Central Georgia

Last Update: 19/APRIL/2008

Compiled by Pete Payette - Š2008 American Forts Network

Coweta Blockhouse
(1689 - 1691), Columbus ?
A Spanish blockhouse built on the east-side (?) of the Chattahoochee River, opposite the Muscogee (Creek) village of Coweta.
(NOTE: "if" this fort is actually located on the west-side of the river, then this is a reference to Apalachicola Fort in ALABAMA.)

Civil War Defenses of Columbus
(1864 - 1865), Columbus
A line of CSA breastworks surrounded the city to the east. Gun batteries were located on the Chattahoochee River at both railroad bridges. A naval gun battery was located at the CSA Navy Yard at the foot of Fulton Street. (see also Phenix City Defenses in ALABAMA.)

Columbus CSA Arsenal and Ordnance Depot
(1864 - 1865), Columbus
A CSA Arsenal and/or Ordnance Depot was located in the city, transferred from Atlanta. Undetermined location. (NOTE: not to be confused with the Columbus Naval Iron Works. See SHIPYARDS page.)

Camp Conrad
(1898 - 1899), Columbus
A Spanish-American War winter training camp located between Third and Sixth Aves. and 29th and 33rd Streets. Originally named Camp Davis.

Fort Twiggs (3)
(1836), Fort Benning
A GA state militia log stockade with two blockhouses, located near the confluence of Upatoi Creek and the Chattahoochee River. A third blockhouse was nearby protecting a horse pen.

Fort Benning (U.S. Military Reservation)
(1918 - present), Fort Benning
Established as the Regular Army's School of Infantry. Originally named Camp Benning until renamed in 1922. A temporary site was first located on Macon Road three miles east of Columbus. A permanent site was selected south of the city. On post is the National Infantry Museum.

Fort Perry
(1813), near Juniper
A stockade with blockhouses on Juniper Creek. A state marker locates the site on Fort Perry Road, southeast of town.

Camp McKenzie (1)
(unknown dates), Harris County
A state marker locates the site.

Fort Tyler
(1863 - 1865), West Point
A CSA strong bastioned four-gun earthwork, 35 yards square, surrounded by a 12-foot wide moat, located at present-day Sixth Ave. and West 10th Street. Two circular stockades protected both sides of the railroad bridge across the Chattahoochee River, and a line of rifle pits encircled the town. Site of one of the last Civil War battles east of the Mississippi River in April 1865, a Union victory. This was the last CSA fort to fall in battle.

Camp near Newnan
(1898), Newnan
A Spanish-American War training camp.

Civil War Defenses of Griffin
(1861 - 1864), Griffin
Confederates entrenchments were built around the city to defend against Sherman's March, but Sherman veered away to the east.

A cluster of CSA training camps were also here.
Camp Milner was the main cavalry camp. A state marker locates site at Municipal Park on Country Club Drive.
Camp Stephens was the main infantry camp, located about one-half mile from old US 41 on McIntosh Road, north of town.

Camp Northen
(Griffin Municipal Park)
(1892 - 1910), Griffin
A Georgia National Guard summer training camp, located at the site of CSA Camp Milner. During the Spanish-American War (1898), became an assembly camp for all state troops on their way to Tampa, FL. Site became a city park before WW I.

Fort Romulos
(unknown dates), Monroe County
Located on the Ocmulgee River, opposite Tom's Ford (location ?). Possibly never built.
(info provided by Marshall Sitrin)

Fort Lawrence
(1813 - 1814), near Hammett
A GA state militia and Federal stockade located on the Flint River, between Roberta and Reynolds, that protected the Creek Indian Agency at the old townsite of Francisville (1825). It was 180 feet square with two blockhouses, two hospitals, two storehouses, barracks, and other structures. Several treaties were signed at the Indian Agency here.

Fort Hawkins
(Ocmulgee Mounds National Monument)
(1806 - 1819), Macon
A Federal fort located on the east-side of the Ocmulgee River. It was a 14-acre pentagonal stockade with two two-story log blockhouses on stone foundations, and several log barracks. Excavations were made in the 1930's. The current blockhouse is a 1938 reconstruction, located at Maynard and Woolfolk Streets. Admission fee.

This was also the site of a British stockaded trading post Ocmulgee Post (1680 - 1715). Camp Hope (1813) was nearby, used by the GA state militia. Located along the Dunlap Trail is an extant CSA nine-gun battery, used in the November 1864 Battle of Walnut Creek. Seven extant Woodland Period (900 - 1150) Indian burial mounds are located here, as well as a ceremonial earth lodge built over the original site.

