Defense of Cincinnati
Encyclopedia
The Defense of Cincinnati occurred during what is now referred to as the Confederate Heartland Offensive
Confederate Heartland Offensive
The Confederate Heartland Offensive or Kentucky Campaign was a series of maneuvers and battles in East Tennessee and Kentucky in 1862 during the American Civil War...
(or Kentucky Campaign) of American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
from September 1 through September 13, 1862, when Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, was threatened by Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
forces.
Confederate Brigadier General Henry Heth
Henry Heth
Henry "Harry" Heth was a career United States Army officer and a Confederate general in the American Civil War. He is best remembered for inadvertently precipitating the Battle of Gettysburg, when he sent some of his troops of the Army of Northern Virginia to the small Pennsylvania village,...
had been sent north to threaten Cincinnati, then the sixth largest city in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Heth was under orders from his superior, Major General Edmund Kirby Smith
Edmund Kirby Smith
Edmund Kirby Smith was a career United States Army officer and educator. He served as a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, notable for his command of the Trans-Mississippi Department of the Confederacy after the fall of Vicksburg.After the conflict ended Smith...
not to attack the city, but to make a "demonstration". Cincinnati's mayor George Hatch
George Hatch
George Hatch was a Democratic politician, who served as Mayor of the City of Cincinnati, Ohio, during the American Civil War from 1861 to 1863....
ordered all business closed, and Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
Major General
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
Lew Wallace
Lew Wallace
Lewis "Lew" Wallace was an American lawyer, Union general in the American Civil War, territorial governor and statesman, politician and author...
declared martial law, seized sixteen steamboats and had them armed, and organized the citizens of Cincinnati, Covington
Covington, Kentucky
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 43,370 people, 18,257 households, and 10,132 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,301.3 people per square mile . There were 20,448 housing units at an average density of 1,556.5 per square mile...
and Newport, Kentucky
Newport, Kentucky
Newport is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States, at the confluence of the Ohio and Licking rivers. The population was 15,273 at the 2010 census. Historically, it was one of four county seats of Campbell County. Newport is part of the Greater Cincinnati, Ohio Metro Area which...
for defense. Among the groups organized were the Black Brigade
Black Brigade of Cincinnati
The Black Brigade of Cincinnati was a military unit that was organized during the Civil War when the city of Cincinnati, Ohio was in danger of being attacked by Confederates. The men that were a part of the Black Brigade were among the first of their race to be employed by the military of the...
, a volunteer force of free men of color. Although not armed, the Black Brigade was given a flag and paid $13 for one month's service (the same pay given to privates at that time).
Along eight miles of hilltops from Ludlow
Ludlow, Kentucky
Ludlow is a city in Kenton County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 4,409 at the 2000 census. Ludlow is a suburb of Covington, Kentucky, and Cincinnati, Ohio, located on the Ohio River...
to present-day Fort Thomas, Kentucky
Fort Thomas, Kentucky
Fort Thomas is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, on the southern bank of the Ohio River and the site of an 1890 US Army post. The population was 16,325 at the 2010 census, making it the largest city in Campbell County and it is officially part of the Cincinnati – Northern Kentucky metropolitan...
, volunteers and soldiers constructed rifle pits and earthwork fortifications, which were defended by 25,000 Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
soldiers and 60,000 local militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
volunteers, called "Squirrel Hunters." Construction of the defenses was directed by Colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
Charles Whittlesey
Charles Whittlesey (geologist)
Charles Whittlesey was a soldier, geologist and an investigator of mounds relics of the United States.-Biography:...
until relieved by Major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
James H. Simpson
James H. Simpson
James Hervey Simpson was an officer in the U.S. Army and a member of the United States Topographical Engineers.-Early years:He was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey on March 9, 1813, the son of John Simpson and Mary Brunson. He graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1832 and was...
