Last updated: August 10, 2025
Person
Dennis Simpson
The Lexington Herald
Quick Facts
Significance:
United States Colored Troop soldier who gained his freedom by enlisting in one of the regiments organized at Camp Nelson during the Civil War.
Place of Birth:
Jessamine County, Kentucky
Date of Birth:
1840
Place of Death:
Lexington, Kentucky
Date of Death:
September 20, 1906
Place of Burial:
Lexington, Kentucky
Cemetery Name:
African Cemetery No. 2
Early Life and Civil War
Dennis Simpson was born into slavery in 1840 in Jessamine County, Kentucky. Like many enslaved people, there’s little known about his life prior to the Civil War. On January 9, 1861, Dennis married Sarah Hawkins. The pair welcomed their first child, a son named Luther, born in October 1862. Two years later in 1864, they welcomed a daughter, Nelly, who may have died during infancy since there is little record of her post-birth.
On December 9, 1864, Dennis self-emancipated by enlisting in the U.S. Army at Camp Nelson. He was assigned to Co. C, 124th U.S. Colored Infantry [USCI]. The regiment was specifically organized as an “invalid” unit and was comprised of recruits who were unfit for active service, usually too old or too young, and together with the 119th USCI, were the last of 8 Black units recruited and trained here. The regiment performed garrison duty at Camp Nelson and other military bases in Kentucky for the remainer of the war and into Reconstruction and was officially mustered out of service on December 27, 1867.
Simpson’s war service proved debilitating after performing manual labor at Camp Nelson, a role assigned to many USCT soldiers. According to his post-war pension applications, Simpson suffered the loss of a joint in his left hand, partial deafness, disease of the heart and kidney, vertigo, scurvy, and general disability. Simpson served for 10-months and mustered out at Louisville on October 25,1865.
Post War
After the Civil War, Simpson and his family moved to Lexington, Kentucky. Their lives post-emancipation is largely unknown due to the lack of documentation. Dennis and Sarah had four more children: Eliza, Nannie, Emanuel, and Sadie. Like Nelly, Nannie is believed to have died young. On March 23, 1889, Dennis began the long and complicated process of property acquisition when he purchased a house in the Lexington neighborhood known as of Pralltown—at least 1 other USCT veteran resided in the area. Located on 134 Montmullin Street, Simpson purchase the property for $463 from from Asa Dodge. The sale included a $1 downpayment with a balance of $231.50 due within a year. As a low paid laborer who suffered from numerous ailments, Simpson and his family were unable to complete the purchase by the time of his death 17-years later. The home was eventually sold at auction after a contentious family conflict in 1913.
On September 20, 1906, Simpson died of heart disease at the age of 66. At the time of his death, he was regarded as a respected member of the community. He was member of the community organizations House of Ruth and Scientific Body 1519. His funeral was held at the historic First African Baptist Church, and he is buried in an unmarked grave at African Cemetery No. 2 in Lexington. Sarah died a few months later on February 8, 1907, and is buried with Dennis. Eliza died on December 10, 1908, and is buried at the cemetery. African Cemetery No. 2 is the final resting place of over 150 African American Civil War soldiers, including men who served in all 8 USCT regiments organized at Camp Nelson and the famed 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, portrayed in the film Glory (1989).