NEWPORT, Ky. — Joggers and walkers along the floodwall in Newport might notice some new faces come Thursday morning.
Starting at 9 a.m. a crew of archaeologists, along with a team of volunteers, will be setting up near General James Taylor Park along Riverboat Row. Originally, this work was slated to begin on Monday, but was rescheduled to Thursday due to the wet conditions of the ground.
Those who have taken the time to read the signs and tour the monument installed at the park are likely aware this was once the site of an important 19th century fortification: the Newport Barracks. What they may not know, is there is still a lot of history yet to be uncovered.
The archaeologists won’t be digging at this stage of their work. Instead, they will be using using state-of-the-art technology, ground-penetrating radar and historic imagery including maps, surveys, photographs and satellite-based-imagery to help identify any surviving remnants of lost structures such as the officer’s quarters, the powder magazine and privies. Subsequent archaeological excavation will test these results.
“We have historic photos of structures in this general vicinity but due to the alteration of the landscape over time, we don't know their precise location and if there has been fill episodes in the area from demolition of the buildings,” said professor Don Miller of Northern Kentucky University (NKU). Miller, who is also a professional archaeologist, will be serving as a liaison between Newport and the contractor, the Kentucky Archaeological Survey.
Miller has a lengthy connection with the Newport Barracks. He was the first to officially record the site with the state. Besides being an adjunct professor, he is also part of a team of graduate students in the Master of Public History (MPH) program at NKU. For the past two semesters Miller and his classmates have been compiling research on this historic fortification.
“The initial archaeological investigation conducted by NKU is significant in that the Newport Barracks were not previously documented with the Kentucky Office of State Archaeology and therefore not present within the state-wide database of archaeological resources,” Miller said. “These efforts ensured that the site was mapped and documented so that it can be managed by the City of Newport and the Commonwealth of Kentucky.”
“The Newport Barracks situated at the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers was a pivotal part of U.S. Army operations for nearly a century,” said Pat Coggins, one of the graduate students on the project, who also doubles as an adjunct professor at NKU.
“Many people, even locals who have been in the area for generations, are often unaware just how far back the history of the Newport Barracks goes” said Dr. Brian Hackett, director of the MPH program at NKU.
According to a timeline constructed by the students, in 1806 the first troops arrived to garrison the new barracks, on land donated by General James Taylor. Taylor, the founder of Newport and namesake of the park, had a long association with the Newport Barracks, serving as its quartermaster for many years.
The students frequently consulted the papers of Joseph L. Donnelly, author of the book “Newport Barracks: Kentucky’s Forgotten Military Installation,” held in the archives of Cincinnati Historical Society at Union Terminal.
Donnelly’s prior research along with their own efforts has helped highlight the importance of the Newport Barracks during the War of 1812. It was from the Newport Barracks that a group of soldiers left to fight the forces of Tecumseh at the Battle of the Thames in Ontario, Canada. After the battle, the victorious American forces had captured nearly 600 prisoners; 439 of this number were marched back to Kentucky and held prisoner in the Newport Barracks.
In the 1830's the Newport Barracks was one of just two School of Practice, which provided formal training for military musicians. "It's no wonder the band at the barracks was in such demand. They played at funerals and civic events throughout the region. It was common for boats, filled with people from Cincinnati, to come over just to hear them play," Coggins said.
Donnelly and the students were also able to piece together the later history of the Newport Barracks. During the Civil War, the site was used as a recruiting depot and military prison. Major players in America’s bloodiest war, such as Ulysses S. Grant, William T. Sherman and George McClellan spent time at the Newport Barracks.
In 1878, the Newport Barracks became the headquarters for the U.S. Army's Department of the South.
Despite almost a century of service, authorities frequently discussed closing the Newport Barracks. Its location at the Licking and Ohio may have made it accessible, but it also made it prone to flooding.
Severe flooding plagued the area between 1882-1884, and again in 1889. These floods not only interrupted day-to-day operations of the Newport Barracks, but also severely damaged the buildings and created lingering sanitation issues, military reports from that time state.
In 1894 the Newport Barracks was finally abandoned; the operation relocated to Fort Thomas, less than 5 miles away.
Floodwalls, completed in 1951, bisect the former military grounds. Today, on one side is the ongoing construction of condominiums, and on the other General James Taylor Park.
Miller estimates it will take up to two weeks for the field portion of this archaeology, which will be followed by a longer period of analyzing and interpreting the results.
Such effort is worth it, Dr. Hackett believes. “The Newport Barracks impacted countless lives, both military and civilian. We owe it to their memory to properly preserve and interpret this regional treasure.”