, chief of Topographical Engineers
Corps of Topographical Engineers
The U.S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers, was separately authorized on 4 July 1838, consisted only of officers, and was used for mapping and the design and construction of federal civil works such as lighthouses and other coastal fortifications and navigational routes. It included such...
for the Department of the Ohio
Department of the Ohio
The Department of the Ohio was an administrative military district created by the United States War Department early in the American Civil War to administer the troops in the Northern states near the Ohio River.General Orders No...
.
On September 5, Ohio governor David Tod
David Tod
David Tod was a politician and industrialist from the U.S. state of Ohio. As the 25th Governor of Ohio, Tod gained recognition for his forceful and energetic leadership during the American Civil War....
announced to the public that no additional volunteers would be needed for the defense of Cincinnati, but he advised that all military organizations be kept up for future needs.
Heth and his men marched from Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
on the Lexington Turnpike (present-day U.S. Route 25
U.S. Route 25
U.S. Route 25 is a north–south United States highway that runs for from Brunswick, Georgia to the Ohio state line in Covington, Kentucky.-Georgia:...
) arriving south of Covington on September 6. After reconnoitering the defenses at various points, he determined that an attack was pointless. Heth's forces stayed only a few days, skirmishing near Fort Mitchel on September 11 and returning south to Lexington on September 12, 1862.
On September 12, Wallace telegraphed Major General Horatio Wright
Horatio Wright
Horatio Gouverneur Wright was an engineer and general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. After the war, he was involved in a number of engineering projects, including the Brooklyn Bridge and the completion of the Washington Monument, and served as Chief of Engineers for the U.S...
(commander of the Department of the Ohio) in Cincinnati: "The skedaddle is complete; every sign of a rout. If you say so I will organize a column of 20,000 men to pursue to-night." The large pursuit was never ordered as most of the military forces were sent via steamboats to Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
to prevent capture by General Braxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg was a career United States Army officer, and then a general in the Confederate States Army—a principal commander in the Western Theater of the American Civil War and later the military adviser to Confederate President Jefferson Davis.Bragg, a native of North Carolina, was...
. However, small scouting forces were sent southward to harass the rear-guard of Heth's forces. A skirmish occurred at Florence, Kentucky
Florence, Kentucky
Florence is a city in Boone County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 29,951 at the 2010 census.-History:The Florence area was originally known as Crossroads, because of the convergence of several roads from Burlington and Union at Ridge Road...
on September 17. Another skirmish occurred near Walton, Kentucky
Walton, Kentucky
Walton is a city in Boone and Kenton Counties in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 3,635 in the 2010 Census.-Tourism:Nearby Florence offers thoroughbred racing at Turfway Park....
on September 25 when Colonel Basil W. Duke
Basil W. Duke
Basil Wilson Duke was a Confederate general officer during the American Civil War. His most noted service in the war was as second-in-command for his brother-in-law John Hunt Morgan; Duke would later write a popular account of Morgan's most famous raid: 1863's Morgan's Raid...
attacked a Union camp of approximately 500 men near Snow's Pond.
For his vigorous defense of the city, Wallace earned the nickname "Savior of Cincinnati" and within a month of the panic, the Squirrel Hunters returned to their homes.
The defenses
In September 1862, only five batteries were extant in Kenton CountyKenton County, Kentucky
Kenton County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, United States. It was formed in 1840. In 2010, the population was 159,720. It is the third most populous county in Kentucky behind Jefferson County and Fayette County. Its county seats are Covington and Independence...
and only three in Campbell County
Campbell County, Kentucky
Campbell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed on December 17, 1794, from sections of Scott, Harrison and Mason counties. As of 2010, the population was 90,336. Its county seats are Alexandria and Newport...
, all having been constructed in 1861. Two batteries protecting the city's flanks were located on hills at the west and east sides of Cincinnati. Altogether, the defenses were armed with just 15 heavy guns.
When Wallace moved his headquarters from Cincinnati to Kentucky, he selected the main building at the Thompson Winery that was designated Fort Henry, although no earthworks were ever constructed on the site. It was the approximate center of the line of fortifications and telegraph lines connected each of the earthwork positions with his headquarters.
