This historic Kentucky campus hides the Civil War’s weirdest bluff involving deaf students and Confederates

Jacobs’ Bluff Saves Kentucky Deaf School from Confederates

In 1862, as Confederate troops took over Danville, Kentucky, they set their sights on the School for the Deaf. John Adamson Jacobs, who had run the school since 1835, faced a tough choice.

When rebel surgeons came to claim the buildings for war hospitals, Jacobs made a bold move. He told them flat out: take the buildings and you’ll have to care for all the deaf students too.

The surgeons, with no clue how to handle kids who used sign language, quickly backed down.

While churches and homes across town filled with 7,000 wounded soldiers after the Battle of Perryville, Jacobs Hall stood untouched.

Today, Jacobs Hall at the Kentucky School for the Deaf still stands as a monument to one man’s quick thinking that saved his students during war.

From Virginia Farm Boy to Kentucky Education Pioneer

John Jacobs was born in Leesburg, Virginia in 1803. His family moved to Kentucky when he was just a baby.

At age 13, both his parents died, leaving him an orphan. The boy taught local kids to support himself while getting his own schooling.

After finishing at Centre College, school leaders sent the 21-year-old to Connecticut in 1824.

He rode his horse the whole way to learn from Thomas Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc, top experts in teaching deaf children. Thirteen months later, he came back to Kentucky with skills that would help many kids.

Kentucky Built America’s First State-Funded School for Deaf Children

The Kentucky School for the Deaf opened on April 10, 1823, making it the first state-paid school for deaf students in America. Jacobs returned to Danville in 1825 and started teaching at the new school.

Classes first met in rented rooms on Main Street before moving to a permanent home on South Second Street in 1826. When school leader Rev. John Kerr died in a cholera outbreak, Jacobs stepped up as principal in 1835. He took on both principal and superintendent duties, leading the school through its early years.

The Grand Building That Became a Confederate Target

Workers started building Jacobs Hall in 1855 and finished the impressive Italian-style building in late 1857.

Architect Thomas Lewinski designed it as the main home for female students, and it quickly became the center of campus. The school grew steadily, with Kentucky making education free to any deaf child by 1854.

Students came from across the South and West to study at KSD, with kids from every southern state except Florida. The school did well under Jacobs until war clouds gathered.

War Cuts School Enrollment in Half

The Civil War hit the Kentucky School for the Deaf hard. Student numbers dropped by half as families struggled during wartime and travel became risky.

Several teachers left to join the Union army, leaving Jacobs short-staffed. The devoted leader worked hard to keep classes going with fewer resources and teachers.

Despite these problems, he kept the school open while many similar schools across the divided country closed down.

Rebel General Bragg Marches Into Kentucky

General Braxton Bragg led his Confederate army into Kentucky in late summer 1862, moving north from Chattanooga.

The rebel troops won early battles at Richmond and Munfordville in September, lifting Southern spirits and scaring Kentucky Unionists.

Bragg reached Frankfort on October 4, where he watched a pro-Confederate governor take office.

His soldiers spread across central Kentucky, taking control of key towns and getting ready for what they hoped would be a big battle to win the border state.

Confederate Troops Take Over Danville

Bragg placed his soldiers across central Kentucky, with units taking Bardstown, Shelbyville, and Danville to create a defense line.

Confederate doctors checked public buildings they could use for treating wounded soldiers from coming battles. The military doctors quickly picked Jacobs Hall and other deaf school buildings as perfect hospital spaces.

Danville locals watched helplessly as Confederate soldiers took over their town in fall 1862, taking buildings and supplies for military use.

Rebel Doctors Plan to Evict Deaf Students

Confederate medical officers walked onto the Kentucky School for the Deaf campus planning to take it over.

The rebel doctors wanted to turn Jacobs Hall and other school buildings into military hospitals for soldiers hurt in the coming battle.

This takeover would have forced deaf students out of their dorms and classrooms, stopping their education and leaving many homeless.

Similar building takeovers happened throughout Danville as Confederate forces got ready for what would become the Battle of Perryville, just ten miles away.

The Bluff That Saved a School

When Confederate doctors came to claim his buildings, Superintendent Jacobs stood up to them with amazing courage.

He told the rebel medical team that if they stayed to use the school as a hospital, he would leave all the deaf students completely in their care.

Jacobs knew the soldiers couldn’t talk with children who used sign language or understand their special needs.

His clever trick played on the doctors’ unwillingness to take care of students they couldn’t communicate with during wartime.

Rebels Retreat From Deaf Students

The Confederate doctors backed down right away when faced with caring for deaf children. They refused to take charge of students who used sign language and needed special care.

The Kentucky School for the Deaf became one of the few places in Danville not taken over by soldiers during the Confederate occupation.

Jacobs’ quick thinking and bold bluff protected his students from being kicked out during the chaotic days before the battle, letting them stay safely in their school while war raged around them.

Thousands of Wounded Fill Every Building But One

The Battle of Perryville erupted on October 8, 1862, becoming the largest Civil War battle fought on Kentucky soil. Five hours of brutal fighting left over 7,600 casualties from both armies.

Union forces claimed a strategic victory as Bragg retreated to Tennessee, ending Confederate hopes of claiming Kentucky. More than 3,500 wounded soldiers flooded into Danville after the battle.

The courthouse, churches, private homes, and nearly every public building became makeshift hospitals, but thanks to Jacobs’ stand, the deaf school remained untouched.

Teacher and Students Help Bury the Dead

After the battle, a KSD teacher and several students traveled to the Perryville battlefield to help bury fallen soldiers.

The school stayed open while most of Danville transformed into a massive hospital complex caring for thousands of wounded men.

Jacobs continued leading the institution through the remainder of the war and beyond, serving until his death in 1869.

Kentucky Governor John Stevenson called Jacobs’ passing “a public calamity,” recognizing how the educator had protected his vulnerable students during the state’s darkest hours and built a lasting educational legacy.

Visiting Jacobs Hall Kentucky School for the Deaf, Kentucky

You can visit Jacobs Hall at 303 S. Second Street on the Kentucky School for the Deaf campus in Danville to learn about John Adamson Jacobs’ clever trick that saved the school in 1862.

He bluffed Confederate surgeons into giving up their plans to turn the buildings into military hospitals by threatening to leave deaf students in their care.

Tours cost $6 for adults and $1 for students, but you need to call Rhonda Bodner at 859-583-8417 first to schedule your weekday visit.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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