The 150th anniversary of the “Battle of Ashland” will feature rich programming

battle-of-ashland
Union troops Jacob Wentzel and John Myers were attacked by Confederate general John Hunt Morgan during the Battle of Ashland.
Admit it. You might not have known that a Civil War battle was fought in the heart of Chevy Chase. It occurred behind Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate, in the vicinity of present-day Ashwood Road and Fincastle Road, on Oct. 18, 1862.
It is called the Battle of Ashland. Though officially, some historians label it an “action,” which is a little smaller than a battle. The 15-minute shootout on the 600-acre estate took several lives on each side. Some members of Henry Clay’s family observed the clash from the second floor windows of the mansion.
“You had two battalions of Union cavalry from Ohio bivouacked behind Ashland. They were attacked by a whole regiment and two battalions of Confederate cavalry,” said Kent Masterson Brown, a Lexington Civil War historian, film maker and attorney. “The confederates were (General John Hunt Morgan’s) men and were commanded by Basil Duke, Morgan’s brother-in-law.”
“The Union force was absolutely swallowed up,” Brown continued, in recalling the battle. “In addition, those Ohioans not camped at Ashland were captured at their campsite in the courthouse yard in downtown Lexington. Some of their officers were staying at the Phoenix Hotel. Every one of the captured Union troops was ‘paroled’ on the steps of Henry Clay’s home.”
The battle will be commemorated with a living histitory event at Ashland on Sept. 29, as well as at other scheduled events (see sidebar).
Remarkably, as Brown explained, the captured Union officers signed a statement guaranteeing that their surrendered soldiers would not take up arms again until they were exchanged for confederate prisoners – sort of a gentleman’s agreement.
All of this action unfolded within a few blocks of the present-day Ashland mansion. A historic marker there tells the story. “Most of the Confederates were fellas from around here,” Brown added. “These were ancestors of a heck of a lot of people still living here.”
The living history day will try to reconnect people with a long ago and mostly forgotten time in the heart of Lexington.
“We’ll have military re-enactors, cavalry demonstrators, artillery firing, infantry, a medical unit; civilians will do spinning, quilting, knitting, and there will be some farm animals – all on the estate’s 17 acres,” said Eric Brooks, Ashland’s curator. “We’ll have actors portraying Henry Clay, Lotty Dupuy (a slave who cared for Clay’s children and grandchildren), and John Hunt Morgan and his wife.”
Ashland also will partner with the University of Kentucky Symphony Orchestra to present Itzhak Perlman, the Israeli-born violinist, who has agreed to perform in Lexington as part of Ashland’s Civil War Commemoration and symphony orchestra’s season opening concert. He is regarded as one of the preeminent violinists of our time. Christina Bell, Ashland’s director of development, and UKSO Conductor John Nardolillo are thrilled to land Perlman.
“We annually award the Henry Clay Medallion to someone who exemplifies the ideals of Clay, who history counts as one of our nation’s greatest statesmen. As part of this concert event, The Henry Clay Memorial Foundation will award the Medallion this year to Mr. Perlman in recognition of his worldwide status as a musical statesman,” Bell said.
Perlman will perform Tchaikovsky’s “Violin Concerto,” and the orchestra will also perform Dvorak’s “Symphony No. 9 From the New World,” which the Czech composer wrote during his visit to the United States in 1893.
The Civil War ball will be at Christ Church Cathedral. People are urged to dress the part and learn the dances of that bygone era. “Lexington Vintage Dance Society will be calling the ball. Members will coach guests and walk them through the moves,” explained Avery Malone, Ashland’s director of tour operations. “They are quite doable. You don’t have to come with any knowledge of Civil War-era dances.”
Malone understands that not everyone has period attire like a big hooped skirt or frock coat in their closet, so modern formal wear is acceptable.
The fourth component of the commemoration is the Civil War speaker’s panel. Brown and several other historians will discuss the battle in detail and outline the political and social aspects of life in Lexington before, during and after the war. Although Kentucky officially remained in the Union during the Civil War, there was strong Confederate sentiment and sympathy, especially in Lexington, and even within Henry Clay’s own family.
“It will be a lot of fun for everyone. Whether you are a history or Civil War expert or not, there is something for everyone as we commemorate the 150th anniversary of this important time in Ashland’s, and our country’s, history,” Malone said.
Ashland, the Henry Clay Estate, Civil War Commemoration Schedule of Events
Civil War Living History
10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sept. 29
Ashland, The Henry Clay Estate (120 Sycamore Rd.)
Itzhak Perlman with UK Symphony Orchestra
7 p.m. Sept. 30
Singletary Center for the Arts
Civil War Ball
7 – 10 p.m. Oct. 13
Christ Church Cathedral
(859) 266-8581 ext. 204
Civil War Speakers Panel
7 - 9 p.m. Oct. 21
Transylvania University Haggin Auditorium