A Sunday Drive to Simpsonville

I thought I'd take advantage of a beautiful, sunny (albeit cold) day yesterday to drive over (west) to Simpsonville, Kentucky, site of a true Kentucky tragedy in late January 1865. I traveled to Simpsonville on Highway 60, the old Civil War era road between Frankfort and Louisville. I normally drive via I-64 to avoid all the stop lights and small communities in between when I go that direction, but I hadn't been on that stretch for quite some time so I thought I'd drive it. I was hoping to see some historic houses along the route as well, and I wasn't disappointed as there were a number, especially near Shelbyville.

The incident that happened just west of Simpsonville on January 25, has been labeled a massacre. Sometimes I think that label is inappropriately administered when it comes to events that happen during wartime, but in this instance it appears warranted, especially if indeed, as reported, the soldiers surrendered and were then shot. Regardless, no doubt, it was a tragic event. Here is how the Louisville Journal described what happened in the next day edition:

"A drove of Government cattle, about nine hundred head, was on the way to this city yesterday from Camp Nelson, guarded, by eighty negro soldiers detailed from various regiments. The day being cold, and no danger being apprehended, the soldiers were allowed to straggle along by themselves, while their officers stopped to warm at various houses on the road. One half of the command marched in front of the cattle, while the other portion kept in the rear of the drove. The cattle and the guards were not yet out of sight of Simpsonville when fifteen guerrillas, headed by the desperate Colter, dashed into the town. Three of the negro officers were loafing in the tavern at the time, but they succeeded in making their escape from the outlaws. The guerrillas robbed the citizens of the place of goods amounting to about twelve hundred dollars when they started in pursuit of the negro troops guarding the cattle. They were not long in over-taking them as the citizens of Simpsonville, soon after their departure from the place, heard rapid firing down the road. In about half an hour the guerrillas returned; loaded down with booty, and stated that they had killed twenty-five of the negroes. They gave no further explanation, but moved off in the direction of Shelbyville. A gentleman who was detained at Simpsonville by the outlaws, after they were out of sight, resumed his journey toward Louisville. Not more than half a mile this side of the village [west] a terrible scene was presented to view. The ground was stained with blood and the dead bodies of negro soldiers were stretched out along the road. It was evident that the guerrillas had dashed upon the party guarding the rear of the cattle and taken them completely by surprise. They could not have offered any serious resistance, as none of the outlaws were even wounded. It is presumed that the negroes surrendered and were shot down in cold blood, as but two of the entire number escaped-one of them by secreting himself behind a wagon, the other by running, as he was met several miles from the scene of tragedy, wounded and nearly exhausted. Thirty-five dead bodies were counted lying m the road and vicinity. It was a horrible butchery, yet the scoundrels engaged in the bloody work shot down their victims with feelings of delight.

The cattle stampeded, and as soon as the advance guard learned of what was going on in the rear, each individual in blue made a tall scamper for a place of safety. Colter, ['One Armed' Samuel] Berry and Sue Mundy [aka Jerome Marcellus Clark] were the leaders of the murderous gang. The outlaws were but fifteen in number-one of them a black scoundrel, who boasted on the return of the band to Simpsonville that he killed three of the soldiers. In making the attack, the guerrillas were only armed with navy revolvers. After the wholesale murder, they took good care to secure the arms and ammunition of the slain. The officers in command of the negro troops should be held responsible for the slaughter, for it is certain that if they had been with their men, and enforced a proper discipline, the outlaws would have been whipped with ease.

If the soldiers had not been straggling, Colter would never have ventured to make the attack. A heavy responsibility rests with some one, and we trust that the facts of the case will be fully inquired into by the authorities.

LATEST: A gentleman who left Simpsonville at 8 o'clock last evening, and arrived in the city at a late hour last night, states that the citizens, up to the time he left, had collected and buried fourteen dead bodies of the murdered soldiers. Eight negroes, so severely wounded that many of them will die, were receiving medical treatment. It was thought that several more bodies would be found this morning scattered about the fields, as after they were shot many of the negroes ran in different directions and fell and died. The guerrillas were traveling towards Shelbyville at last accounts."