Camp Oglethorpe
(1844 - 1864), Macon
A GA state militia training area and county fairground before the Civil War. In 1862 became a POW camp for Union soldiers. Became a Union officer POW camp in 1864, holding almost 1,400 men, many originally from Libby Prison in Richmond, VA.. The three-acre site is located in the present-day railroad yards bounded by Seventh, Pine, and Hawthorne Streets, south of the restored train depot.

Civil War Defenses of Macon
(1864), Macon
Camp Wright, the CSA headquarters of the area forces.
Camp Haskell (1), possibly located at the Arsenal (?).
A line of earthwork redoubts, batteries and rifle pits surrounded the city west of the Altamaha River. An extant CSA gun battery remains in Riverside Cemetery on Riverside Drive. Macon was the state capital in 1864 - 1865 after Milledgeville was captured by Union forces.

Confederate Central Laboratory and Arsenal
(1862 - 1864), Macon
A state marker locates the site at Vineville Ave. This was the headquarters of the Confederate Ordnance Department during the Civil War. The Arsenal was built nearby. Both were never fully completed before war's end. According to an 1864 map, the Arsenal was outside of the CSA earthwork defense line.

During the Spanish-American War (1898 - 1899), Camp Haskell (3) was located here, used as a winter camp for four Negro regiments.

Camp Price
(1898), Macon
A Spanish-American War summer training camp located in Central City Park, south of 7th Street along the Ocmulgee River.

Camp Rae
(1898), Macon
A Spanish-American War muster camp for state troops. Exact location undetermined.

Camp Fornance
(1898 - 1899), Macon
A Spanish-American War winter training camp for white troops, located on Ocmulgee Land Company property north (northwest) of the city. Nearby was Camp Prior, also a winter camp for white troops.

Camp Wheeler
(1917 - 1919, 1941 - 1946), Macon
A Federalized National Guard training encampment for the 31st Division. An Army Balloon School (1917) was located in the area, probably here. Unknown if site used by the state guard between the wars. Site was used again in WWII as an Infantry Replacement Center. Located six miles southeast of the city. Now Ocmulgee East Industrial Park. Marker at Riggins Mill Road and Joe Tamplin Industrial Blvd.

Camp Harris
(1917 - 1919), Macon
An Army Remount Station during WWI. Located four miles northwest of the city.

Fort Clarke
(1793 - 1794), near Rose Hill
A GA state militia palisaded two-story blockhouse at Scull Shoals on the Oconee River in northern Greene County. Site is within Oconee National Forest.

Fort Mathews
(1793 - 1794), near Swords
A state fort built to keep watch on General Clark's illegal activities. A state marker locates the site about two miles south of Greshamville at the fork of the Oconee and Apalachee Rivers.

Greensborough Fort
(unknown - 1787), Greensboro
A town fort that was attacked and burned by Indians in 1787.

Sherrill's Fort
(1773 - 1774), near Springfield
A settlers' blockhouse on Sherrill's Creek. Attacked by Indians in 1774.

Neal's Fort
(unknown dates), near White Plains
A settlers' fort just east of town. Also known as Old Fort (2) on Civil War era maps.

Shoulderbone Archaeological Site
(1325 - 1500 ?), Shoulderbone
A Late Mississippian Period palisaded Oconee (Ocute) Indian village and mound center. Site was excavated in 1986. This may have been the Indian village named Ocute that Hernando DeSoto visited in April 1540, and where a cannon was supposedly left behind. DeSoto did not report a palisade there, and no direct evidence has positively linked Ocute (undetermined location) with the Shoulderbone Site. The Shoulderbone Site had lost most of its population around 1500, and barely existed afterwards. Ocute was last visited by Gaspar de Salas and Friar Pedro de Chozas with 30 Indians in 1597.

Fort Twiggs (1)
(1793 - 1796), near Shoulderbone
A GA state militia 11-gun stockaded blockhouse located at the mouth of Shoulderbone Creek on the Oconee River.

Fort Wilkinson
(1797 - 1806), Milledgeville
Built on the west-side of the Oconee River three miles south of town. Site marked on Fort Wilkinson Drive. This fort replaced Fort Fidius (1793 - 1797), on the east-side of the river, marker on King Street, as the Federal fort protecting the Indian boundary. It once had the largest garrison of Federal troops south of the Ohio River.

Tomlinson's Fort House
(unknown dates), Milledgeville
A state marker locates the site at South Liberty and West Greene Streets.

Civil War Defenses of Milledgeville
(1864), Milledgeville
CSA earthworks surrounded the town in advance of Union General Sherman's campaign. This was the state capital from 1803 until 1867. The State Arsenal on the north side of State House Square was burned by Union General Sherman's troops, and the brick Magazine on the south side was exploded, damaging the state house, the state library, and the nearby St. Stephen's Episcopal Church on South Wayne Street. The Old State Capitol Building has been the home of the Georgia Military College since 1879. It was restored in 1943 to its original configuration. The Gothic gates at State House Square were constructed from recovered bricks from the Arsenal and Magazine.

