On Sept. 3, 1861, troops under Gen. Leonidas Polk fortified the strategic line of bluffs here, marking the CSA's first move in Ky. To prevent passage of Union gunboats, a huge chain was stretched across the Mississippi River. After Union success in Tenn., the CSA evacuated on Mar. 2, 1862. Union troops moved in the next day and held the position throughout the war.