James A . Ramage Civil War Museum The James A . Ramage Civil War Museum seeks to tell the untold story of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky ' s involvement in the American Civil War . Although there were no major battles set there , the people of the area resisted a strong push by the Confederate army in 1862 . This museum is set on one of the key locations of that stronghold - Battery Hooper . The museum sits on beautiful with historical passages , stories , and memorabilia . Not only does it focus on the Civil War , but it also pays homage to the Black Brigade , Fern Storer ' s kitchen , and the history of Fort Wright . History . The city of Ft . Wright , Kentucky , was approached in 2004 regarding a piece of property that had recently gone on sale . The property once belonged to Fern and Sheldon Storer and was located on top of a hill that had historical significance . This hill was one of the 31 battery locations that helped fend off 6 , 000 of Confederate Gen . Henry Heth ' s soldiers in September 1862 . Local men and soldiers worked together to erect an eight - mile ( 13 km ) defensive line from Ludlow to Fort Thomas to defend against the Confederate invasion of Kentucky . Men dug rifle pits , erected forts , and cut trees for a clear field of fire using tree limbs as barriers against infantry . The Confederate soldiers marched to within a few miles of Fort Mitchel , known today as Fort Mitchell , observed for two days , and decided that the defenses - manned by 22 , 000 Union troops and 50 , 000 local militia - were too strong . The Confederate invaders withdrew into the night . The property , and more specifically the two - story house that sat on it , was also significant because it was the former home of Fern Storer . Mrs . Storer was a well - known food editor for the now defunct Cincinnati Post from 1951 to 1976 . " She was meticulous about testing recipes , " said [ former ] Cincinnati Post home / food editor Joyce Rosencrans . " She took great pride in the accuracy of those food sections and passed those principles down to me . " The Museum . Fern Storer died in 2002 and bequeathed her house and to the Northern Kentucky University Foundation . Rather than sell the lucrative hilltop site to developers , the NKU Foundation sold the property to the city of Fort Wright for $ 790 , 000 . City officials , in turn , announced plans to turn the historic site into a passive park focusing on the area ' s Civil War heritage . This land is where Hooper Battery was located and is one of only six Civil War fortifications left in Northern Kentucky . The City of Fort Wright is responsible for the Battery Hooper archaeological site including public archaeology excavations and any future restoration with a $ 32 , 000 grant from the Scripps Howard Foundation Center for Civic Engagement . In May 2004 , Fort Wright Administrator Larry Klein said this of the grant , " This will be a great start to a great park . The few batteries that do exist aren ' t very accessible . There will be no place else like this in Greater Cincinnati that ' ll be preserved and open for public use . " Today , only six batteries remain - four in Kenton County and two in Campbell County . The museum ' s namesake , Dr . James A . Ramage , is a History professor ( 1976 – present ) at Northern Kentucky University as well as a Civil War author . He ' s won numerous awards at NKU such as Outstanding Professor of the Year ( 1988 ) , Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award ( 1999 ) , and Acorn Award from Kentucky Advocates for Higher Education ( 2003 ) , among others . Also , at the Phi Alpha Theta national convention in Philadelphia , January 4 – 6 , 2006 , he was elected national vice president ( 2006 - 2007 ) and president elect ( 2008 - 2009 ) . In 2004 Ramage received a University - Community Partnership Grant through NKU ’ s Scripps Howard Center for Civil Engagement for the Battery Hooper Project . The goal was to partner with the City of Fort Wright in involving students and the public in preserving , researching , and opening Civil War Battery Hooper to the public . City Administrator Larry Klein represented the city and NKU Adjunct Professor Jeannine Kreinbrink was Archaeology Project Manager . On June 30 , 2005 , the project culminated with the opening of a museum on the site . Mayor Gene Weaver and the City Council named the museum in honor of Ramage ’ s work . As of September 1 , 2006 , over 5 , 000 people had visited the James A . Ramage Civil War Museum . On December 9 , 2007 , Douglas Vonderhaar was honored as the museum ' s 10 , 000th visitor . The Black Brigade of Cincinnati . Besides fending off a dangerous push by the Confederates , Cincinnati was the location of another noteworthy occurrence . After the declaration of martial law on September 2 , 1862 , Cincinnati Mayor George Hatch ordered the police department to gather any and all able - bodied African American males for work on fatigue duty on the fortifications in Northern Kentucky . Men were driven from their homes and businesses by bayonet point to a mule pen on Plum Street in Cincinnati . After hours of solitude , the men were taken as a group across the Ohio River to begin work on the earthwork fortifications . This group became known as the Black Brigade of Cincinnati . Union General Lew Wallace learned about the poor treatment of the men . On September 4 , 1862 , he commissioned Judge William Martin Dickson as commander of the Black Brigade . After receiving his appointment , Colonel Dickson changed the brigade into a working regiment . On the evening of September 4 , 1862 , Dickson dismissed the men to tend to their families as well as gather personal supplies for the days of work ahead . He promised them that he was forming the brigade for fatigue duty and they " should be kept together as a distinct body . . . that they should receive protection and the same treatment as white men . . . and that their sense of duty and honor would cause them to obey all orders given , and thus prevent the necessity of any compulsion . . . " In return for these promises , Dickson expected the men to meet the next morning for work on the defensive fortifications . In his official report to Ohio Governor John Brough on January 12 , 1864 , Dickson stated that around 400 men were present when he dismissed the brigade on September 4 , 1862 . The next day over 700 men reported ready for duty ! The story of the Black Brigade continues for a number of weeks as they represented the Union with pride . Because of it , Powhatan Beaty developed into a strong leader and earned a Medal of Honor on April 6 , 1865 . A small portion of the museum is dedicated to this occurrence and goes into much greater detail . Events . Although the museum is an entity of the City of Fort Wright , it does accept donations in order to remain operational as well as host events of different varieties . One of the most significant and exciting events hosted is the archaeological excavations . Since the battery site has since been filled in with dirt , it was preserved quite well . This provides a fantastic opportunity for children and adults alike to work together to dig up artifacts . Other events have included , but aren ' t limited to , Civil War Christmas and Battery Hooper Days .