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Simpsonville Civil War MassacrePaul Glasser | February 03, 2009 | 5 comments | Print | E-mail  Members of the 12th U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery present the colors at the memorial ceremony. The unit is a living history and educational outreach program founded in 2001. Twenty-two men died in the ambush and six African-American soldiers later died of their wounds. One of Kentucky’s most vicious Civil War engagements has been largely forgotten for more than 144 years. However, a new historical marker will commemorate the sacrifices of 28 members of the 5th U.S. Colored Cavalry who died in an ambush near Simpsonville, January 25, 1865. A group of 15 Confederate guerillas ambushed the soldiers while they were taking a herd of 900 cattle to Louisville. Charles Long, past president of the Shelby County Historical Society, said traveling on a narrow dirt road exposed the African-American soldiers. He said it’s unclear if they returned fire, and if they were abandoned by their white officers. "They were attacked from the rear and murdered viciously,” Long said. According to a newspaper account, the guerillas attacked "yelling like very devils and shooting their pistols in the air." Twenty-two men died in the ambush and six African-American soldiers later died of their wounds. Long said the Union army, encamped in Louisville, was indifferent to the ambush. No ambulances were sent until three days after the battle, and the dead soldiers are still listed as missing in action. The citizens of Simpsonville helped care for the wounded and buried the dead nearby in a mass grave. Long said there is no evidence the white officers were ever disciplined for abandoning their men. Members of the Simpsonville Trim #2 United Brothers of Friendship Lodge, an African-American fraternal organization, created a cemetery at the site of the mass grave and maintained it until 1965 when the last member died. About 180 graves have been located in the abandoned cemetery. However, the incident was largely unknown, even to local residents and historians. Steve Eden, mayor of Simpsonville for 15 years, said he didn’t know the cemetery existed or even that the massacre had occurred until he learned about the efforts to build a memorial marker. Neither did Jerry Miller, a member of the Shelby County Historical Society who helped spearhead the effort to fund a memorial marker. Miller only learned about the event three years ago when he was conducting genealogy research and read the diary of one of his ancestors that described the event. “I’ve lived in this area 50 years, and I’d never heard of this,” he said. “I’m a Civil War buff and I’ve never heard of this. I couldn’t believe it.”  David Brown, great-great-grandson of a 5th Colored Cavalry soldier, reads the names of 22 soldiers killed in the ambush and 6 who later died of their wounds. “White MIAs would not have been forgotten for 144 years,” he said. State Representative Brad Montell said the ambush was one of the most horrific incidents in Kentucky during the Civil War. Commemorating the ambush is important to Kentucky because so many of the state’s African-Americans contributed to the war. Kentucky was a slave state "not in rebellion" and was one of the last loyal states to begin enlisting African-Americans in 1864. However, Kentucky enlisted the second highest number of African-American soldiers and more than 10,000 were mustered at Camp Nelson. Pages: 1 2Help Armchair General by bookmarking to
            Tags: blog, Civil War, reenactors
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5 Comments to “Simpsonville Civil War Massacre”
To be perfectly clear, the diary in which I read about the massacre was that of Julia Tevis, headmistress of the Science Hill Acadamy in Shelbyville. I was trying to determine if my ancestor, Emily Barry, had been a teacher at Science Hill. The microfilmed diary is available to researchers at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History in Frankfort, KY.
By J.T. "Jerry" Miller on Feb 3, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Just to “flesh out”, and / or correct a few items.
First, The 28 “who died” is not a certain number. Originally 30 men were listed as “Missing In Action” after the fight at Simpsonville. Twenty-two men still are listed MIA on the muster rolls. Of those 22 MIAs, only Sgt. Lampkins, Pvt. Ford, and Pvt. Hackley have any notation on their records that say they died at Simpsonville. Of the other 8 original MIAs, all were actually wounded in action, some more severely than others. The final status of those is as follows: 3 died later of wounds or complications in the hospital at New Albany, Indiana, 1 was discharged for disability, 1 more man was still hospitalized over a year later and likely disabled, and 3 later returned to duty.
Richard George, a militia captain at the time, states, “Only one shot was fired by a soldier, and it went wild”. A guerrilla, who claimed to have been involved, said the troopers wounded one of the raiders. As to the white officers, Capt. George said one white officer “came out from under the store” after the attack was over, and rode off to Louisville without any thought to his men. The “Cincinnati Daily Gazette” (dated for the 28th) stated, “three of the negro officers were loafing in the tavern at the time”. This should read “negro’s officers” as no blacks could have been officers at that time.
According to communications recorded in “The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies”, ambulances were sent out early on the 26th.
More can be found by going to: http://www.freewwebs.com/5thusccsimpsonville
By Uley Washburn on Feb 3, 2009 at 9:16 pm
When one reads about the Cival War it is usually the large battles or the best known officers on either side who is written about. I find these small actions to be great!!!
The soldiers killed should be given the upmost respect for serving their country. The town should give some care and maintain this Cemetary to respect those buried there!
By Bruce A Newhouse on Feb 18, 2009 at 7:24 am
Let me see if I have this straight, A group of Black Cavalry in Company strength was ambushed by 15 Confederate Guerillas, and you call the result a massacre? In another action, the 5th US Colored Cavalry had its wounded shot. In all, 22 5th Cavalrymen were killed and 8 wounded (with 6 later died). Where is the massacre? Fiasco, yes! Incompetence, sure! But you need to show the Confederates did murder and killed large numbers to call it a massacre!
Lots of times in this war the ball was started by shooting the other guys in the back. That does not mean 15 guys should route 30 or more so easily.
Richard Pruitt
By Richard Pruitt on Mar 11, 2009 at 5:21 pm
wasnt most of these soldiers unarmed or lightly armed?
If so, then it should be called a massacre.
Im glad they finally put a marker on/close to the site
of this massacre in Simpsonville, Kentucky.
By Allen Gibson on Oct 20, 2009 at 3:31 pm