Hooper Battery was a hilltop earthworks fortification, built for the Defense of Cincinnati during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

in Northern Kentucky by the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

to turn back invading

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between ...

troops. It was constructed to protect

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

and the

Ohio River The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...

valley. The battery overlooks the Licking River valley in an advantageous position. Initially,

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Lew Wallace, commanding the defenses of Cincinnati in September 1862, utilized the defensive engineering skills of

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Charles Whittlesey, who had commanded the

20th Ohio Infantry The 20th Ohio Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service Three-months regiment The 20th Ohio Infantry Regiment was organized at Columbus, Ohio April through May 1861 in response to Presiden ...

in one of Wallace's brigades until after the

Battle of Shiloh The Battle of Shiloh (also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing) was fought on April 6–7, 1862, in the American Civil War. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater. The battlefield i ...

when he resigned due to age. Whittlesey had originally planned the defenses of Cincinnati in 1861 while under the command of

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

Ormsby M. Mitchel Ormsby MacKnight (or McKnight) Mitchel (August 28, 1810, or possibly 1809,October 31, 1862) was an American astronomer and major general in the American Civil War. A multi-talented man, he was also an attorney, surveyor, professor, and publisher ...

, commander of the Department of the Ohio, and Wallace had found them insufficient and in need of considerable repair. Wallace appointed Whittlesey a member of his staff and he immediately created work parties for reinforcing the defenses. Whittlesey remained part of Wallace's staff until he was replaced by

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

James H. Simpson James Hervey Simpson (1813–1883) was an officer in the U.S. Army and a member of the United States Corps of Topographical Engineers. Early years He was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey on March 9, 1813, the son of John Simpson and Mary Bru ...

of the United States Army Corps of Topographical Engineers who was charged by Maj. Gen. Horatio Wright, commander of the Department of the Ohio, to continue reinforcing and upgrading Cincinnati's defenses. Within five days of preparing to defend Cincinnati an estimated 75,000 men showed up to the defense 60,000 men where irregulars. Hooper Battery is one of six remaining artillery batteries from the 28 that were built on Northern Kentucky hilltops from 1861 to 1864. The site was the home of the James A. Ramage Civil War Museum, which closed in 2021.

References

External links

Walden, Geoffrey R. "Panic on the Ohio!: Confederates March on Cincinnati, September 1862 - IV. The Defenses of Cincinnati" Blue & Gray Magazine Vol. 3, No. 5 (April–May 1986), pp. 19–29.Tourist Info
* * Buildings and structures in Kenton County, Kentucky Kentucky in the American Civil War American Civil War forts Artillery batteries 1861 establishments in Kentucky Military units and formations established in 1861 {{Kentucky-struct-stub