American Civil War fortifications in Louisville
Encyclopedia
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, as it was an important supply station for the Union's fight in the western theater of the war. They were typically named for fallen Union officers; usually those that served in the Army of the Ohio
Army of the Ohio
The Army of the Ohio was the name of two Union armies in the American Civil War. The first army became the Army of the Cumberland and the second army was created in 1863.-History:...
. The inspiration for building the forts came in October 1862, when Confederate forces engaged in their largest attack in Kentucky, only to be halted at the Battle of Perryville
Battle of Perryville
The Battle of Perryville, also known as the Battle of Chaplin Hills, was fought on October 8, 1862, in the Chaplin Hills west of Perryville, Kentucky, as the culmination of the Confederate Heartland Offensive during the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg's Army of Mississippi won a...
. Construction began in 1863, going at a slow pace until Confederate forces marched on Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
in the autumn of 1864. This caused General Hugh Ewing to demand from the city to force both military convicts and local "loafers" to help build the fortifications. Due to military engineers being needed on the front lines, the fortifications in Louisville were designed by civilian assistant engineers, as were the ones in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. Louisville was never endangered, so the guns never fired, save for salutes.
Description
They typically held a minimum of 50 artillerists and 200 infantrymen, with four to six cannon. Twelve batteries were to back up eleven forts in an 10 and a half mile arc around the city, relying on the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
to protect the city's northern flank. They were placed in prominent positions, where they could engage in a cross-fire of opposing forces. The forts' lengths were between 550 and 700 feet (213.4 m), with walls fifteen to thirty feet thick, and six to eight feet high. 200 rounds for each gun were available in the forts.
Forts
These forts were:- Fort Clark: Located on the corner of 36th and Magnolia Streets. It was named for Lt. Col. Merwin Clark of the 183rd Ohio Infantry183rd Ohio InfantryThe 183rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 183rd Ohio Infantry was organized in Sandusky and Cincinnati, Ohio September through October 1864 and mustered in for one year service on October 12, 1864 at Camp Dennison under...
who died at the Battle of Franklin in November 1864.
- Fort Elster: Near Bellaire, Emerald, and Vernon Avenues., between Brownsboro Road and Frankfort Avenue, where Beargrass CreekBeargrass CreekBeargrass Creek is the name given to several forks of a creek in Jefferson County, Kentucky. The Beargrass Creek watershed is the largest in the county, draining over ....
empties into the Ohio River. It was named for George R. Elstner, a Lieutenant Colonel of the 50th Ohio Infantry50th Ohio InfantryThe 50th Ohio Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 50th Ohio Infantry was organized at Camp Dennison near Cincinnati, Ohio and mustered in for three years service on August 27, 1862 under the command of Colonel J. R. Taylor...
who died in GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
in August 1864.
- Fort Engle: Corner of Arlington Ave. and Spring Street. It was named for Captain Archibald H. Engle of the 13th U.S. Infantry, who died in Georgia in May 1864.
- Fort Hill: On the hill between St. Louis Cemetery and Goddard Avenue, on what is now Castlewood Avenue. It was named for George W. Hill, a captain in the 12th Kentucky Infantry12th Regiment Kentucky Volunteer InfantryThe 12th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:Company A of the 12th Kentucky Infantry was organized at Camp Dick Robinson on September 26, 1861, while the remaining nine companies were organized near...
who died in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
in August 1864.
- Fort Horton: Where Merriwether and Shelby Streets meet. It was named for M.C. Horton, a captain of the 104th Ohio Infantry who died in Georgia on May 1864.
- Fort Karnash: Between 26th and 28th Sts. on Wilson Avenue. It was named for Julius E. Karnash, a Second Lieutenant of the 35th Missouri Infantry who died in Atlanta, Georgia in August 1864.
- Fort McPherson: in the area of Preston Street, by the old Shepherdsville Turnpike and Louisville and Nashville RailroadLouisville and Nashville RailroadThe Louisville and Nashville Railroad was a Class I railroad that operated freight and passenger services in the southeast United States.Chartered by the state of Kentucky in 1850, the L&N, as it was generally known, grew into one of the great success stories of American business...
, south of the old city limits. It was named for the Major GeneralMajor general (United States)In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
, James B. McPhersonJames B. McPhersonJames Birdseye McPherson was a career United States Army officer who served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War...
