Shaler Battery facts for kids

Shaler Battery was a special fort built on a hilltop in Northern Kentucky during the American Civil War. It was made by the Union Army to stop Confederate soldiers from invading. This fort helped protect the city of Cincinnati and the Ohio River valley. Today, you can find a bandstand in Evergreen Cemetery in Southgate, Kentucky, which marks where the fort's powder storage used to be.

Shaler Battery: Protecting Cincinnati

Shaler Battery was one of 28 places where cannons were set up on hilltops in northern Kentucky. These forts were built between 1861 and 1863 to defend Cincinnati. They were a key part of the city's defenses during the war.

How Shaler Battery Was Built

The fort was first a small defensive wall made of earth on a hill. It had trenches around it where soldiers could hide and shoot their rifles. Later, a bigger earth wall was built about 50 feet behind the first one. Parts of this larger earth wall, along with an earthen ramp and small drainage ditches, can still be seen today. The area around the fort is now covered with graves, and the old rifle trenches were filled in to make a paved road.

Who Was Shaler Battery Named After?

The fort was named after Dr. Nathaniel Burger Shaler. He was a well-known doctor from Newport, Kentucky. Dr. Shaler offered his family's vineyard, which was next to the cemetery, as the perfect spot for the fort. Later, this land was bought from his family to become part of Evergreen Cemetery.