Black Civil War soldiers massacred in Simpsonville, Kentucky, remembered 160 years later

SIMPSONVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Saturday will mark 160 years since more than 20 Black Civil War soldiers fighting for the Union were massacred in Simpsonville, Kentucky.  

A snow-covered stretch of Highway 60 in Shelby County on Friday may seem like an ordinary two-lane road, connecting Simpsonville to Louisville. But 160 years ago, it was the site of a tragic chapter in Kentucky’s history.

In January 1865, Company E of the 5th U.S. Colored Cavalry—a unit of formerly enslaved men who joined the Union Army during the Civil War—was ambushed by Confederate guerrillas. The Company made up of approximately 80 men was herding nearly 1,000 cattle from Camp Nelson to Louisville.

While passing through the west side of Simpsonville, the soldiers believed to be at the back of the herd were ambushed.

The attack claimed the lives of 22 soldiers. Several more died from their injuries later. Those killed on site were buried in a mass grave near the attack.

Many soldiers from the 5th U.S. Colored Cavalry escaped slavery and enlisted in exchange for freedom.

"In 1863 they were still enslaved. They didn't even make it a year before they were killed," said Jerry Miller, a project manager at the Shelby County Historical Society. 

For over a century, the massacre remained a little-known part of Kentucky history. Miller, who grew up in the area, admitted he learned about the event later in time.

“I grew up in the area and never heard about it,” Miller said.

Since the late 2000s, Miller has researched the attack and helped find ways to preserve this moment in history.

"They gave their lives for us, Black and white," Miller said. 

A historical marker has been placed near the site of the attack. Markers, similar to gravestones, have also been placed in honor of the soldiers killed.

However, the mass grave has never been located.

Around six to eight years ago, Miller said a member of the Shelby County Historical Society spotted a location identified as a Union burial ground on old state maps.

Miller said there are plans to dig in the area to find the men. Some work has already been done, with the help of University of Kentucky archeologist Dr. Philip Mink and the university's EduceLab Mobile Team. 

"They did bring in electromagnetic, ground penetrating radar, those types of things, and confirmed that there is something there where that union grave marker was or the mound was," Miller said. “We’re not 100% sure until you see it—until you see a belt buckle, a tooth, or a bone."

Once the ground begins to thaw, Miller said they will begin to dig. 

In addition to the Simpsonville Massacre was featured on the PBS show Secrets of the Dead.

The episode, "Secrets of the Dead: The Civil War's Lost Massacre," premiered in Oct., but two upcoming programs will air the show to commemorate the anniversary.

• Jan. 25, 2025: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Camp Nelson National Monument 6614 Danville Rd. Nicholasville, KY.
• Feb. 18, 2025: 6-7:30 p.m. at The Muhammad Ali Center
  • Admission is free, but registration is required

"After the Civil War, the Union Army actually created a group to go find bodies on battlefields and bury them, and that's how a lot of our national cemeteries were created. They didn't do that for the black troops," Miller said. "They fought for our country, and it's just right and fitting that that they get memorialized as well."