This is a busy time in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Region for Civil War talks, exhibits and displays. Below is some information I've received and gathered. I thought it would be easiest to put it all in one post. I'll also try to include some of this information on the blog's facebook page.
I listed these in order of when they take place, starting with the soonest.
1. Forever Free: The Constitutionality of the Emancipation Proclomation, part
of Northern Kentucky University's Six@Six series, will take place
Wednesday September 19 at 6:00 in the Mercantile Library in downtown
Cincinnati at 414 Walnut Street.
2. Civil War Songs For Temperance, a public lecture by Dr. Paul D. Sanders will take place on Sunday September 23 from 4-6 pm at the Harriet Beecher Stowe House at 2950 Gilbert Avenue in Cincinnati. Dr. Sanders is a Professor of Music Education in the OSU Network.
3. Cincinnati in the Civil War, Part II, will take place at the main branch of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. It takes place on Saturdays at 2:00. The first talk is The John Hunt Morgan Trail on September 22, followed by Railroads in Civil War Cincinnati on the 29th, William Haines Lytle - Cincinnati General and Poet on October 6 and Valor with Pick and Shovel: The Black Brigade of Cincinnati on October 20.
4. Divided We Stood will go on display on September 29 at the Behringer-Crawford Museum in Covington It will explore the confusing state of loyalty in the region, causes of the war, the importance of the region to the war effort and how the war affected the local home front. A symposium will be held on November 3 and 4 and the exhibit will run until February 17, 2013.
5. A current exhibit which I had mentioned a couple of weeks ago, Cincinnati and the Civil War: The Queen City Responds is at the Cincinnati Museum Center until January 13, 2013. The above link includes information on it and photos of some of the exhibits.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Monday, September 17, 2012
Book Review: Lincoln Lessons
editors: Frank J. Williams and William D. Pederson
copyright 2009
Southern Illinois University Press
Here is another Abraham Lincoln book from the celebration of the centennial of his birth and another that I have just recently read. I actually finished it a few weeks ago but have not found the time to review it until now. Because of that delay, I am not sure this review will be as long as many of my other ones, but this is a fine book and I do wish to note at least a few thoughts on it.
This book contains 17 brief essays by various scholars, discussing how studying Abraham Lincoln, his life, politics, family and/or career has influenced their lives and even careers. The essays selected provide a good diversity of viewpoints; on one hand, all do discuss Lincoln's influence in a positive way on their lives, but their careers and experiences are each unique and provide a different perspective than the others.
While I was reading this book, a question occurred to me: "What would my Lincoln Lesson be?" I did not come up with an answer and still have not, though it is something I would like to ponder a bit more. If I needed to write an essay for such a book, what would I say? As much as I enjoy studying Lincoln's life and career, I should be able to come up with some sort of insight into how my reading has affected or influenced me. Perhaps that's a new level of scholarship or study I need to reach, but it is an idea that has remained in my mind since I read this book. It may be the subject of a future blog entry (or entries.) Or maybe I can adjust the concept and question to be about "Civil War Lessons" or "Siege of Cincinnati Lessons" or other such concepts. Why do I study what I do and how does it benefit me? Surely (Hopefully?) it is for something more than enjoyment.
I hesitate to single out any individual essay from this book as they all deserve attention and I cannot give each of them the time it deserves, but I must say I was a bit sad while reading A View from the Lincoln Museum by Joan Flinspach about her experiences at the Lincoln Museum in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Throughout the essay, as she discussed the museum's exhibits and future hopes and plans, I had a nagging, sad thought and this was confirmed by an editor's note at the end of the essay - the museum closed down in 2008. I did feel sad for her about that, especially as the museum had made some ambitous plans for the future, but I appreciate the editors leaving this essay in the book, providing the views of a museum professional.
I did enjoy this book and each essay in it. Each has its own author, so that naturally leads to different writing styles, but the editors did a great job in putting together a good and thought-provoking book with different perspectives. Just look at the third paragraph of this review to see its effect on me. If a good book is one that leads to further questions, study and thought, then this book certainly qualifies as a good book, at least from where I sit.
 |
| The Thinker, courtesy wikipedia |
Friday, September 14, 2012
A Favorite Lincoln Response of Mine
Allen Gathman has been doing an excellent job of following the situation developing in Kentucky 150 years ago this month (while most attention - now, as well as then - focuses/focused on Maryland) at his very enjoyable Seven Score and Ten blog, including correspondence found in the Official Records. I highly recommend readers check it out, especially as Union officials try to figure out where Braxton Bragg and his Confederates were located and where Don Carlos Buell's Union troops found themselves. Was the threat to Louisville? Or to Cincinnati? Or both? It was not always an easy situation to read.
