Fort Redmond

The Edgefield and Kentucky Railroad was vital for transporting soldiers and supplies, and Confederate forces built Fort Redmond to protect the railroad bridge a mile northwest of here near the confluence of the Red River and Elk Fork Creek. Dense woods in the area provided firewood, lumber for structures, and natural shelter during winter. After the fall of Forts Henry and Donelson in February 1862, Confederates abandoned Fort Redmond and Union troops occupied the area. Federal forces also recognized the importance of the railroad and river fortifications, restored the bridges, and established Red River Blockhouse No. 1 to secure the trestle and the rails crossing the Red River. Built of heavy timber two feet thick and designed to withstand attack by light weapons, the blockhouse did not face any significant Confederate assaults for the remainder of the war. In August 1862, according to J.W. Fort’s farm journal, Federal troops pressed seven men to help build the railroad bridge over the Red River after Southern soldiers had partly burned it, and a few days later Southern cavalry under Col. Woodard attacked eighty Federals, captured them after a short skirmish, paroled them, burned the rest of the bridge, and drove enslaved laborers home. The Red River also provided water, fish, and transportation for travelers and settlers, and the Edgefield and Kentucky Railroad Company had completed the first bridge across it by February 1859 for $82,345.

Adams, Tennessee · United States