Following the threat, many more batteries and forts were constructed through November 1864, mostly under the direction of Major James H. Simpson.
Kenton County
- J. L. Kirby Smith Battery - Located in the southwest area of modern Ludlow. It was named for Colonel Joseph L. Kirby Smith, 43rd Ohio Infantry43rd Ohio InfantryThe 43rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 43rd Ohio Infantry was organized in Mount Vernon, Ohio September 28, 1861 through February 1, 1862 and mustered in for three years service under the command of Colonel Joseph L...
, who was mortally wounded at the Second Battle of CorinthSecond Battle of CorinthThe Second Battle of Corinth was fought October 3–4, 1862, in Corinth, Mississippi. For the second time in the Iuka-Corinth Campaign, Union Maj. Gen. William S...
, October 1862.
- Coombs Battery - Believed to be named for Leslie Coombs, a member of Wallace's staff. Remains of this battery are found in Covington's Devou Park.
- Bates Battery - Brigadier General Joshua Hall BatesJoshua Hall BatesJoshua Hall Bates was a lawyer, politician, and general in the Union Army during the early part of the American Civil War...
, chairman of the Cincinnati Committee for Public Safety, was the namesake for this battery. Well-preserved, Bates Battery is located in Devou Park, but is difficult to reach.
- Perry Battery - Named for Cincinnati attorney Aaron F. PerryAaron F. PerryAaron Fyfe Perry was a U.S. Representative from Ohio.Born in Leicester, Vermont, Perry attended the public schools and Yale Law School. He was admitted to the bar of Connecticut in 1838. He moved to Columbus, Ohio, where he was admitted to the bar in 1840 and commenced practice...
. Traces a located on private property.
- Rich Battery - Named for Stephen Rich, landowner of the site. This position was built in 1861 and by the time of Heth's threat, it was considered out of position and unusable. It was referred to as "Old Battery" on military maps.
- Fort Mitchel - Constructed in 1861 and named for Major General Ormsby M. MitchelOrmsby M. MitchelOrmsby MacKnight Mitchel was an American astronomer and major general in the American Civil War....
, who originally directed the construction of Cincinnati's defenses in November 1861. (The modern-day city of Fort Mitchell, KentuckyFort Mitchell, KentuckyAs of the census of 2010, there were 8,207 people, 3,530 households, and 2,033 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,581.8 people per square mile . There were 3,744 housing units at an average density of 1,195.0 per square mile...
--chartered in 1909--derives its name from both the fort and the general, although misspelling his name.) The fort was greatly expanded in 1863-64. Today, only the road leading up to the fort remains.
- Kyle Battery - Located immediately east of Fort Mitchel on a farm owned by Robert S. Kyle. Site destroyed by construction of Interstate 75Interstate 75Interstate 75 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. It travels from State Road 826 and State Road 924 in Hialeah, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, at the Ontario, Canada, border...
.
- McRae Battery - Named for Captain Alexander McRae, 3rd United States Cavalry, killed in action at the battle of ValverdeBattle of ValverdeThe Battle of Valverde, or the Battle of Valverde Ford from February 20 to February 21, 1862, was fought near the town of Valverde at a ford of Valverde Creek in Confederate Arizona, in what is today the state of New Mexico. It was a major Confederate success in the New Mexico Campaign of the...
, New Mexico TerritoryNew Mexico Territorythumb|right|240px|Proposed boundaries for State of New Mexico, 1850The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of...
, in February 1862.
- Fort Wright - Constructed in 1863, this fortification was left uncompleted in 1864. Designed for thirteen heavy guns, Fort Wright could cover all of the ground from the front of Kyle Battery eastward to the Licking RiverLicking River (Kentucky)The Licking River is a tributary of the Ohio River in northeastern Kentucky in the United States. The river and its tributaries drain much of the region of northeastern Kentucky between the watersheds of the Kentucky River to the west and the Big Sandy River to the east.-Origin of name:The Native...