My personal favorite entry is this one from September 12 as it contains one of my favorite pieces of communication that President Lincoln ever sent. I will copy and paste this response below, but will not copy the whole correspondence between Lincoln and Union officials in Kentucky as you can see that on Allen's site. (I added the emphasis in bold.)
WASHINGTON, September 12, 1862.
Major-General BOYLE, Louisville, KY:
Your dispatch of last evening received. Where is the enemy which you
dread in Louisville? How near to you to? What is General Gilbert’s
opinion? With all possible respect for you I must think General Wright’s
military opinion is the better. He is as much responsible for
Louisville as for Cincinnati. General Halleck telegraphed him on this
very subject yesterday and I telegraph him now, but for us here to
control him there on the ground would be a babel of confusion which
would be utterly ruinous. Where do you understand Buell to be and what
is he doing?
A. LINCOLN.
--
This response always fascinates me, especially when the President openly admits he respects General Horatio Wright's opinion more than General Jeremiah Boyle's. That's a pretty blunt and frank statement, especially from a man often considered to be very diplomatic and patient with many of his troops (especially this early in the war.) Perhaps this is a reflection of Lincoln's stress level, considering with the Confederates invasion of Maryland (being defended by General George McClellan, in whom Lincoln did much have much faith), this apparent invasion of Kentucky with such demands coming from Boyle and others, and Lincoln's waiting for an opportunity to introduce the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which he knew would be a huge announcement once he found the right time. The late summer and fall of 1862 was a very difficult time of the war for Lincoln and this response may be a sign of that.
Boyle's response is interesting too, beginning with the admission he did not expect the Confederates to be near Louisville soon and then stating he did not believe Bragg had a large force in the state.
All-in-all, this small exchange shows Lincoln taking charge of the situation, expressing his honest feelings in trying to determine if the situation was truly serious or was simply an over-reaction by Union leaders in the area. This was just one of the worries Lincoln had at the time, but if it was not truly as bad as he had been told, it was a waste of his time. Eventually, the situation did become quite serious with Bragg (and Kirby Smith) having troops in the state that Lincoln so badly wanted to keep in the Union, leading to the Battle of Perryville, one of the most severe fights in the western theater of the war.
My personal favorite entry is this one from September 12 as it contains one of my favorite pieces of communication that President Lincoln ever sent. I will copy and paste this response below, but will not copy the whole correspondence between Lincoln and Union officials in Kentucky as you can see that on Allen's site. (I added the emphasis in bold.)
Major-General BOYLE, Louisville, KY:
A. LINCOLN.
--
This response always fascinates me, especially when the President openly admits he respects General Horatio Wright's opinion more than General Jeremiah Boyle's. That's a pretty blunt and frank statement, especially from a man often considered to be very diplomatic and patient with many of his troops (especially this early in the war.) Perhaps this is a reflection of Lincoln's stress level, considering with the Confederates invasion of Maryland (being defended by General George McClellan, in whom Lincoln did much have much faith), this apparent invasion of Kentucky with such demands coming from Boyle and others, and Lincoln's waiting for an opportunity to introduce the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which he knew would be a huge announcement once he found the right time. The late summer and fall of 1862 was a very difficult time of the war for Lincoln and this response may be a sign of that.
Boyle's response is interesting too, beginning with the admission he did not expect the Confederates to be near Louisville soon and then stating he did not believe Bragg had a large force in the state.
All-in-all, this small exchange shows Lincoln taking charge of the situation, expressing his honest feelings in trying to determine if the situation was truly serious or was simply an over-reaction by Union leaders in the area. This was just one of the worries Lincoln had at the time, but if it was not truly as bad as he had been told, it was a waste of his time. Eventually, the situation did become quite serious with Bragg (and Kirby Smith) having troops in the state that Lincoln so badly wanted to keep in the Union, leading to the Battle of Perryville, one of the most severe fights in the western theater of the war.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Squirrel Hunters in the Siege of Cincinnati
I've made several recent posts about the Black Brigade, a group of African-American men from Cincinnati. They helped create the defensive positions on the hills of Northern Kentucky, just south of Cincinnati and these positions helped defend the region from a potential Confederate attack in early September 1862.