One of the most interesting things in this short article to me was the mention that a black man rode with the guerrillas and participated in the atrocity. It said, " The outlaws were but fifteen in number-one of them a black scoundrel, who boasted on the return of the band to Simpsonville that he killed three of the soldiers."

Was this man a slave? Was he a free man? What was his allegiance to the guerrillas? What was his motivation to participate in their activities? Did he have a choice? The movie Ride With the Devil comes to my mind.

Today the site of the killings and mass burial of the soldiers is marked with twenty two veterans' headstones, a state highway marker, flag pole flying a United States flag and a P.O.W. flag, and small interpretive podium.

Interestingly, not a stones trow away, Lincoln Institute was founded in 1912. Lincoln Institute was founded in the wake of the Day Law, passed in 1904 in Kentucky, which forbid blacks and whites to be educated together. For more on the Day Lay see:

http://randomthoughtsonhistory.blogspot.com/2009/05/kentucky-historical-wart-day-law.html

Whitney M. Young, probably the school's most famous alumnus was born at Lincoln Institute in 1921. Young, a contemporary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. served as the director for the National Urban League until his death in 1971. For more on Young see: http://randomthoughtsonhistory.blogspot.com/2009/05/personality-spotlight-whitney-young.html

Just Finished Reading

There are lot of good things to say about this book, but the part I enjoyed the most was the author's research of the early lives of these two women. Mrs. Lincoln's childhood in Lexington, Kentucky, into a home of privilege, set the stage for much of her adult life. The author contends that Mary Lincoln, although well educated and politically astute, never really matured into an adult. Her inability to deal with minor disappointments and her compulsive shopping would cause her problems with her husband and alienated would-be friends. Elizabeth Keckly on the other hand, grew up in slavery in Dinwiddie County, Virginia. She was the daughter of her white owner and a slave mother. During her lifetime Elizabeth did obtain a practical education and could read and write well, but it is interesting to think what someone with her drive could have accomplished if she had been afforded the opportunities that Mary had.

Elizabeth, or "Lizzy" as she was called by friends, lived a remarkable life. From Dinwiddie County she was moved to Hampden and Sydney College in Prince Edward County and then to Hillsboro, North Carolina by her owner and his family members that controlled her life. As a young woman in Hillsboro she became the mother of a son that was fathered by a white neighbor. Eventually she was moved to St. Louis where she purchased her and her son George's freedom. With her earnings as a noted and widely-referred seamstress she sent George to Wilberforce University in Ohio to be educated and she moved to Washington D.C. The light complexioned George passed for white and enlisted in a Missouri regiment when the Civil War broke out and was killed at the Battle of Wilson's Creek in August 1861.

After moving to D.C. Lizzie became seamstress for the politician's wives including Varina Davis, Jefferson Davis' wife. When the Davis family left Washington, and the Lincoln's arrived, Lizzie was introduced to Mary and Mary found her sewing skills excellent and fashionable and hired her for her personal seamstress. The two developed a close relationship over the next four years in the White House.

After Lincoln's assassination, Mary moved to Chicago and was in financial straits when she called on Lizzie to help her sell some of her old dresses and other possessions. The plan ended up in failure as the newspapers took the story and turned on Mary. Shortly after this Elizabeth wrote a book telling her story which offended the immature and touchy Mary and their relationship fell apart, never to be mended.

This book is indeed a "remarkable story" as the subtitle suggests and the author's writing style lends itself to being an very enjoyable and educational read.

On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 4.

Weird Family Portraits, Then and Now

Then...

...and now.

