One Country, One Flag, One Destiny: African American Service in the Civil War
African Americans and the Defense of Cincinnati
In the decades preceding the Civil War, the city of Cincinnati had a very contentious relationship with its African American community. Numerous outbursts of mob violence had resulted in the loss of life and the destruction of property belonging to African Americans. Located on the southern border of the state of Ohio, Cincinnati attempted to sustain a commercial relationships with both slaveholding businessmen from the South and abolitionists from the North. While anti-slavery speeches were presented in its lecture halls, the streets of Cincinnati frequently witnessed violence against its free black residents.
When the Civil War started, Cincinnati's African American residents attempted to organize a company of "Home Guards" to aid in the defense of the city. A business selected as a recruiting station was ordered to remove the American flag from above its door. Another businessman was told by the police, "We want you d?d niggers to keep out of this; this is a white man's war." Rumors of impending mob violence spread across the city. Although they suspended their efforts to form a company of "Home Guards," the desire to protect and defend their homes and families still burned within the African American men of the Queen City. However, the message was clear. When Cincinnati's leaders called for all citizens to defend her, they meant all white citizens.
In 1862, Cincinnati was living in fear. Due to its close proximity to the South, the city recognized the threat of attack from Confederate forces. The raids into Ohio led by Confederate Captain John H. Morgan, from July 13 until his eventual capture on July 26, intensified the city's fear. The August 30th defeat of Union forces in Richmond, Kentucky, a city one hundred miles to the south, caused the city to act. Calls for the building of defensive fortifications around the city could no longer be ignored.
On September 1, General Lewis Wallace assumed command of Cincinnati. The city was placed under martial law. General Wallace ordered that it would be "citizens for labor and soldiers for battle." On September 2, Mayor George Hatch released a proclamation:
In accordance with a resolution passed by the City Council of Cincinnati on the 1st instant, I hereby request that all business, of every kind or character, be suspended at ten o'clock of this day, that all persons, employers and employees, assemble in their respective wards, at the usual places of voting, and there organize themselves in such manner as may be thought best for the defense of the city. Every man, of every age, be he citizen or alien, who lives under the protection of our laws, is expected to take part in the organization.
No opportunity to report would be afforded to the African American population of Cincinnati. On September 2, military authorities decided to impress the African American men of Cincinnati to build fortifications. A special police was organized to assemble the African American men. The police searched houses, dragged men into the streets and marched them to a hog pen on Plum Street. In most cases, they provided no information on the reason for impression. While the African American community was outraged at the treatment of their fathers and sons, only one Cincinnati newspaper protested. An editorial article in the Gazette condemned the impression.
On September 4, General Wallace assigned Judge William Dickson the command of the African American men. One of Dickson's first actions was to release the men to return home to prepare for camp life. This action eased the fear of family members, some of whom did not know what had happened to their loved ones. The men were ordered to return to duty on September 5. They were designated "The Black Brigade."