Well, another group of men who were among those who joined in the area's defense during the Siege of Cincinnati became known as the the "Squirrel Hunters." One local legend states that their name came from their ability to shoot squirrels out of trees on the Kentucky banks of the Ohio River while they were still in Ohio. I tend to doubt this, because that area did not feature a lot of trees, even then, as both sides of the river were used for boat landings. Plus, any trees that may have been there likely would have been torn down just to give a better line of site. My guess is that the name came due to these men bringing their hunting rifles and wearing their hunting clothes. These were not professional soldiers, or even trained volunteer soldiers. They were, actually, much like the famed "Minutemen" of Revolutionary Times, though perhaps not even as experienced as them. They heard their country call for help (probably from proclamations issued by General Lew Wallace when he took command of forces in the area or from Governor David Tod), grabbed their gears and traveled to Cincinnati, by train, horse or foot.
Here is a very nice article by David E. Roth on the Cincinnati Civil War Roundtable's website that provides more details on these men and their unique nom-de-guerre.
Once in the area, they crossed into Kentucky, where they assisted in building and manning many of the fortifications in the local hills. Approximately 22,000 actual army troops, under command of General Gordon Granger had rushed from Mississippi, but a large group of volunteers, perhaps 40-50,000, from Ohio and Indiana joined them. Thousands of these volunteers were the "Squirrel Hunters."
After a couple of weeks, the siege let up and the Confederates headed back south. There was no further need for the Squirrel Hunters and they even may have become a bit of a nuisance, at least to a regular Army man like General A.J. Smith who wrote "Cannot I get rid of the Squirrel Hunters? They are under no control" in a letter to Lew Wallace on September 17, 1862. (The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies Series 1, Volume 16, Part 2, page 524)
The Federal government did not recognize these men as a separate unit, or even as enrolled volunteers as their service ended, much like the Black Brigade. Ohio Governor David Tod did appreciate their efforts, however, helping to find money to pay for their train rides home and even had discharge certificates printed up for these men.
The state of Ohio eventually did offer pensions for some of these men, as Jim Schmidt explains in this blog entry
The legacy of these men is one that probably deserves some more study and research. When I mention them in a museum tour or when discussing the Civil War in the area, their nickname often brings about a smile on people's faces, almost like it's a cute story of some sort. The legend of their shooting ability does the same. People seem to appreciate their patriotism but as something less than true soldiers. Perhaps, however, that is a correct impression.
In the end, however, these were men trying to partake in serious business, defending their homes and families (that was not just a Southern desire.) Certainly they did not provide the usual military discipline of Army soldiers or even of many volunteers, but their state and region were in jeopardy of invasion and they turned out in large numbers to help as they could, though the first article linked above shows they mainly wanted to fight and not do as much of the dirty work. The threat ended up being much less than expected - some early reports claimed tens of thousands of Confederates were invading (see an example here), but Henry Heth's men only numbered 8,000 or less - but it was a threat and they responded to it quickly and bravely and earned pride in their name and, eventually, even a pension from their state.
Well, another group of men who were among those who joined in the area's defense during the Siege of Cincinnati became known as the the "Squirrel Hunters." One local legend states that their name came from their ability to shoot squirrels out of trees on the Kentucky banks of the Ohio River while they were still in Ohio. I tend to doubt this, because that area did not feature a lot of trees, even then, as both sides of the river were used for boat landings. Plus, any trees that may have been there likely would have been torn down just to give a better line of site. My guess is that the name came due to these men bringing their hunting rifles and wearing their hunting clothes. These were not professional soldiers, or even trained volunteer soldiers. They were, actually, much like the famed "Minutemen" of Revolutionary Times, though perhaps not even as experienced as them. They heard their country call for help (probably from proclamations issued by General Lew Wallace when he took command of forces in the area or from Governor David Tod), grabbed their gears and traveled to Cincinnati, by train, horse or foot.
Here is a very nice article by David E. Roth on the Cincinnati Civil War Roundtable's website that provides more details on these men and their unique nom-de-guerre.