Miss Civil War Era 2012

Miss Civil War 2012

1st Runner Up

2nd Runner Up

Courtesy Library of Congress - Prints and Photographs

Bad Hair Day, or Just Bad Hair Style

Back on May 12, 2010, I posted some photos of some well known politicians of the mid-nineteenth century and their inability to tame their coifs in those particular photos. I ran across this one the other day and had to share it as well.

This is E.W. Morgan in 1859, who was the Kentucky Military Institute Superintendent and also professor of engineering and geology. He was a graduate of West Point.

I think I have to call this one a bad style instead of just a bad hair day. The under chin whiskers and sideburns complete the unique look.

Courtesy Kentucky Historical Society Digital Collections

Slaves at Mammoth Cave

A fascinating quick read is Making Their Mark: The Signature of Slavery at Mammoth Cave. This little booklet, (65 pages with numerous pictures) written by Joy Medley Lyons is published by Eastern National, which handles books and souvenirs for the National Park Service.

I remember visiting Mammoth Cave on a family trip when I was a boy. The main thing that sticks in my memory is that they took us into the cave quite a distance and then turned out the lights. It was the darkest place I had ever experienced. I admit, I was so happy when they turned the lights back on. Little did I know back then that Mammoth Cave had such an interesting history; a story that included slave cave explorers and tour guides who must have experienced that dreaded darkness just as I did.

Making Their Mark briefly tells the stories of slave Stephen Bishop who came to work at the cave in 1838 and died of unknown causes in 1857 at the young age of 37. Bishop mapped out much of the cave and was the first person known to travel into many parts of the cavern's tunnels. His graffiti marks still exist in parts of the cave and he was an extremely popular guide with the cave's visitors, many of which mentioned him in their travel accounts.

This little book also tells the story of other slaves such as mixed race slave Materson "Mat" Bransford whose descendants worked taking tourists into the cave into the 20th century. Also, Nicholas "Nick" Bransford is covered. Owned by the same man as Mat, the older Nick was apparently not blood related to Mat. Nick retired as a guide and passed away in 1895.

Another point the booklet makes is that while much of the rest of Kentucky and the nation was experiencing the nadir of race relations in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, apparently the settlement around Mammoth Cave was much more colorblind. White, black and mixed race guides lived next door shared games, hobbies and farming secrets and continued to take mainly white visitors into the cave to see nature's wondrous sights that were unimaginable outside the cave.

And, while the book hints at it, I wish the author had explored the idea more that the black and mixed race guides experienced some level of power over whites while in the cave. Since the guides knew the cave and areas that were both dangerous and safe their guests often had to place their lives in the guides' hands. If a black man, especially a slave, had told a white where to step and or to hurry up or slow down outside the cave, they could easily have been reprimanded or even punished, but in the cave, it was the guides' world and guides' rules.

For more on this topic see Mammoth Cave's website:
http://www.nps.gov/maca/historyculture/black-history.htm

An additional article that I highly recommend and that does explore the slave guides' power while underground is:
http://www.southernspaces.org/2010/trying-dark-mammoth-cave-and-racial-imagination-1839-1869#section6

Just Finished Reading

It has often been said that "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." But, as Dr. Lindsey Apple explained in The Family Legacy of Henry Clay: In the Shadow of a Kentucky Patriarch, Henry Clay Jr's statement that, "how difficult it is for a young tree to grow in the shade of an aged oak," might be more appropriate.

I count myself fortunate to have become acquainted with Dr. Apple over the past couple of years through working together on Teaching American History grants. Everyone who meets him will agree that he is truly a scholar and a gentleman. And, I think his book is certainly not to be overlooked. It is an interesting read filled with stories of tragedy and of missed opportunities, but it is also of accomplishments and perseverance.

Some of the tragedies the author examines are that Clay had two sons committed to an asylum, and Henry Jr. was killed in the Mexican War. All of Clay's daughters died before he did in 1852. In addition, the family was plagued with mental diseases such as depression and physical ailments such as tuberculosis, plus the stress of living up to the family name that Henry Clay made famous. Also, the second and third generation was particularly divided by the Civil War.

