During the
American Civil War, Taylor Barracks was a military induction center in
Louisville, Kentucky, for
African-American troops, and after the war it was a
United States Army base for both black and white troops during
Reconstruction.
Construction and use during Civil War
The wooden barracks were erected at Third and Oak streets on the southern outskirts of Louisville about a mile from
Beargrass Creek, and were designed to house new volunteers for the
Union Army. They were named for former
President Zachary Taylor. Planning began in early 1864, and the barracks were constructed quickly, with several wooden frame, shingled buildings arranged in a square. Slaves who served with the Union received their freedom, but many slaves volunteered for the cause of ending slavery altogether. Recruits for the new
regiments were transported from as far away as
New York City and
Boston. By late March, more than 100 men were arriving daily.
The facility grew to cover four city blocks, or . Fresh water was provided by the nearby
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 ...
, sent through city water pipes. The post also included a jail to house Union deserters, as well as a hospital and a reception hall. Other buildings included stables,
quartermaster storehouses, kitchens, bakery, officer quarters, workshops, and a post library, as well as a small firehouse to shelter the post's fire engine. As with many Civil War posts located near marshy ground, disease was a constant threat, especially
typhoid,
cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...
,
dysentery, and
rheumatism
Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including art ...
. Dead soldiers from Taylor Barracks were transported to
Cave Hill Cemetery for burial.
Later history
Colonel Oliver Hazard P. Cary was in charge of the barracks from early 1865 until September.
Indiana County History
/ref> Most significant activity ceased after June 1866, although the army kept the barracks open for several years to recruit and train Buffalo Soldiers and other black troops. During World War I, another military base south of Louisville was known as Camp Taylor
Camp Taylor is a neighborhood and former military base six miles southeast of downtown Louisville, Kentucky, United States. First announced on June 11, 1917 it was originally a military camp named for former president Zachary Taylor. For a tim ...
; it was a major training facility for white troops as well.
See also
*American Civil War fortifications in Louisville
Louisville's fortifications for the American Civil War were designed to protect Louisville, Kentucky, as it was an important supply station for the Union's fight in the western theater of the war. They were typically named for fallen Union officer ...
* Louisville in the American Civil War
Notes
Bibliography
* Bigham, Darrel E., ''On Jordan's Banks: Emancipation and Its Aftermath in the Ohio River Valley''. University Press of Kentucky, 2006. .
Indiana County History
* War Department, Surgeon General's Office, ''Report on Barracks and Hospitals, with Descriptions of Military Posts'', Washington: Government Printing Office, 1870.
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Louisville, Kentucky, in the American Civil War
American Civil War army posts
Kentucky in the American Civil War
Tourist attractions in Kentucky
1864 establishments in Kentucky