Once in the area, they crossed into Kentucky, where they assisted in building and manning many of the fortifications in the local hills. Approximately 22,000 actual army troops, under command of General Gordon Granger had rushed from Mississippi, but a large group of volunteers, perhaps 40-50,000, from Ohio and Indiana joined them. Thousands of these volunteers were the "Squirrel Hunters."
After a couple of weeks, the siege let up and the Confederates headed back south. There was no further need for the Squirrel Hunters and they even may have become a bit of a nuisance, at least to a regular Army man like General A.J. Smith who wrote "Cannot I get rid of the Squirrel Hunters? They are under no control" in a letter to Lew Wallace on September 17, 1862. (The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies Series 1, Volume 16, Part 2, page 524)
The Federal government did not recognize these men as a separate unit, or even as enrolled volunteers as their service ended, much like the Black Brigade. Ohio Governor David Tod did appreciate their efforts, however, helping to find money to pay for their train rides home and even had discharge certificates printed up for these men.
The state of Ohio eventually did offer pensions for some of these men, as Jim Schmidt explains in this blog entry
The legacy of these men is one that probably deserves some more study and research. When I mention them in a museum tour or when discussing the Civil War in the area, their nickname often brings about a smile on people's faces, almost like it's a cute story of some sort. The legend of their shooting ability does the same. People seem to appreciate their patriotism but as something less than true soldiers. Perhaps, however, that is a correct impression.
In the end, however, these were men trying to partake in serious business, defending their homes and families (that was not just a Southern desire.) Certainly they did not provide the usual military discipline of Army soldiers or even of many volunteers, but their state and region were in jeopardy of invasion and they turned out in large numbers to help as they could, though the first article linked above shows they mainly wanted to fight and not do as much of the dirty work. The threat ended up being much less than expected - some early reports claimed tens of thousands of Confederates were invading (see an example here), but Henry Heth's men only numbered 8,000 or less - but it was a threat and they responded to it quickly and bravely and earned pride in their name and, eventually, even a pension from their state.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Black Brigade Ceremony
The good news is that I did get to represent the Ramage Museum at last night's ceremony to dedicate a new monument to the Black Brigade of Cincinnati.
The bad news is that since I had to man the museum's table, and since the historical groups were not very close to the monument or ceremony, I did not actually get to hear the speakers or even see the monument. I did hear some positive remarks from others who attended and did get to see a group of men doing a presentation of some members of the unit, marching around with shovels, picks, etc. and chanting some tune I did not recognize. I wish I had been able to get a picture of them as they were impressive.
I was able to see the seating area and it appeared to be standing room only. They had said they were expecting a crowd of 250 or so and I think they got that, and perhaps a bit more. There were also quite a few African-Americans present; that makes sense with this type of monument, but I have seen stories and other blogs wondering about the lack of interest in the Civil War by African-Americans. I talked with a few dozen people at my table, including some African-Americans, and was pleased with the level of interest in local history and the Civil War. I had several good conversations and met quite a few knowledgeable people. That was a pleasant part of the evening and hopefully at least a few of them will take time to visit the Ramage Museum or find other ways to study the war, locally or in general.
One cool thing was a local group of re-enactors who fired their cannon to start and end the event. The echo from the buildings in Covington, across the Ohio River, was impressive, and after the first shot, a local water patrol drove up to the Ohio shore to see what was going on. I don't think anything came of that, since the group did fire the ending shot about an hour later.
I also learned of some upcoming Civil War events at other local institutions and will post an entry or two about them in the next few days. It sounds like there will be some very good presentations and talks in the area in the next few weeks, many of them about events in the Cincinnati area. Some may not realize it, but Antietam and the Maryland campaign were not the only events taking place in September 1862. Hopefully at least some of the citizens of this area will understand that the war extended even into Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati, even if no major battle occurred.
I do wish I had been able to see the monument (but will find time to go visit and photograph it soon enough) and witness the actual ceremony, but I still had a good evening, being happy with the crowed that turned out for the event and the folks who stopped to visit my table. From what I saw, it was a successful event and a positive step for the study of local history.
The bad news is that since I had to man the museum's table, and since the historical groups were not very close to the monument or ceremony, I did not actually get to hear the speakers or even see the monument. I did hear some positive remarks from others who attended and did get to see a group of men doing a presentation of some members of the unit, marching around with shovels, picks, etc. and chanting some tune I did not recognize. I wish I had been able to get a picture of them as they were impressive.