But, there were also generations that would have made Clay as pleased as punch. Sons and grandsons and great grandsons had successes in farming and horse breeding. Numerous Clays bravely served the nation by joining the armed forces. And, possibly the most Henry Clay-like descendant was not a male. Great granddaughter Madeline (Madge) McDowell Breckinridge was a leading Progressive Era reformer and suffragist. But, unfortunately, like so many other Clays, her story too was tragic as she died at the young age of 48 from a stroke after suffering extensively from tuberculosis of the bone. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about Henry Clay and the legacy he left for Kentucky and the United States.

On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 4.25. Well done Dr. Apple.

Cool Random Civil War Era Photograph

John R. Boyette, 4th Kentucky Infantry (CSA). Killed at Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Confederates, often not having standard issued uniforms, had the ability to individualize their look and style more than their Yankee opponents. This Southern soldier sported a rakish hat, long cravat and plaid pants.

Image courtesy of Kentucky Virtual Library

Just Finished Reading

This is yet another book that I have had on the shelf for quite a while. I'm glad I finally pulled it off and got a chance to read it. Burton does a good job of explaining the evolution of democracy and society in the 1830 to 1900 time period. His writing style is very easy to read. However, I did not appreciate the way the he noted the work. The bibliographic essay unfortunately does not tell me specifically where the author took his evidence (primary and secondary sources) to make his claims. That style referencing in one sense seems lazy, but on the other hand it seems like lot of work to put the bibliography into the essay format. Why not just use footnotes or end notes?

On a 1 to 5 scale, I give it a 3.75.

Brawling Kentuckians in Bleeding Kansas

I admit it! I love reading nineteenth century newspapers. These rags of the day, whether they are daily, weeklies or tri-weeklies, have the unique ability to give you a quick sense of what life was like by reading the articles and advertisements.

In my last few posts I have been sharing excerpts that I have found from the Lexington Kentucky Observer and Reporter in the 1850s and 1860s. Thanks goes out to the Kentucky Virtual Library for having these online and available for the public to browse.
______

After months of contentious debate the Kansas-Nebraska Act finally passed through both the senate and house of representatives and was signed by President Franklin Pierce on May 30, 1854. Immediately upon passage settlers flooded into the new territories. At odds were those that favored the new lands be left for free labor and those that favored slave labor. Naturally arguments broke out over land disputes and boundary lines, but the free soilers and pro-slavery men brought an increased intensity.

Although no mention is made of the two feuding groups' politics, this November 8, 1854 story in the Observer and Reporter, which was a re-run story that originally ran in the Chicago Tribune, provides an idea of the reign of lawlessness in Kansas. It reads:

"We learn that an affray occurred in Kansas Territory on Tuesday last week, that resulted, it is feared, fatally to two citizens of that Territory. The difficulty was between two Kentuckians and several persons from Platte county, about a claim. The matter was left to a third party to settle, who decided in favor of the Kentuckians. When the decision was proclaimed, the Platte county claimants headed by one Burgess, attacked the other party and cut them up with knives in such a manner that no hopes are entertained of their recovery. The Governor, who is at Leavenworth, had the parties arrested at once, and it is hoped he will use vigorous means to put a stop to such lawless proceedings."

Southern Opposition to Homestead Act

When Texas annexation was being debated in the 1840s Southerners were very much in favor of the measure because they knew it would allow for slavery's expansion into the new state. Their position quickly changed though when new territories were attempted in the North (Kansas-Nebraska). Southerners understood that slavery had a slim chance of being established in those areas.

