Shaler Battery and the Black Brigade

In 1862, as the Confederate Army marched toward Cincinnati, Union General Lew Wallace called for white volunteers from Cincinnati to build defenses, but few answered. On September 2, Provost Guards abducted black men from their homes and forced them across the Ohio River into Northern Kentucky to build defenses for Cincinnati. Abolitionists and the press were outraged, and Judge William Dickerson was appointed colonel to resolve the crisis. He freed 400 black men held captive in Ft. Mitchell and told them they could return if they wished to volunteer. The next day, 700 black volunteers appeared. In just ten days, they built eight miles of fortresses and roads, including the Shaler Battery. These volunteers became known as the Black Brigade of Cincinnati. When the Confederates arrived and saw the fortifications, they chose not to attack. Many members of the Black Brigade later joined other African-American regiments to fight for the Union in the Civil War.

Southgate, Kentucky · United States