I was able to see the seating area and it appeared to be standing room only. They had said they were expecting a crowd of 250 or so and I think they got that, and perhaps a bit more. There were also quite a few African-Americans present; that makes sense with this type of monument, but I have seen stories and other blogs wondering about the lack of interest in the Civil War by African-Americans. I talked with a few dozen people at my table, including some African-Americans, and was pleased with the level of interest in local history and the Civil War. I had several good conversations and met quite a few knowledgeable people. That was a pleasant part of the evening and hopefully at least a few of them will take time to visit the Ramage Museum or find other ways to study the war, locally or in general.
One cool thing was a local group of re-enactors who fired their cannon to start and end the event. The echo from the buildings in Covington, across the Ohio River, was impressive, and after the first shot, a local water patrol drove up to the Ohio shore to see what was going on. I don't think anything came of that, since the group did fire the ending shot about an hour later.
I also learned of some upcoming Civil War events at other local institutions and will post an entry or two about them in the next few days. It sounds like there will be some very good presentations and talks in the area in the next few weeks, many of them about events in the Cincinnati area. Some may not realize it, but Antietam and the Maryland campaign were not the only events taking place in September 1862. Hopefully at least some of the citizens of this area will understand that the war extended even into Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati, even if no major battle occurred.
I do wish I had been able to see the monument (but will find time to go visit and photograph it soon enough) and witness the actual ceremony, but I still had a good evening, being happy with the crowed that turned out for the event and the folks who stopped to visit my table. From what I saw, it was a successful event and a positive step for the study of local history.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Pontoon Bridge Across the Ohio River, revised
Well, as I hope that my home internet connection problems are now resolved, I am republishing this entry, with small revisions. I originally posted in September 15, 2010, but the whole pontoon bridge to get men across the Ohio River has been one of the aspects of the Siege of Cincinnati that has fascinated me the most.
In Civil War discussions and blogs,
there are many topics that generate excitement and discussion, from
causes of the war, to who was right, to why one side won or lost.
One thing that may not, however, seem so interesting, and may, in fact, appear rather mundane, is the role of everyday objects such as bridges. In Cincinnati in late summer 1862, such a topic was anything but mundane and, almost 150 years later, I still find the construction and role of a pontoon bridge to be one of the more fascinating aspects of the "Siege of Cincinnati."
The Cincinnati Enquirer mentioned this bridge in a couple of its editions.
On September 10, 1862, it informed readers: "It should be understood that the pontoon bridge across the river is only eligible to the military. The guards are continually annoyed by the application of civilians and ladies who are anxious to cross merely, we should imagine, for the novelty of the thing." It's easy to imagine army officers easily losing their cool as person after person approaches them asking for a special "one-time" favor or an exception to the rules, but it's just as easy to understand the fascination citizens had with it and the curiosity they must have felt about such a strange sight.
On November 7, the paper reported: "The pontoon bridge across the Ohio River to Covington from this city is being removed." It followed up this report 8 days later, stating that "Mr. Montgomery will sell, this afternoon, all the lumber used in the construction of the pontoon bridge, lately crossing the Ohio River, per order of Colonel Swords." Unfortunately, the next day's paper was missing from the microfilm roll, so I could not find any details about the sale of this wood.
During this time, a second pontoon bridge was also constructed, on the Licking River, connecting Campbell and Kenton Counties in northern Kentucky.
Soon after the war ended, construction on the John Roebling's Suspension Bridge was completed, at the same spot where the pontoon bridge crossed the Ohio. This new bridge would serve as a model for the much more famous Brooklyn Bridge of later years. In the illustration at the top of this post, a piling is visible on the far shore. This was from where construction of this permanent bridge had begun before the war. Note that it is on land, but in modern times is now firmly within the bounds of the mighty Ohio.
In 1866, the Roebling Suspension Bridge finally opened after years of political and financial controversy and trouble. Those issues still face the region today as politicians try to find a solution to replacing the aging and over-used Brent Spence Bridge, just west of where the pontoon bridge once stood. No such temporary measure will suffice today.
 | |
| Soldiers crossing from Cincinnati to Covington KY, Harper's Weekly 9-27-1862 |
One thing that may not, however, seem so interesting, and may, in fact, appear rather mundane, is the role of everyday objects such as bridges. In Cincinnati in late summer 1862, such a topic was anything but mundane and, almost 150 years later, I still find the construction and role of a pontoon bridge to be one of the more fascinating aspects of the "Siege of Cincinnati."
