
32. Lincoln statues in downtown Hodgenville
33. Lloyd Tilghman House and Civil War Museum (Paducah)
34. Mammoth Cave (Cave City)
35. Mary Todd Lincoln House (Lexington)
36. Middle Creek Battlefield (Prestonsburg)
37. Mill Springs Battlefield (Nancy/Somerset)
38. Munfordville Battlefield and Rowlett’s Station (Munfordville)
39. National Underground Railroad Museum (Maysville)Center (Maysville)
40. Old Bardstown Village Civil War Museum (Bardstown)
41. Old Fort Harrod State Park (Harrodsburg)
42. Old State Arsenal (Frankfort)
43. Old State Capitol (Frankfort)
44. Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site (Perryville)
45. Riverview at Hobson Grove (Bowling Green)
46. Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill (near Harrodsburg)
47. Spalding Hall (Bardstown)
48. State Capitol Rotunda (Frankfort)
49. Tebbs Bend Battlefield (Campbellsville)Greensburg (community)
50. Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History (Frankfort)
51. Waveland (Lexington)
52. White Hall State Historic Site (Richmond)
53. Wildcat Mountain (London)
54. Women of the Civil War Museum (Bardstown)

The Kentucky Department of Travel and Tourism is an agency within the Tourism, Arts & Heritage Cabinet, which promotes the Commonwealth as a travel destination. Tourism in Kentucky has an economic impact of $11.3 billion, employs about 170,000 people and generates $1.2 billion in taxes.

Some troop movements in Kentucky

The Covington Journal edition of September 28, 1861, had a few updates on troops moving in and through Kentucky, just a few weeks after the state's effort to maintain neutrality failed. These come from different sections of the paper so there are a couple of people, places or units that were mentioned more than once.



On Monday last, the Second Ohio regiment, Col. L.A. Harris, came over from Camp Dennison, Ohio, and took up quarters at Camp King, on the Licking river, back of Covington.


On Thursday the Thirty-fifth Ohio, Col. Vandevier, crossed the river at this point, and took cars on the Kentucky Central R.R. for the interior. 


On Friday morning the Fourteenth Ohio, Col. Steadman, came over and immediately proceeded to the interior.

A detachment of U.S. troops left Lexington at 10 o'clock Monday night for Frankfort.


Four pieces of ordnance were sent from Frankfort to Lexington on Tuesday.


There is now about 1100 troops at Camp King. 


Passengers by the train yesterday say that Vanderveir's Ohio regiment has taken possession of Cynthiana. There was no disturbance. (Note the different spelling of the last name compared to the other reference. I could not confirm either one on the Soldiers and Sailors site).



The Cincinnati Enquirer has it on reliable authority that the First and Second Kentucky regiments, now in Western Virginia, have been ordered to Kentucky.


Some twenty-five more army wagons passed through the city during the past week,  en route for the interior of the state

The Lousiville Journal is informed that about five hundred rebel troops from the counties of Jefferons, Bullit, Spencer and Nelson will rendezvous at Jim Macaulay's near Mount Washington, and attempt to make their way through on horseback to the Confederate forces on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. 

A battalion of rebel cavalry, under Mithcell Lapeille, drove in Captain Gibson's pickets last night, at Salt river. Four are missing. 


A Federal encampment has been established at Harrodsburgh. It is said they have arrested Ewing and Silvertooth, two prominent Secession Representatives. 


Gen. Sherman had possession of Muldrough's Hill yesterday.

Defense of our Families at Home

Covington Journal September 28, 1861

At a meeting of the citizens of Covington, held Tuesday evening, for the purpose of devising means for the greater security of our city and vicinity, S. Easton was called to preside, and J.B. Jones appointed Secretary.

After a full discussion, the following address and plan for the organization of a Home Guard was unanimously adopted:

To the citizens of Covington:

The exigencies of the times - dangers impending from invaders from abroad and seditious men at home - demand the prompt organization of the true men of our city, not connected with other Union organizations, to aid in its protection and defense. It is therefore proposed that they enroll themselves at once for the purposes above mentioned.

No one who is in affiliation or sympathy with Secessionists, or with those, by whatever name they may be called, who are working, directly or indirectly, to break down our Government which our fathers gave their treasure and their lives to establish, and who ignore and oppose the authority of our own State Government, will be admitted into the organization. 

The names of applicants will be referred to a committee, and no name which does not receive the unanimous approval of that committee will be admitted. 

Applicants are requested to leave their names at the office of Sumerwell & Simmons, in the Madison House. 

A committee of five, on membership, was then appointed by the Chair; also a committee to draft rules for the government of the organization.

The meeting then adjourned to meet at Odd Fellows Hall, Friday night next, at half past seven o'clock.


S. EASTON, President
J.B. Jones, Secretary