Confederate Bulwark

Fort Johnson was perfectly situated to protect Richmond. From this commanding ridge the Confederate garrison looked out across the treeless landscape that offered an open field of fire for their guns. A deep ditch protected by sharpened stakes added to the defense. The test came on September 29, 1864. That morning Federal troops captured nearby Fort Harrison, then turned their attention to Fort Johnson. From here Confederate gunners opened fire at the massing blue lines. Just before the Union soldiers reached the fort, about 200 Georgia infantrymen arrived to reinforce Fort Johnson’s artillerists. In the desperate fighting the outnumbered Confederate defenders prevented any Union soldiers from getting over the wall and captured nearly 150 Pennsylvanians who were trapped in the fort’s ditch. Fort Johnson remained in Confederate hands until its evacuation on April 2, 1865.

Virginia · United States