Bulletin of the Kenton County Historical Society Website: www.kentonlibrary.org/~histsoc Email: [email protected] P.O. Box 641, Covington, Kentucky 41012-0641 (859) 491-4003 September / October 2012 Local Civil War Supply Lines Local Civil War Supply Lines John Boh Locally, 1862 was incredible! Rebel forces had swarmed the Kentucky Bluegrass posing a threat to Louisville and Cincinnati in September. Julia Grant and children continued to live in Covington at 708 Greenup Street while her husband was becoming the War's most successful military commander.1 Missing Bridges Construction had been interrupted on the Roebling Suspension Bridge even before the War. In September 1862, the missing iron bridgework across the river symbolized the temporary breakup of the Union. Workers and troops crossed an emergency pontoon bridge to fortifications defending Cincin- nati. No bridge connected Indiana rails to Louisville until 1869. Yet the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad from Cincinnati to Indiana opposite Louisville be- came an important military supply line into Ken- tucky.2 Nor did a railroad bridge connect Cincinnati to Newport until 1872 or Cincinnati to the Kentucky Central tracks until 1888. All freight and passengers had to cross the river by ferry.3 Fort Mitchel courtesy: the Kenton County Public Library The L&N main line from Louisville to Nash- ville had been running only since November 1, 1859, Kentucky Central Railroad and the L & N Railroad a branch to Memphis by April 1861. Like Cincinnati, and any other supply lines - and they dreamed of cap- Louisville (with 19 military hospitals) was a major turing Cincinnati and Louisville.5 manufacturing and warehousing city - a center for dispatching military personnel and supplies. They Steamboats were also indispensable in the were manufacturing cities, but passing though both “western waters.” Ohio River tributaries like the Ten- were also military supplies from farther North. nessee and Cumberland allowed penetration through Kentucky, into Tennessee, toward the Deep South, In 1861 the L & N supplied the Confederate delivering troops and supplies and returning army. But after the Confederates were driven from wounded. Steamboats were also fortified and modi- Kentucky in early 1862 it transported personnel and fied for ramming, amphibious landings and artillery provisions for Union forces. From the Louisville de- assaults. They were a mainstay for military opera- pot, the L & N delivered to the big depot at the Nash- tions.5 ville junction which connected with points south. It was the only direct railroad route into the Confeder- Covington Business; the Southern Trade acy west of the Alleghenies.4 Confederates invaded Before the War, Covington businessmen had Kentucky in 1862 with the purpose of disrupting the helped build the Southern trade. Thomas Bakewell 2 started a factory in Covington to manufacture burlap sometimes for Rebel soldiers. In 1862, the Military bagging and rope for wrapping 400 pound bales of Board of Kentucky named Amos Shinkle, banker Southern cotton. He lost ownership after the 1837 William Ernst, and N. B. Stephens to a committee depression, but, once a steamboat builder, Bakewell that set up the Main Street Hospital (west side be- also became a commission merchant in Cincinnati tween 3rd and 4th streets). In April, a steamboat de- selling iron, nails, and also yarns from the Covington livered 104 patients including one Rebel. In May, Cotton Factory.6 Alexander Greer acquired land for the Army Medical Department took over the Main the Covington & Lexington Railroad, and was a ma- Street US General Hospital which grew to 300 beds.11 jor factor in building the big Covington Locomotive The Newport Barracks was not a major factor in the Works which manufactured some railroad engines. Civil War. It was an arms and personnel station, a While Greer's son joined the Rebel army, Captain prison for captured Rebels, and a place for recupera- William Wright Culbertson, son of Allen and Esther tion. Soldiers constantly marched. Newport children Greer Culbertson, died from wounds at the Battle of witnessed many funerals.12 Richmond.7 Alexander Greer attested the will, leav- ing the Union soldier's share in family property near Confederates Establish a Military Line -1861-62 the Kentucky Central Railroad to brothers and sis- In the early months, Kentucky, a Border ters.8 State, held a neutral status, but that delicate stance collapsed in late 1861. Establishing Camp Dick Rob- Charles. A. Withers, Sr., a native of Virginia inson as a Union recruiting station in central Ken- but long-time Covington resident, was a tobacco mer- tucky signaled the impending end to neutrality. Soon chant in Cincinnati. He aided construction of the the Confederates had their own recruiting camp. Covington & Lexington Railroad. In 1860 he became They took over strategic Columbus, Kentucky, over- the first superintendent of the renamed Kentucky looking the Mississippi River in September. They