When
the Confederate approached the region after the Battle of Richmond (KY)
of August 29 and 30, General Lew Wallace took charge of local defense
and declared martial law as he attempted to fortify the existing
defenses in the hills of Northern Kentucky. One problem he quickly
discovered was in trying to get soldiers from Ohio across the Ohio River
into those fortifications. Boats were available to serve as ferries,
but this was a slow process, even with the river being rather shallow at
the time, due to the drought that hot summer had brought.
In Our Moment of Glory in the Civil War: When Cincinnati was Defended From the Hills of Northern Kentucky,
(reprinted 2007 by the James A Ramage Civil War Museum and the City of
Fort Wright) , Chester Geaslen described how General Wallace found a
solution to this problem. Wallace
"consulted Cincinnati architect Wesley Cameron on the feasibility of constructing a pontoon bridge across the broad Ohio, by using empty coal barges lashed side by side, and anchored securely onto both shores. Cameron's reply was...'You get me the material and manpower, and I'll get the job done.' He was a man of his word because between the rising of the sun of one day, and its setting the next, Cameron had performed a miracle."
"consulted Cincinnati architect Wesley Cameron on the feasibility of constructing a pontoon bridge across the broad Ohio, by using empty coal barges lashed side by side, and anchored securely onto both shores. Cameron's reply was...'You get me the material and manpower, and I'll get the job done.' He was a man of his word because between the rising of the sun of one day, and its setting the next, Cameron had performed a miracle."
This improvised bridge proved invaluable in the crossing of so many volunteers and so much equipment in so short a time.
Among the units that served in the Cincinnati area, shortly after the panic had subsided, was the 77th Illinois Volunteer Infantry. A couple of years ago, I read an enjoyable book that surprisingly gave me more details on this bridge.
Among the units that served in the Cincinnati area, shortly after the panic had subsided, was the 77th Illinois Volunteer Infantry. A couple of years ago, I read an enjoyable book that surprisingly gave me more details on this bridge.
The Civil War Diary of a Common Soldier: William Wiley of the 77th Illinois Infantry,
(editor Terrence J Winschel, copyright 2001, Louisiana State University
Press) describes that unit's camp in and around Cincinnati, and
mentions this bridge on pages 13 through 15. I've left in a couple of
sentences before and after the description of the bridge to serve as
background information and used bold font for the mention of the
bridge. Crossing that span, especially while trying to convince mules to
do the same, must have been an interesting experience. (The
transcription in the book included spelling and grammatical errors as in
Mr. Wiley's diary, but I have tried to clean them to make this easier
to read.)
Oct 7th (1862)
...We
had one team and wagon assigned to each company. Three for the Regt.
headquarters and one for the hospital. And our teamsters had a serious
time getting their teams broke in as they consisted of wild and vicious
mules bought up all over the country and every one that had a mean
vicious mule or horse sold them to the government. These mules were
corralled on the Ohio side of the river and our teamsters in the first
place had to go over to the coral, catch their mules, harness and hitch
them to the army wagons [to] get them down through the city and across
the Ohio River on the pontoon bridge and out to camp the best way they
could. The greater part of the mules were young and had never been
handled. A detail of soldiers would be sent over with the teamsters to
help them. They would try to get one mule that had been broke for each
team for a saddle mule and the balance they would just take whatever
they could get a hold of. The greater part of them would just have to be
lassoed and choked down until they would get the harness on them. Then
they would let them up and get them hitched to the wagons the best way
they could. The teams consisted of from four to six mules. When they
would get them hitched to the wagons the teamsters would mount his
saddle mule and get two or three soldiers on each side to scare them
along thus they would go down through Cincinnati to the pontoon bridge
which consisted of boats made like very large skiffs anchored in the
river about twelve feet apart with timbers laid from one boat to the
other and two inch plank spiked onto the timbers. The bridge was twelve
or fourteen feet wide with no side railing whatever. The bridge would
sway up and down and sideways when the weight would come on it and was
not the best kind to drive a big team of wild mules over. But by
prodding, whipping, and scaring they would get them forced onto the
bridge and the noise and swaying of the bridge each mule a pushing with
all his might for fear of being pushed off the bridge which was at least
80 rods long and then by the same scaring process they would force them
out through the town of Covington to camp. They would continue to
drive them around until they were tired out before they would unhitch
them but the harness was never taken off until they were thoroughly
broke. Then they would have to be shod so they could stand the racket
over the racks and pikes of Kentucky. This was accomplished by getting
them in the stocks and strapping them down so they could do nothing but
bray and then the shoes would be fitted and drove."
