Confederate Fortification

This fortification formed part of a line of Confederate earthworks guarding Swift Creek and the western approaches to Fort Clifton on the Appomattox River. It was probably constructed in response to Federal threats during Butler’s Bermuda Hundred campaign in May-June 1864. Archeological evidence indicates that field artillery defended the position, supported by infantry sharpshooters drawn from the garrison of nearby Fort Clifton. The defenders of Fort Clifton included Confederate infantry and artillery units from Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and North Carolina. During the summer of 1864, Federal field artillery with 3-inch rifles positioned on Spring Hill shelled this position.

Colonial Heights, Virginia · United States