Simpsonville Massacre

Gravestones in Simpsonville, Kentucky, memorializing the US Colored Troops massacred by Confederate guerrillas on January 25, 1865. Located near the intersection of Hwy 60 (Shelbyville Road) and Webb Road, just west of Simpsonville.

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Perils of Black Military Service

It is presumed that the negroes surrendered and were shot down in cold blood, as but two of the entire number escaped…It was a horrible butchery, yet the scoundrels engaged in the bloody work shot down their victims with feelings of delight.
– Louisville Journal, January 26, 1865

In late January 1865, Company E of the 5th US Colored Cavalry (approximately 80 men) were assigned to drive a large herd of cattle from Camp Nelson to Louisville to supply the city with beef. The men spread out over a large area, driving the animals across the Kentucky countryside. On January 25th, while passing near Simpsonville, the men at the rear of the herd were attacked by Confederate guerrillas. Soldiers attempted to fight back in the ambush, but many men were carrying 1853 Enfield rifles, which are loaded down the muzzle and impossible for a soldier on horseback to reload. Other soldiers were hampered by wet powder, due to foul winter weather. Many men scattered, unable to fight due to their injuries or lack of useful weapons.

In the aftermath of the ambush, around 22 men were found dead, and another 20 wounded, scattered along the road (modern US Hwy 60), and in surrounding fields. The Louisville Journal reported “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.” The dead were gathered together and buried in a mass grave, and wounded transported to hospitals in Louisville. Reports indicate several men died enroute to the city from their injuries. After investigating the ambush and collecting accounts from survivors, it was revealed that many troops attempted to surrender but were killed anyway. One wounded soldier reportedly pretended to be dead to avoid being killed.

 

Commonwealth of Kentucky Historic Marker describing Simpsonville Massacre.

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Many of the 5th US Colored Cavalry troops were from Shelby County and the nearby area where the massacre took place. Many had to escape from slavery to enlist with the US Army and were only emancipated because of their military service. This was not the first racial massacre that soldiers faced. After the First Battle of Saltville in October 1864, wounded Black soldiers were killed on the field and in their hospital beds by Confederate raiders. Horrific events like these often led to Black soldiers rescuing wounded men and evacuating them from the field to avoid being captured and killed.

In Simpsonville, memorial gravestones and a marker were placed in 2010 along US Hwy 60, near where the massacre took place. At Camp Nelson National Monument, we help preserve these stories, and reflect on the sacrifices and dangers that Black soldiers faced during their service in the American Civil War.