The Cincinnati Enquirer mentioned this bridge in a couple of its editions.
On September 10, 1862, it informed readers: "It should be understood that the pontoon bridge across the river is only eligible to the military. The guards are continually annoyed by the application of civilians and ladies who are anxious to cross merely, we should imagine, for the novelty of the thing." It's easy to imagine army officers easily losing their cool as person after person approaches them asking for a special "one-time" favor or an exception to the rules, but it's just as easy to understand the fascination citizens had with it and the curiosity they must have felt about such a strange sight.
On November 7, the paper reported: "The pontoon bridge across the Ohio River to Covington from this city is being removed." It followed up this report 8 days later, stating that "Mr. Montgomery will sell, this afternoon, all the lumber used in the construction of the pontoon bridge, lately crossing the Ohio River, per order of Colonel Swords." Unfortunately, the next day's paper was missing from the microfilm roll, so I could not find any details about the sale of this wood.
During this time, a second pontoon bridge was also constructed, on the Licking River, connecting Campbell and Kenton Counties in northern Kentucky.
Soon after the war ended, construction on the John Roebling's Suspension Bridge was completed, at the same spot where the pontoon bridge crossed the Ohio. This new bridge would serve as a model for the much more famous Brooklyn Bridge of later years. In the illustration at the top of this post, a piling is visible on the far shore. This was from where construction of this permanent bridge had begun before the war. Note that it is on land, but in modern times is now firmly within the bounds of the mighty Ohio.
In 1866, the Roebling Suspension Bridge finally opened after years of political and financial controversy and trouble. Those issues still face the region today as politicians try to find a solution to replacing the aging and over-used Brent Spence Bridge, just west of where the pontoon bridge once stood. No such temporary measure will suffice today.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Another Black Brigade Article
Here is another article that I had not seen before publishing yesterday's entry. It is good to see this story starting to get more attention, as well as the Brigade itself. I am anxious to see the monument.
Thanks to my friend Tom for forwarding me the link
Thanks to my friend Tom for forwarding me the link
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Some Recognition for the Black Brigade of Cincinnati
One of the more fascinating aspects of the Siege of Cincinnati was the involvement of the group that became known as the "Black Brigade of Cincinnati." (Please take time to read that last link - it is an online version of an 1864 book about this unit, thanks to the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. It gives more details than I do here. Click on the "PDF" link on the page to which this link goes.)
As Confederate troops approached the city and panic began to ensue, many of these men, in a city technically in the north, but with many ties and sympathies lying with the south, tried to join in the action, only to be told words to the effect that it was a "white man's war."
As possible invasion came closer to reality, however, some of the cops in Cincinnati took a different tone and actually rounded up many African American men, and took them to a pen on Race Street (a sadly ironic name), treating them almost like slaves.
Fortune smiled on these men however, when General Lew Wallace, in charge of the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky defenses per the orders of General Horatio Wright, found out about this treatment and disapproved of it. He ordered Judge William Martin Dickson to take charge of the African Americans and the Judge did so. He met these men where they had been gathered and told them they could go home to see their loved ones and then report back in the morning. Local lore states that about 400-500 men were there that evening but that over 700 showed up the next morning.
Over the next couple of weeks, these men helped build local defensive positions in Northern Kentucky, mostly in Campbell County. They were kept segregated from the tens of thousands of other troops working in the region and they were not allowed to carry weapons, but they actually did reportedly receive the same pay as the white volunteers, which slowly climbed from nothing to $1.00 per day and finally to $1.50 per day.
