Civil War Sites
 |  On the morning of January 26, 1864, at around 4:00 a.m., 600 Confederate cavalrymen attacked Athens, which was being held by a Union force of only 100. Even though the Union defenders had no fortifications and were outnumbered six to one, they were able to repulse the Confederate attack and force them into a retreat after a two-hour battle. |
| The Battle of Day's Gap, fought on April 30, 1863, was the first in a series of American Civil War skirmishes in Cullman County, Alabama, that lasted until May 2, known as Streight's Raid. Commanding the Union forces was Col. Abel Streight; Brig. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest led the Confederate forces. |
 | Battle of DecaturThe Battle of Decatur was a demonstration conducted from October 26 to October 29, 1864, as part of the Franklin-Nashville Campaign of the American Civil War. Union forces of 3–5,000 men under Brig. Gen. Robert S. Granger prevented the 39,000 men of the Confederate Army of Tennessee under Gen. John B. Hood from crossing the Tennessee River at Decatur, Alabama. Decatur, AL, United States |
| April 2-9, 1865 Fort Blakely Other Names: None Location: Baldwin County Campaign: Mobile Campaign (1865) Date(s): April 2-9, 1865 Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. E.R.S. Canby [US]; Brig. Gen. St. John R. Liddell [CS] Forces Engaged: XIII and XVI Corps [US]; Fort Blakely Garrison [CS] Estimated Casualties: Total 4,475. April 9 only 3,529 (US 629; CS 2,900) Description: E.R.S. Canby’s forces, the XVI and XIII corps, moved along the eastern shore of Mobile Bay, forcing the Confederates back into their defenses. Union forces then concentrated on Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely. By April 1, Union forces had enveloped Spanish Fort, thereby releasing more troops to focus on Fort Blakely. Brig. Gen. St. John R. Liddell, with about 4,000 men, held out against the much larger Union force until Spanish Fort fell on April 8, allowing Canby to concentrate 16,000 men for the attack on April 9. Sheer numbers breached the Confederate earthworks compelling the Confederates to capitulate. The siege and capture of Fort Blakely was basically the last combined-force battle of the war. African-American forces played a major role in the successful Union assault. Result(s): Union victory (Fort Blakely surrendered.) CWSAC Reference #: AL006 Preservation Priority: III.1 (Class A) Spanish Fort, AL, United States |
| Bridgeport is a city in Jackson County, Alabama with a population of 2,728. Because of its location on both a rail line and the Tennessee River, Bridgeport was a strategic site during the American Civil War. The rail bridge at Bridgeport was among those targeted by the East Tennessee bridge-burning conspiracy in November 1861. Bridgeport was the site of a major skirmish on April 29 and August 26, 1862, and numerous other small actions took place in the area. In the latter part of the war, Bridgeport was the site of a major shipyard building gunboats and transports for the Union Army. The USS Chattanooga was built here and became a vital part of the famous "Cracker Line," which broke the Confederate's siege of Chattanooga in November 1863.(See the official records) Bridgeport was incorporated as a city in 1891. Wikipedia contributors, "Bridgeport, Alabama," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bridgeport,_Alabama&oldid=639515464 (accessed December 25, 2014). |
| Crooked Creek Battleground (Day's Gap at Sand Mountain) April 30, 1863 (Hog Mountain April 30, Bluntsville May 1, Black Creek May 2, Blount's Plantation May 2) Cullman County Alabama Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest and Union Col. Abel Streight fought for several hours on April 30, 1863 at Crossing of Crooked Creek & Hog Mountain. Forces Engaged: Men from 51st Indiana Infantry, 73rd Indiana Infantry, 3rd Ohio Infantry, 80th Illinois Infantry, and 1st Middle Tennessee Cavalry [US]; three regiments [CS] Estimated Casualties: 88 total (US 23; CS 65) |
 | Fort Harker, located near Stevenson, Alabama, was a military fortification built by the Union Army during the American Civil War, constructed in the summer of 1862. Union General William Rosecrans established his headquarters at Fort Harker in July, 1863. The design of the fort is typical of many built during the American Civil War. The fort was constructed as a square earthen redoubt, 45 meters (148 feet) on a side. The walls were constructed of rammed earth 4.3 meters (14 feet) high, surrounded by a 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) deep dry moat. The fort was armed with seven barbettes for heavy cannon, and a bomb-proof powder magazine. Access to the fort was by draw bridge across the moat. An eight-sided wooden blockhouse was situated at the center of the redoubt. The fort would be abandoned after the war and fall into disrepair. After restoration, the site became a city park in 1985. |
| On May 2, 1862, Athens was seized by Union forces under the command of Colonel John Basil Turchin. Business were hit first, and anything of value that could be carried away were looted and anything that could not be was simply destroyed. After rampaging through stores the soldiers plundered private homes. A slave girl was raped. The soldiers also attempted to rape a servant girl. The violent behavior of the soldiers caused a pregnant woman to suffer a miscarriage and die. The townpeople estimated the damage to be fifty-five thousand dollars. The resulting pillage and plunder came to be known as the Rape of Athens. The Rape of Athens Alabama |
