Ft. Defiance Clarksville

19th Century Verbiage

(1843) absquatulate(slang): to take leave, to disappear... A can of oysters was discovered in our office by a friend, and he absquatulated with it, and left us with our mouth watering.

Next Board Meeting...
Second Monday of the Month, 6:30 pm
Pardue Church, 1895 Memorial Drive

Fort Defiance and the Fort Defiance Interpretive Center are located at 120 A Street, Clarksville, Tennessee
For directions to the fort, see Mapquest

Our Purpose and Information about joining Ft. Defiance.

Our Board Members

Ft. Defiance Civil War Ball

Join us at the Ft. Defiance Civil War Ball ~ January 14, 2012

ball-flyer-2012-small-2

Civil War Memorial Service

Friends Of Fort Defiance will present a Civil War Memorial Service on Saturday, May 28 at 10 a.m. The service will be held at Riverview Cemetery near the Civil War mass grave-site.

Approximately 180 Civil War soldiers and veterans are buried in Riverview cemetery. 127 of those lie in one mass grave. Those in the mass grave were originally buried at the old Clarksville Female Academy that stood in the area of Madison Street and Cumberland Drive. There were more than 305 soldiers buried near the Female Academy in addition to the two African American nurses who died while tending to the soldiers.

The soldiers buried at the Female Academy, and subsequently re-interred at Riverview, were casualties of the battle at Fort Donelson. At least 105 of the deaths occurred before February 11, 1862 when the battle began and were likely victims of disease.

A landslide in 1879 exposed remains necessitating their removal and reburial. Members of Forbes Bivouac were in charge of the removal. Only 127 sets of remains were relocated to Riverview. The other 180 were left where they were originally buried and now lie underneath the Confederate Soldier’s Memorial Bridge on Cumberland Drive.

The 127 men relocated to Riverview represent at least 7 states including Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

The other 53 Riverview Civil War soldiers and veterans are mostly local men who fought with local regiments in both western and eastern theaters. Most lived through the war to return home, but several bore the scars of combat including lost arms and legs, etc.

Of those who died in the war buried at Riverview -

at least one was killed at Gettysburg, PA
one was killed at the Battle of Franklin
two were killed at Chicamauga
one was killed at Chancellorsville
one died from Typhoid fever in Virginia

Included in the program will be recitations, laying of a wreath, reading of the names of those buried in the mass grave, a volley of shots and presentation of the colors.

Fort Defiance Interpretive Center Opens

The Fort Defiance Civil War Park and Interpretive Center will open on April 7th with a private ceremony. The park and center will be open to the public on April 9th with activities planned for the entire weekend in celebration of the Grand Opening.

interpretive-center
Interpretive Center

From the office of Mayor Kim McMillan:

“Fort Defiance, which overlooks the confluence of the Red and Cumberland Rivers, was a cornerstone of the Confederate defense of the area and, subsequently an important part of the eventual Union occupation of Clarksville. In 1982, Judge Sam Boaz and his wife, Dee, donated the property to the City of Clarksville. In 2008, the City secured a 2.2 million dollar federal grant that was combined with local funding and the process of construction of the interpretive center and walking trails began.”

The opening of the park coincides with the Civil War’s 150th anniversary. Reenactors will be there demonstrating several different skills such as cannon firing, quilting, cartridge rolling, herbal medicine and more.

Activities on Saturday start at 10 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. Activities on Sunday begin at 1 p.m. and end at 4 p.m.

View From Ft. Defiance Interpretive Center

19th Century Proverbs

.....The best things come in small packages.
-late 19th

.....Better be safe than sorry.
-mid 19th

.....Better the devil you know than the devil you don't know.
-mid 19th

.....Never trouble trouble till trouble troubles you.
-late 19th

.....Praise the child, and you make love to the mother.
-early 19th

.....Why should the devil have all the best tunes?
-mid 19th

.....You should know a man seven years before you stir his fire.
-early 19th

Fort Defiance Quick Facts

Fort Defiance was once known as Fort Sevier and again as Fort Bruce

The fort sits on a 200 foot high buff overlooking the Cumberland River

A gun platform facing north over-looked the Cumberland river, one gun platform faced west and another bomb-proof gun platform faced south. The main gate of the fort opened to the east.

When Fort Defiance fell to Union troops, the ironclad U.S.S. Cairo and the Conestoga were on the Cumberland River near Clarksville.

Fort Clark was situated on the opposite bank of the Red River from Fort Defiance.

Trenches inside the fort were constructed for communication and at least one powder magazine.

Local historians believe that there still may be one powder magazine under the mounds at Fort Defiance.

Retired Judge Sam Boaz preserved and donated the Fort Defiance site to Clarksville in the mid 1980's.

Become a Friends of Fort Defiance Volunteer!

Ft. Defiance Clarksville

Welcome To Fort Defiance

Categories

Ft. Defiance Civil War Ball

Civil War Memorial Service

Fort Defiance Interpretive Center Opens

The Fort Defiance Civil War Park and Interpretive Center will open on April 7th with a private ceremony. The park and center will be open to the public on April 9th with activities planned for the entire weekend in celebration of the Grand Opening.

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