Central Railroad. His son, Charles Jr., joined the moved into Kentucky at the Cumberland Gap and at Confederate army, once being Morgan's adjutant. Bowling Green which they made into the provisional Henry Bruce Jr. of Sanford Street was an original pro- Confederate Capitol of Kentucky. From Nashville, moter of the future Roebling Bridge. His nephew, General Albert Sidney Johnston managed a defensive Eli M. Bruce - married to Sallie Withers - was an im- line above Cumberland Gap, Bowling Green and Co- portant financier for the Confederate army.9 lumbus, Kentucky.13 He commanded 18,000 troops centered at those three sites and at Forts Henry and Amos Shinkle had a lucrative coal supply at Donaldson in Tennessee. In September 1861, John Covington for steamboats when Cincinnati became Hunt Morgan sneaked out of Lexington with his the Queen City, the center of steamboat commerce in corps of elite Kentucky Rifles. the 1850s. Amos and brother Vincent built their own boats. In the Civil War, Shinkle's boats trans- Driving the Confederates Out ported troops and a few were purchased by the gov- It was the governor of Illinois who brought ernment. Champion No. 2 and Champion No. 4 Ulysses S. Grant back into military service. Soon, he served the military during the capture of Fort Henry was commander of a US Army post for the district of and Fort Donelson. His assessed wealth grew from southeast Missouri at Cairo, Illinois. Grant shortly $70,472 in 1860 to $125,050 (118 acres, 12 city lots) occupied Paducah, Kentucky, 40 miles east. He soon in 1864. After the War, Shinkle oversaw final con- raided a Confederate camp at the Mississippi River in struction of the Roebling Suspension Bridge.10 Missouri opposite Columbus, Kentucky, where on November 7th, his force narrowly escaped capture. Hospitals and Barracks Military hospitals received wounded from the Brigadier General George H. Thomas, on South arriving on hospital boats. Military hospitals January 19, 1862, captured Mill Springs, Kentucky, finally opened in Covington in 1862, joining a big 150 miles east before advancing on Bowling Green. network along the Ohio River caring for Union and By then, Grant was contemplating the use of gun- 3 boats and 25,000 men to capture Fort Henry and pany sent 49 cases of muskets from the Greenwood Fort Donaldson in Tennessee. Heavily fortified, Co- foundry by steamer to Louisville. The government lumbus, Kentucky would be bypassed as Grant at- converted five Cincinnati-built steamboats into rams. tacked farther south in Tennessee. Confederates had The U. S. Commissary purchased meat from Brooks, built Ft. Henry on the Tennessee River flowing to Johnson & Co.; bread from the C. H. Bennett Co.; Paducah from as far south as northern Alabama. Less rice and coffee from R. Hosea & Co.; and soap from than 12 miles away the Confederates also built Ft. Proctor & Gamble. Troops and supplies also were Donaldson on the Cumberland River flowing past going up river. The 75th Ohio Regiment marched Nashville toward Paducah.14 through Cincinnati to board a steamer headed for Grafton, Virginia. Another unit arrived with six can- The Cincinnati Landing nons, 12 caissons, 1,300 rounds of ammunition, wag- In 1862, Cincinnati was a center for military ons, horses and men headed for Parkersburg.15 procurement and transport, pulsing with military ac- tivity (Robert J. Wimberg transcribed these news and Camp Dennsion was 16 miles north of Cin- reports in Cincinnati and the Civil War - Under Attack). cinnati near the Little Miami River, through which On the first day of 1862, the Federal Government the Cleveland, Cincinnati & Columbus Railroad also was investigating military contracts. The President of passed. It had a capacity for 340 wounded including the Indianapolis & Cincinnati Railroad revealed the 100 in the “measles building” and 40 in the “small recent charges for delivering horses, soldiers and pox building.” In February 1862, the 18th Kentucky freight to St. Louis and elsewhere. The chief clerk for Volunteer Infantry at Falmouth was guarding the the army quartermaster stated that 15,000 to 20,000 Kentucky Central Railroad tracks from Lexington to employees in Cincinnati made cheaper clothing on Covington. Ohio regiments were passing through average than elsewhere. 950 wagons, harnesses, and Cincinnati to Louisville and beyond. 4,000 mules had up to this point been sent to Gen- eral Buell. The next day 1,345 cavalry overcoats, All Confederate Divisions Gone from Kentucky 3,099 pairs of trousers and 17 cavalry jackets were A brilliant innovation during the War was the shipped to Louisville. However, with more govern- use of armed gunboats as a strategic weapon. The ment business going to New York and Philadelphia, army in 1861 and early 1862 equipped eight powerful 700 employees had been laid off at Mack, Staddler & ironclads up to 200 feet long and carrying 150 men. Glazier; Heidelbach, Seasongood & Co.; and Kuhn, Union forces took Fort Henry on February 6 and Netter and Co.