“Secrets of the Dead: The Civil War's Lost Massacre” Screening Event
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Muhammad Ali Center 144 North Sixth Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202

KET
“Secrets of the Dead: The Civil War's Lost Massacre” Screening Event
“Secrets of the Dead: The Civil War's Lost Massacre” Screening Event
It's been 160 years since 22 African American soldiers were massacred in Simpsonville, KY. This horrific event took place on January 25, 1865 when these men, who belonged to the 5th US Colored Cavalry, were ambushed and murdered by Confederate guerillas while herding cattle from Camp Nelson (Nicholasville, KY) to Louisville, KY. The 5th US Colored Cavalry was formed at Camp Nelson, Kentucky during the American Civil War. This incident from Shelby County history is the focus of a PBS documentary. “Secrets of the Dead: The Civil War’s Lost Massacre” was co-produced by KET and WNET Group. It revisits these events by tracing the stories of several of the Kentucky soldiers and their families with help from guest historians and Shelby County Historical Society members, Jerry Miller and Juanita White.
“Secrets of the Dead” is a series which uses the latest science to challenge prevailing ideas and share fresh perspectives on historical events. The episode includes interviews with several of Kentucky’s Civil War scholars including Jerry Miller, a former state legislator from Louisville, and Juanita White, a docent at Farmington Historic Plantation in Louisville. Aided by University of Kentucky archaeologist Philip Mink and the university’s EduceLab Mobile Team, the episode shows viewers how historians have searched the land surrounding the massacre site, hoping to find the mass grave where the soldiers were hastily buried.
This event is produced in partnership with KET, the Muhammad Ali Center, The Filson Historical Society and the Shelby County Historical Society.
For more information on this event or to register contact Garret McCorkle, Education Manager, MUHAMMAD ALI CENTER, (502) 992-5310, gmccorkle@alicenter.org, or alicenter.org.