. It was named for Major General Horatio Wright, commander of the Department of the Ohio. The modern city of Fort Wright, KentuckyFort Wright, KentuckyFort Wright is a city in Kenton County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 5,723 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Fort Wright is located at ....
derives its name from this fortification.
- Hooper BatteryHooper BatteryHooper Battery was a hilltop earthworks fortification, built for the Defense of Cincinnati during the American Civil War in Northern Kentucky by the Union Army to turn back invading Confederate troops. It was constructed to protect Cincinnati and the Ohio River valley...
- Initially designated Kyle Battery, it was along the same ridge as McRae. The site of the battery was covered over with earth to make a level back yard for a private home that is now the James A. Ramage Civil War MuseumJames A. Ramage Civil War MuseumThe James A. Ramage Civil War Museum seeks to tell the untold story of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky's involvement in the American Civil War. Although there were no major battles set there, the people of the area resisted a strong push by the Confederate army in 1862. This museum is set on one...
.
- Carlisle Battery - Named for local attorney and politician John G. Carlisle.
- Burbank Battery - Named for Lieutenant ColonelLieutenant Colonel (United States)In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
Sidney BurbankSidney BurbankSidney Burbank served as an officer in the regular army before and during the American Civil War. For a time he led a brigade in the Army of the Potomac.-Pre War:...
, who was military commander of Cincinnati. (Burbank was promoted to colonel, September 16, 1862.)
- Hatch Battery - Alternately known as Brickyard Battery, it was named for Cincinnati's mayor George H. Hatch.
- Buford Battery - Constructed in 1863 and dually named for Kentucky half-brothers and generals Napoleon Bonaparte BufordNapoleon Bonaparte BufordNapoleon Bonaparte Buford was an American soldier, Union general in the American Civil War, and railroad executive. He was the half-brother of the famous Gettysburg hero, John Buford, but never attained his sibling's military distinction.-Birth and early years:Buford was the son of John and Nancy...
and John BufordJohn BufordJohn Buford, Jr. was a Union cavalry officer during the American Civil War, with a prominent role at the start of the Battle of Gettysburg.-Early years:...
. This position was selected to command the ground from Fort Wright to Holt Battery in Campbell County.
- Burnet Battery - First known as Quarry Battery, it was renamed for Robert W. Burnet, commander of a local militia unit from the Cincinnati Literary Club, known as the Burnet Rifles.
- Anderson Battery - First known as Tunnel Battery, due to be located directly above a railroad tunnel (still in modern use), it was renamed for Larz Anderson II, a Cincinnati businessman and brother to Brevet Major General Robert Anderson. Minor traces of this earthwork and a few rifle pits can still be seen.
Campbell County
- Wiggins Battery - This position overlooked the Licking River valley and was named for Samuel Wiggins, a Cincinnati banker and realtor. It was also known as John's Hill Battery.
- Holt Battery - Originally known as Three Mile Creek Battery and alternately as Licking Point Battery, it was named for Major General Joseph HoltJoseph HoltGeneral Joseph Holt was a leading member of the Buchanan administration and was Judge Advocate General of the United States Army, most notably during the Lincoln assassination trials.-Early life:...
, Judge Advocate General of the Army . This well-preserved and easily-accessible earthwork is owned by Vista Pointe Apartments in Wilder, KentuckyWilder, KentuckyWilder is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 3,035 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Wilder is located at ....
.
- McLean Battery - Also known as Locust Hill Battery, it was named for Major Nathaniel H. McLean, Chief of Staff for the Department of the Ohio.
- Harrison Battery - Believed to have been named for Montgomery Pike Harrison an Indiana officer killed in Texas by Indians in 1849.
- Shaler BatteryShaler BatteryShaler Battery was a hilltop earthwork fortification built during the American Civil War in Northern Kentucky by the Union Army to turn back invading Confederate troops. It was constructed to protect Cincinnati and the Ohio River valley...