, who died in Atlanta, Georgia in July 1864. It was the largest of fortifications for Louisville. It was also the first to be built. It typically held 100 artillerists and 500 infantry, but could hold upwards to a thousand soldiers. Its Parrott rifleParrott rifleThe Parrott rifle was a type of muzzle loading rifled artillery weapon used extensively in the American Civil War.-Parrott Rifle:The gun was invented by Robert Parker Parrott, a West Point graduate. He resigned from the service in 1836 and became the superintendent of the West Point Foundry in Cold...
, actually an artillery cannon, could shoot an 100-pounder shell five miles (8 km) away. It was complemented with ten additional artillery pieces. It also featured a caponierCaponierA caponier is a type of fortification structure. The word originates from the French word "caponnière" - which strictly means capon-cote i.e. chickenhouse.The fire coming from the feature A caponier is a type of fortification structure. The word originates from the French word "caponnière" -...
battery, built in the October 1864.
- Fort Philpot: located by Algonquin Parkway and present-day Seventh Street Road (then the Louisville and Nashville Turnpike Road). It was named for J. D. Philpot, a captain for the 103rd Ohio Infantry103rd Ohio InfantryThe 103rd Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry was a three-years' infantry regiment from northeastern Ohio that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It participated in many of the campaigns and battles of the Army of the Ohio in the Western Theater.On July 21, 1862, William B...
who died in the Battle of ResacaBattle of ResacaThe Battle of Resaca was part of the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. The battle was waged in both Gordon and Whitfield counties, Georgia, from May 13 - 15, 1864. It ended inconclusively with the Confederate Army retreating. The engagement was fought between the Military Division of the...
in May 1864.
- Fort Saint Clair Morton: on a small hill at corner of 16th and Hill Street, it guarded what is now Dixie Highway (then Salt River Turnpike Road). Named for Major James St. Clair MortonJames St. Clair MortonJames St. Clair Morton was an American soldier, engineer and writer. He served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War, primarily serving in the Western Theater.-Early Life and Career:...
of the Corps of Engineers, who died in the Battle of Petersburg in June 1864.
- Fort Saunders: within Cave Hill Cemetery, named after E.D. Saunders of the A.A.G. Volunteers, who died in Georgia in June 1864.
- Fort Southworth: On Paddy's Run, by the north side of a bend 1/4 mile from the Ohio River. It was named for A. J. Southworth, who died in Atlanta, Georgia, in August 1864. It was the westernmost of the fortifications and covered 19000 square feet (1,765.2 m²) in total. Its construction began on August 1, 1864 and was paid for both by Louisville and by the federal government.
Batteries
Only two of the proposed twelve batteries were constructed:- Battery Camp: Located between Fort Hill and Fort Saunders, on the corner of present-day Baxter and Rufer Avenue. It was named for Edgar Camp, a captain of the 107th Illinois Infantry who fell at the Battle of Lost Mountain.
- Battery Gallup: centered between Fort Clark and Fort Southworth on part of the old State Fairgrounds, it was named for A.G. Gallup of the 13th Kentucky Infantry13th Regiment Kentucky Volunteer InfantryThe 13th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 13th Kentucky Infantry was organized at Camp Hobson near Greensburg, Kentucky and mustered in for a three-year enlistment on December 10, 1861 under the...
who died in September 1864 in Georgia.
After the war
By March 31, 1865, the eleven forts were mostly completed. On May 1, progress of the fortifications had ended, as the majority of Confederate forces had already surrendered. Forty-four to sixty-six artillery pieces were to be used at the forts, but only twenty-two had been installed by the time construction was halted.None of these protections for Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
have survived into the 21st century.
See also
- Camp Joe HoltCamp Joe HoltCamp Joe Holt was a Union base during the American Civil War in Jeffersonville, Indiana, across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky on land that is now part of Clarksville, Indiana, near the Big Eddy. It was a major staging area for troops in the Western Theatre of the War, in preparation for...
- Fort DeWolfFort DeWolfFort DeWolf was an American Civil War fort located just south of Shepherdsville, Kentucky. It was placed so that the L&N railroad would bisect the fort, to better protect the vital railroad bridge over the Salt River.-See also:...
- Fort DuffieldFort DuffieldFort Duffield is an American Civil War fort located outside West Point, Kentucky. It saw use in 1862, and was abandoned when it appeared that the War would never come near the fort...
- Louisville in the American Civil War
- Taylor Barracks (Kentucky)Taylor Barracks (Kentucky)During the American Civil War, Taylor Barracks was a military induction center in Louisville, Kentucky for African-American troops, and after the war it was a United States Army base for both black and white troops during Reconstruction....