The disdain for what would become the future Homestead Act (when it finally passed in 1862 due to the lack of Southern opposition - since they had seceded) is revealed in a short newspaper story that was republished in the Lexington Observer and Reporter on April 11, 1860; just one year before Fort Sumter. It read in full -

"THE HOMESTEAD BILL - The Richmond [Virginia] Whig, in reference to the Homestead bill, which recently passed the House, says:- 'Never was there a more odious and iniquitous bill passed by any deliberative body on earth.' and adds:

Thus under the provisions of this Homestead bill, the public lands, comprising over one thousand millions of acres, and belonging equally to all of the States, are given away to all manner of persons, and for the exclusive benefit of the Northern States. They are given not only to native born, but to all persons who may file a declaration of intention to become citizens at a future date--thus embracing in the terms and benefits of the grant the hundreds of thousands of foreigners who land upon our shores. And thus goes the vast public domain, to the strengthening and enriching of the Northern States, at the expense of the Southern, Virginia included."

Just Finished Reading

Being on holiday break I have had some time to get in a significant amount of reading. This short book didn't take long; it only has 125 pages or so of text. I enjoyed the book. On the positive side it gave some interesting insight into middle-class white life in antebellum Virginia, however on the negative side, this very narrow topic did not seem to allow the author much room for in-depth research.

On a 5 point scale I give it it 3.5.

Just Finished Reading

On a scale of 1 to 5 I give it a 4. I highly recommend.

For more information see: http://www.wessyngton.com

http://youtu.be/AWYtzAWQanU

The 15th Amendment

One of several large commemorative prints marking the enactment on March 30, 1870, of the Fifteenth Amendment, and showing the parade celebrating it which was held in Baltimore on May 19 the same year. The amendment declared that the right to vote "shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." Here the parade winds down Monument Street from Baltimore's Washington Monument. In the left distance is the spire of the First Presbyterian Church. Heading the parade are a small troop of black Zouaves, holding rifles across their shoulders. They are followed by several men on horseback wearing top hats and sashes, several floats, and more soldiers. The sidewalks are lined with onlookers, many of them black. Framing the central image are a series of vignettes. At left are portrait busts of the late Pennsylvania representative and champion of black suffrage Thaddeus Stevens, Maryland representative Henry Winter Davis, author of the Wade-Davis Bill, and Massachusetts senator Charles Sumner. At right are busts of distinguished blacks Martin Robinson Delany, Frederick Douglass, and Hiram R. Revels. In the upper left corner of the print is an antebellum plantation scene, where a mustachioed overseer supervises slaves picking cotton. Nearby is an elegant house surrounded by palm trees. Beneath the scene are the words, "We are in bondage. O deliver us!" In contrast, the right hand corner holds a Civil War scene of black troops rushing into battle, with the words "We fought for Liberty, we now enjoy" below. In the center, above the parade scene, appear busts of (left to right) Lincoln, Baltimore jurist Hugh Lennox Bond, abolitionist martyr John Brown, Vice president Schuyler Colfax, and President Ulysses S. Grant. The three busts in the center rest on crossed laurel branches and flags. In the lower corners stand two parade groups of black men wearing Masonic sashes and aprons. They carry banners decorated with allegorical figures as well as the portraits of Lincoln, Grant, and Swiss patriot William Tell and his son. Between these groups are two small scenes: a black schoolroom with the words "Education will be our pride," and a black preacher before his congregation, with the words, "The day of Jubilee has come."