(The above image shows the Ohio River dividing Cincinnati on the north from the northern part of Kentucky to the south, with the Licking River separating Kenton (west) and Campbell (east) Counties in Kentucky. The defensive positions rested on hills and ridges which took advantage of the bend in the Ohio River to form a ring-shaped system of defenses. )
When the panic had ended and the Confederates under General Henry Heth had headed back towards central Kentucky, these African Americans found that their work did not go unappreciated. Judge Dickson, pictured below, even presented them with their own flag, also pictured below, which now resides in the Ohio Historical Society.
The Black Brigade was not a permanent unit, and it did break up once the panic and expected siege had ended, but several members of this group eventually joined other African American Units, including Powhatan Beaty, who won a Medal of Honor at the Battle of Chaffin's Farm in 1864.
I also find it remarkable that this happened before the Emancipation Proclamation, when the use of African-American troops had not become customary and was still a very controversial topic. Perhaps this was a symbol of how fear can change people's viewpoints, as locals allowed these African Americans to help defend them, when they heard (often exaggerated) reports of how many Confederates were coming and what their plans for the city might be.
Recently, I have seen a couple of articles and announcements about this unit and am glad to see more attention given to this group of brave men. Here is an announcement about an upcoming dedication of a Black Brigage monument next Sunday. I encourage people to attend this and will try to be there myself as a representative of the Ramage museum. I am anxious to see the new monument and to try to interpret it through not only my initial reactions, but from a "memory" perspective too, to try to see what it says about how this unit is regarded and what the monument designers want people to see and perhaps feel.
The Cincinnati Herald also has a nice article about the recent Battery Hooper Days event and the Black Brigade.
Kevin Levin also had a post about a video about the creation of the monument. I think the video is about a year old, but it still is a nice summation of the project.
As Confederate troops approached the city and panic began to ensue, many of these men, in a city technically in the north, but with many ties and sympathies lying with the south, tried to join in the action, only to be told words to the effect that it was a "white man's war."
As possible invasion came closer to reality, however, some of the cops in Cincinnati took a different tone and actually rounded up many African American men, and took them to a pen on Race Street (a sadly ironic name), treating them almost like slaves.
Fortune smiled on these men however, when General Lew Wallace, in charge of the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky defenses per the orders of General Horatio Wright, found out about this treatment and disapproved of it. He ordered Judge William Martin Dickson to take charge of the African Americans and the Judge did so. He met these men where they had been gathered and told them they could go home to see their loved ones and then report back in the morning. Local lore states that about 400-500 men were there that evening but that over 700 showed up the next morning.
Over the next couple of weeks, these men helped build local defensive positions in Northern Kentucky, mostly in Campbell County. They were kept segregated from the tens of thousands of other troops working in the region and they were not allowed to carry weapons, but they actually did reportedly receive the same pay as the white volunteers, which slowly climbed from nothing to $1.00 per day and finally to $1.50 per day.
When the panic had ended and the Confederates under General Henry Heth had headed back towards central Kentucky, these African Americans found that their work did not go unappreciated. Judge Dickson, pictured below, even presented them with their own flag, also pictured below, which now resides in the Ohio Historical Society.
The Black Brigade was not a permanent unit, and it did break up once the panic and expected siege had ended, but several members of this group eventually joined other African American Units, including Powhatan Beaty, who won a Medal of Honor at the Battle of Chaffin's Farm in 1864.
I also find it remarkable that this happened before the Emancipation Proclamation, when the use of African-American troops had not become customary and was still a very controversial topic. Perhaps this was a symbol of how fear can change people's viewpoints, as locals allowed these African Americans to help defend them, when they heard (often exaggerated) reports of how many Confederates were coming and what their plans for the city might be.
Recently, I have seen a couple of articles and announcements about this unit and am glad to see more attention given to this group of brave men. Here is an announcement about an upcoming dedication of a Black Brigage monument next Sunday. I encourage people to attend this and will try to be there myself as a representative of the Ramage museum. I am anxious to see the new monument and to try to interpret it through not only my initial reactions, but from a "memory" perspective too, to try to see what it says about how this unit is regarded and what the monument designers want people to see and perhaps feel.
The Cincinnati Herald also has a nice article about the recent Battery Hooper Days event and the Black Brigade.
Kevin Levin also had a post about a video about the creation of the monument. I think the video is about a year old, but it still is a nice summation of the project.
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| Powhatan Beaty |
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| Flag Given to the Black Brigade |
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