Fort Negley (Civil War)

~Reopened to the public on December 12, 2004

~Named for General James Negley, the commander of Union forces in Nashville.

~Fort Negley was the largest and most important fortification built by Union troops after the occupation of Nashville in 1862.

~The Union army was determined to hold onto Nashville at all costs because of its importance in the distribution of supplies by river and rail and so transformed it into one of the most heavily fortified cities in America.

~Built primarily by slaves and free blacks using stone, logs, earth and railway iron.

~Engineer James St. Clair Morton designed the polygonal shape and supervised its construction.

~It was the largest inland masonry fortification of the war. It was 4 acres and considered impregnable.

~The stone fort itself was 600 feet long and 300 feet wide; including outer fortification and earthworks over the brow of the hill.