5th U.S. Colored Cavalry at Simpsonville, Ky

      Updates will be posted starting with most recent. 

You can also check the Lincoln Ridge Cemetery site on Find-A-Grave, for listed burials, and stone photos as we add those.

Sorry Folks, due to circumstanes beyond my control, I have failed to keep the updates going.  So, now is the time for catching up.

I actually posted plans for the memorial back in April, on the New Projects page.  JT, Bob Bell, and I made plans for the site on April 28, 2009.

JT put in requests with the Veteran's Administration for twenty-two head / memorial stones in June.   

We got approval for the stones the middle of October, 2009.  Due to a "glitch" in the VA's system / regulations, one of the stones was originally denied.  After a quick call to VA, JT was able to clear that problem up.

On October 25, 2009, JT and myself staked and flagged the memorial site, and rough location of the stones.  Photos will follow on new projects page.

On October 26, 2009, the first 21 stones were delivered to the "staging area" (a local business whom I hope to name later; will not do so without permission).

 Good article, Check it out:

http://www.kentucky.com/141/story/666048.html

The new Historical Road Marker will be dedicated on the 144th anniversary of the Massacre.  The main ceremonies will be held at the gym on the Whitney M. Young Job Corps Ceneter Campus in Simsponville.  The unveiling near the Masacre site will follow.   Below is the Tenative program for the ceremonies:

Whitney M. Young Job Corps Center Gymnasium

January 25, 2009 – 2:00 p.m. EST

Invocation: Rev. Theodore Todd or Ron Holder

Choral Presentation: Whitney M. Young JCC Choir

Ian Crump, Center Director of Whitney M. Young Job Corps Center

Steve Eden, Simpsonville Mayor

Rob Rothenberger, Shelby County Judge/Executive

Charles Long, President Shelby County Historical Society

J. Blaine Hudson, KY African-American Heritage Commission

Special Appearance by Frederick Douglass: as interpreted by Mike Crutcher, President - Camp Nelson Restoration & Preservation Foundation

Battle Hymn of the Republic: Whitney M. Young JCC Choir

W. Stephen McBride, Ph.D., Director of Interpretation and Archaeology

David Brown, descendent of Samuel Truehart, Co. “E” 5^th USCC

Rev. Holder or Todd

Prayer

Honor Guard from 12th USCHA

KY Historical Society Representative

Unveiling of Marker

        UK team still has yet to come back, so verification of site still pending.   Seems it may be fall before they return.   But, exciting things still go on!!

          Not only has the 12th U.S. Heavy Artillery re-enactment unit committed, it appears the Camp Nelson Foundation now may complete the payment on the marker.  The Shelby County Fiscal Court has committed to the project manager to use $1,000 to gravel a pull off so people can stop to read the marker. 

          Current plans are to unveil the marker on Sunday, January 25, 2009, the 144th anniversary of the massacre.  The location has not been determined yet, but there will be an indoor remembrance and dedication prior to the unveiling. 

        UK team still has yet to come back, so verification of site still pending. Good news is that the 12th U.S. Heavy Artillery (Colored Troops) re-enactment unit has agreed to help with cost of marker. Several other inquiries are out, yet to hear from those.  If anyone would like to help, just e-mail, and we will put you in touch with the project manager.

     We have approval for the roadside marker. Received word from project manager JT Miller that the state has approved the marker. We are now in the process of raising the remainder of the money for same. At this time, we need about $900 more.

     Things have been slowly moving.  Volunteers from the Whitney M. Young Job Corps Center spent about 75 man/hours clearing brush and deadfall fom the site.  Weather has slowed further work by the archealogists, however.  There is one grid actually left to run their equipment over.  It does look promising, and matches the information the 84 year old got from her grandfather.

          Further updates will be held off due to upcoming wedding May 24, 2008.

News Article 04/23/2008

     Seems we make the news quite often nowadays.  This version leaves out the contact numbers; if you have any info, you can email it to us, or send us an email and we will reply with the contact numbers for Miller and Mink.  They are in the printed version of the story.

        I went back to the site on Saturday.  Little to cool to stay out long.  Did a quick " no dig / no probe" sweep with a metal detector. 

         Nothing definitive, of course, but a little interesting.   Checked about 1/2 of one 20 meter grid which the archeaologist had thought promising. 

     Bright orange flags denote areas containing metal.  Seems to be one long strip.  Areas to each side gave no solid response.  Could this be a solid indicator; or just a strip containg a lot of junk from partying teenagers?  Still awaiting word of results from the archeaologist's tests of the same area. 

     On Wednesday, April 9, 2008,  mapping and testing began on the "preferred' site of the  burial of the 5th USCCT MIAs at Simpsonville, Ky.   I was able to volunteer on the 10th.

Cynthi and Vicki show up to lend support.

Two gentlemen from the Shelby County Historical Society visit with Juanita & Phil.

Area is roughly wooded, red flags mark suspected burials of individuals in main cemetery.

Ground penetrating RADAR being used on first suspected mass burial site.  With Phil and Juanita are: Hoby (white cap), Jeff (camera bag), and J. T. Miller, project manager. 

Phil on GPR with Jeff and J. T.

Latest News

Historical society nets grant

By Scott McDaniel/Sentinel-News Staff Writer

Three separate historical projects now have grant funding to help them follow through with their plans to remember local history.

The Kentucky African American Heritage Commission Lincoln Preservation Grants total $20,000 and will go toward funding three projects that draw attention to African American heritage from the times of President Abraham Lincoln and the civil war.

"The African American experience in the time of Abraham Lincoln is a complex and fascinating chapter in Kentucky and United States history, and we are pleased that these grants can help tell a small part of the larger story," Dr. J. Blaine Hudson, chair of the Kentucky African American Heritage Commission and dean of the University of Louisville College of Arts and Sciences said in a press release.

One of the projects and accompanying grant goes to the Shelby County Historical Society. It is receiving $5,000 to use ground-penetrating radar technology to identify, recover and preserve the site of the "Simpsonville Slaughter."

According to a story printed in The Shelby Record on Friday, Feb. 21, 1913, nearly fifty years after the massacre, the slaughter occurred as Company "E" of the 5th U.S Colored Cavalry drove government cattle through snow on their way to Louisville on January 25, 1865. Without warning, a group of Confederate guerrillas cut them off near Simpsonville and started shooting, murdering the surprised men in cold blood.

The dead were reportedly buried in an open grave near the massacre site.

The project aims to discover more about the site, memorialize it and eventually nominate the location to the National Register of Historic Places.

To see full article and blog comments us this link:

http://www.sentinelnews.com/cgi-bin/storyviewnew.cgi?019+News.2008314-646-019-019007.Full+News

Don't you think it is time they were classified properly as Killed In Action, and given the honor they deserve? 

Besides, if we can send more men and heavy equipment to Iwo Jima to recover one Marine (see this link:

http://news.aol.com/story/_a/team-closer-to-finding-marines-remains/20070627041209990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001 ),

can't we spend the same or less money to recover these nineteen men?