- Located on property owned by Dr. Nathaniel B. Shaler, chief surgeon of the Newport BarracksNewport BarracksNewport Barracks was a military barracks on the Ohio River, across from Cincinnati, Ohio in Newport, Kentucky. It was operational from 1803 until 1894.-History:In 1803, James Taylor Jr. solicited the help of his cousin, James Madison, who was then U.S...
, and then in use as a vineyard but adjacent to Evergreen CemeteryEvergreen Cemetery (Southgate, Kentucky)Evergreen Cemetery is the largest cemetery in Campbell County, Kentucky. It is still in operation and is located at 25 Alexandria Pike in Southgate, Kentucky. The Cemetery was begun in the 1840s, to replace the Newport, Cemetery...
. Today, the cemetery encompasses the entire Shaler property. The first earthwork built on the site was leveled by U.S. Army Engineers. A larger earthwork was constructed behind the original position and remains intact. This is the most easily accessible of the remaining defensive positions.
- Groesbeck Batteries - Referred to as Batteries 1 & 2, Groesbeck, these two small positions were built in 1864 to guard the approaches to Fort Burnside. They were named for William S. GroesbeckWilliam S. GroesbeckWilliam Slocum Groesbeck was a U.S. Representative from Ohio.Born in Kinderhook, New York, Groesbeck moved with his parents to Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1816.He attended the common schools and Augusta College....
, a Cincinnati lawyer and politician.
- Phil Kearny Battery - Originally named Beech Woods Battery, it was renamed for Major General Philip KearnyPhilip KearnyPhilip Kearny, Jr., was a United States Army officer, notable for his leadership in the Mexican-American War and American Civil War. He was killed in action in the 1862 Battle of Chantilly.-Early life and career:...
, who was killed at the battle of ChantillyBattle of ChantillyThe Battle of Chantilly took place on September 1, 1862, in Fairfax County, Virginia, as the concluding battle of the Northern Virginia Campaign of the American Civil War. Thomas J...
, September 1, 1862.
- Fort Burnside - Constructed in 1863, this elaborate earthwork fort commanded the area from Shaler Battery to Fort Whittlesey. It was named for Major General Ambrose BurnsideAmbrose BurnsideAmbrose Everett Burnside was an American soldier, railroad executive, inventor, industrialist, and politician from Rhode Island, serving as governor and a U.S. Senator...
, commander of the Department of the Ohio, 1863-1864.
- Fort Whittlesey - Named for Colonel Charles Whittlesey, who had retired a few months before the threat to Cincinnati and was called back into service by Wallace, his former division commander.
- Battery Lee - Constructed in 1863 to overlook the Ohio River valley to the east and named for R. W. Lee, whose identity is still unknown. The earthwork was leveled for the construction of a parade ground for Fort ThomasFort Thomas, KentuckyFort Thomas is a city in Campbell County, Kentucky, on the southern bank of the Ohio River and the site of an 1890 US Army post. The population was 16,325 at the 2010 census, making it the largest city in Campbell County and it is officially part of the Cincinnati – Northern Kentucky metropolitan...
in 1890.
Ohio batteries
- Price's Hill Battery - Located on the western edge of Cincinnati overlooking the Ohio River.
- Mount Adams Battery - Located on the eastern side of Cincinnati near Immaculata ChurchImmaculata ChurchThe Church of the Immaculata, or Immaculata Church, is a Roman Catholic church atop Mt. Adams, a neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Church is located at 30 Guido Street. The church commemorates the Immaculate Conception and serves the Holy Cross–Immaculata Parish in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati...
on Mount Adams. The present site is known as Fort View Place.
- Butcher's Hill Battery - Located near the present site of Cincinnati Playhouse in the ParkCincinnati Playhouse in the ParkThe was founded in 1959 by college student Gerald Covell and was one of the first regional theatres in the United States. Located in Eden Park, the first play that premiered at the Playhouse on October 10, 1960, was Meyer Levin's Compulsion...
in Eden Park.
