Fort Diamond

Fort Diamond was one of nine Civil War fortifications constructed in 1863-64 in Camden by Confederate soldiers and slaves under the command of Camden lawyer Colonel Alexander Hawthorn. Located atop a steep hill well over a mile southeast of Redoubt D, it guarded approaches into Camden from the Bradley Ferry Road across the Ouachita River to the southeast and from Champagnolle Landing and Woodlawn across Two Bayou to the south, and it also protected the town from federal gunboats coming up the river from the south. Named for its diamond shape, the fort held only three artillery pieces and was fronted by deep entrenchments. Union soldiers improved the fortification during their brief occupation of Camden in April 1864, and most of it remains plainly visible in remarkable condition despite its age.

Camden, Arkansas · United States