Another of several large prints commemorating the celebration in Baltimore of the enactment of the Fifteenth Amendment. (See also nos. 1870-2 and 1870-3.) A group of black men, on horseback and wearing top hats, sashes, and badges, lead a procession. Behind them follow black soldiers and others carrying American flags and banners with portraits of an Indian brave, a black military officer, and Liberty. A small float with a crowned woman under a canopy also follows. On either side of the picture are two columns, "Education" and "Science," on top of which rest ballot boxes wreathed in oak leaves. The columns are connected by arches with the legend "The Right of Citizens of the United States to Vote Shall Not Be Denied or Abridged by the United States or Any State on Account of Race Color or Condition of Servitude." At left, beside the "Education" column, is a classroom scene where a black man teaches two black children geography. Below this scene is a bust portrait of Frederick Douglass. At right, near the "Science" column, are two black men at work. One, a stonemason, carves a large column. The other, a smith, stands at his anvil. Below this scene is a bust portrait of Mississipi senator Hiram R. Revels. The upper register of the print features portraits of white benefactors. In the center is an oval portrait of Lincoln, framed in oak leaves. It is decorated with an eagle and American flags, and flanked by seated figures of History or Learning (left) and Columbia or Liberty (right) with a shield, Phrygian cap, and sword. At the far left are busts of President Ulysses S. Grant and Vice President Schuyler Colfax, and at far right busts of abolitionist martyr John Brown and Baltimore jurist Hugh Lenox Bond.

Courtesy Library of Congress

Intriguing Commentary

It is difficult for us in the 21st century to imagine how much race figured into current affair discussions during the mid-19th century. But, when one stops to think about it, it is not so surprising due to the fact that the race based issues of slavery and emancipation dominated politics and society.

In state like Kentucky that had known slavery since even before statehood, emancipation and the Reconstruction era came as a drastic shock. In the same 1868 issue of the Lexington Observer and Reporter mentioned previously another story ran that to me is quite intriguing.

"The other day we drove to Danville in a buggy. About half a mile for Lexington we saw a couple of negroes hunting; our attention was attracted and we determined to count how many armed negroes we might meet. By the time we reached Danville, our count had become thirty seven. The Christmas holidays was not over and it was a fine day for rabbits.

The negroes are perhaps the most universally armed people in Kentucky, and are daily becoming more familiar with the use of weapons."

It somehow seems strange that a conservative newspaper such as the Observer and Reporter would make mention of something as this. I have read numerous primary source reports of the depredations of this period in Kentucky and it not surprising that African Americans would want to arm themselves for protection. Their change in status from valuable protected property (in slavery) to perceived nuisance as freedmen (in emancipation) often meant that there was little legal recourse from racial persecution. Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but is the editor perhaps issuing a subtle warning to his readers?

Emancipation Celebration

I ran across a short but interesting article in the January 4, 1868 issue of the Lexington (Kentucky) Observer and Reporter. It was titled "Negro Celebration" and stated, "On Wednesday last, it being the fifth anniversary of the freedom of the negroes it was celebrated by those in this city and county. Early in the day they formed a column, with music at its head, and marched through our streets until evening, when they proceeded to the Methodist Church (col'd) on Upper street, where they were addressed by [Stephen G.] Burbridge, [James S.] Brisbin and others. We heard of no disturbance at all during the day."

Burbridge controversially served as the commander of the Department of Kentucky during the Civil War and Brisbin organized the 5th US Colored Cavalry, a unit raised and trained at Camp Nelson, Kentucky.

Cool Random Civil War Era Photograph

Photo courtesy Kentuckiana Digital Library via University of Kentucky

MLK, FDR and WWI Monuments in D.C.

Out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope.

A very impressive close up of the sculpture.

If you haven't been to see the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, go check it out the next time you're in Washington D.C. It's pretty impressive.

FDR and me

Fireside chat

Soup and bread line

FDR and his dog, Fala

World War I Monument

USCT Flag Images

While doing some browsing on the Library of Congress website the other day I ran across some neat photographs of United States Colored Troops (USCT) flags. The images painted on the flags are very striking and I only wish these photographs had been taken in color. The mottoes on the flags tell strong stories of what these men were fighting for.

One Cause, One Country: 45th USCT

We Will Prove Ourselves Men: 127th USCT

Strike for God and Liberty: 25th USCT

Let Soldiers in War Be Citizens in Peace: 24th USCT

Sic Semper Tyrannis: 22nd USCT

Rather Die Freemen, Than Live To Be Slaves: 3rd USCT

The Story of Harper's Ferry

Courtesy Library of Congress

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2005686713/