page_title: Black Brigade of Cincinnati
section_title: Volunteer force proposed
hierarchical_section_title: Black Brigade of Cincinnati / Brigade service / Volunteer force proposed
context_page_description: The Black Brigade of Cincinnati was a military unit of African-American soldiers, that was organized in 1862 during the American Civil War, when the city of Cincinnati, Ohio, was in danger of being attacked, by the Confederate Army. The members of the Cincinnati "Black Brigade" were among the first African Americans to be employed in the military defense of the Union. The fortifications—including forts, miles of military roads, miles of rifle pits, magazines, and hundreds of acres of cleared forests—at the border of Northern Kentucky thwarted the major threat to Cincinnati during the Civil War. Richard Cooper of the Freedom Center states, "If the African Americans had not stood up at this time period, Cincinnati probably would have fallen to the Confederacy."
context_section_description: In August of 1862, with the imminent threat of a Confederate attack, black Cincinnatians met to organize a home guard and offer their services in defense of the Union cause in defense of their city. Hearing that they were meeting to discuss providing service during the war, there were attempts to shut down the meeting and intimidate attendees. The Commercial stated that black men should not interfere in the war. Their offer was refused by the city, and they were told there no need for their help in a "white man's war." This was contrary to the wishes of Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace who intended to enlist the help of the city's black residents to construct defensive fortifications.
caption: Black Brigade of Cincinnati historical marker
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