117th US Colored Regiment
Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, Wednesday, 31 August 1864, page 3
COVINGTON NEWS
NOTE-this regiment was organized in Covington 18 July 1864
DISASTER TO A COMPANY OF NEGRO SOLDIERS
We learn by passengers on the Madison packet Rowens, which arrived yesterday, that a company of sixty colored soldiers, belonging to the 117th US Colored Regiment were surprised by a force of one hundred Confederates under Colonel Jessie, at Jex Landing, three miles above Ghent, Carroll County, Ky. about noon on Monday and very badly cut up.
They were under the command of Lieutenant Seward of the 72d US Colored Regiment and had been sent from Covington to Gallatin and Carroll Counties, for the purpose of recruiting. The troops were eating dinner when they were attacked. The surprise was so complete that not a gun was fired by the negroes; Lieutenant Seward and sixteen of his men were captured by the Confederates. It is supposed that all the rest of the command were either killed or wounded.
Two of the latter were placed on board the Rowens. One of them died on the trip up. The Rowens passed the Jex Landing when the affair took place and the passengers could plainly see the Confederates. A Confederate officer rode down to the bank and ordered the Captain of the boat to land. The order was obeyed but the boat landed at Vevay, on the Indiana side.
The citizens of Vevay shelled the woods on the Kentucky shore with a brass six pounder, but with what effect is not known. Colonel Brown of the 117th Colored, which is stationed at this post, received a dispatch yesterday from Lieutenant Barney, who is in command of a detachment of colored troops at Warsaw, Kentucky, stating that he was expecting an attack on that place by Jessie's men momentarily.