Fortville Blockhouse
(unknown dates), Fortville
The town was named after an early settlers' fort that was once located here.

Fort Montpelier
(1794), Montpelier
Probably a settlers' fort, located on the Oconee River one-half mile below the town.

General Elijah Clark's Forts
(1794), Wilkinson County
General Elijah Clark and his followers attempted to establish an independent republic west of the Oconee River, and built at least six forts in defiance of the Federal government. The attempt was short-lived, and is sometimes referred to as the "Oconee War". They were: Fort Advance on the Oconee River opposite Town Creek, Fort Defiance (1) six miles upstream from Fort Advance, and Fort Winston (undetermined location). No information has been found for the other three.

Arthur's Fort
(1750 - 1833), Bullard
A state marker locates the site of this settlers' fort.

Fort Twiggs (2)
(1813 - 1814), near Tarversville
A 100-foot square stockade with two blockhouses to protect area settlers. A state marker locates the site one mile east of the Ocmulgee River.

Fort at Federal Town
(1789 - 1793), Washington County
Also known as Fort at Rock Landing, it protected a tobacco trading center on the east-side of the Oconee River.

Fort Irwin
(1810's), Washington County
A settlers' fort located near "Union Hill" (undetermined location), built by General Jared Irwin and his three brothers; John, William, and Alexander.

General Solomon Wood's Fort
(1790's ?), Bartow
A blockhouse built to protect against Indian raids. A state marker locates the site.

Roger Lawson's Fort
(1759 ?), Louisville
A settlers' fort. Ruins may possibly exist behind "Mount Pleasant", Lawson's house that was built in 1759.

Camp Lawton
(Magnolia Springs State Park)
(1864), Lawton
A CSA 42-acre square stockaded POW camp, five miles north of Millen, built to relieve the overcrowding at Camp Sumter (Andersonville). It held about 10,000 men. About 750 prisoners died here. There were two small uncompleted earthen forts to the southeast of the stockade, and a completed seven-gun earthen fort to the southwest of the stockade. After only two months operation, the camp was evacuated in November 1864 before General Sherman's "March to the Sea". The POWs were transferred to temporary camps in Blackshear and Thomasville. Earthworks still remain.

Moore's Fort
(1736 - 1737), Augusta
A British trading post built by Roger Lacey. Possibly the precursor to Fort Augusta (1). (NOTE: possibly the same as Fort Moore in SOUTH CAROLINA ?)

Fort Augusta (1)
(1736 - 1767, 1776 - 1782), Augusta
Built by James Oglethorpe to protect area settlers and traders. Only remains today as the Celtic Cross Memorial behind St. Paul's Episcopal Church (1750) at Sixth and Reynolds Streets. The church was first built within the original fort. The fort was later occupied by Patriots from 1776 - 1779. The British recaptured the fort in January 1779, enlarged it, and renamed it Fort Cornwallis. Patriots briefly captured the fort in September 1780. The British surrendered the town in June 1781. The fort was demolished in 1786, and a new larger church was then built. The present church was built in 1918.

Robert MacKay's Trading Post
(1758 - 1770 ?, 1780), Augusta
A colonial trading post located one and one-half miles below town on the Savannah River. Also known as the White House. Still standing during the American Revolution, some British troops had regrouped here during the September 1780 Patriot attack of the town. Patriot forces lay seige to the White House until British reinforcements from Fort Ninety-Six, SC arrived. The wounded Patriots that were left behind were hanged, or taken with the Indians to be tortured. The structure still exists, now operated by the GA Historical Commission.

Fort Grierson
(1780 - 1781), Augusta
A temporary British work located one-half mile from Fort Cornwallis. Captured by Patriots in May 1781. State marker is at Eleventh and Reynolds Streets.

Augusta Arsenal
(Augusta State University)
(1816 - 1819, 1827 - 1958), Augusta
The original site was three miles from town at the present-day Harrisonville railroad yards. Black fever killed off most of the garrison. Rebuilt at a new site at present-day 2500 Walton Way, on the grounds of present-day Augusta State University. It consisted of two Officers' quarters, enlisted barracks, and a storehouse connected by a loop-holed wall. Confederates captured it in 1861 - 1865. The Arsenal was still operational during both World Wars. Tours by reservation.

The still extant 168-foot tall brick chimney of the Confederate Powderworks Factory, constructed in 1861 by the Augusta Canal (National Heritage Area), are at 1717 Goodrich Street. Originally 26 buildings, this was the second largest munitions plant in the world at the time, extending for two miles along the canal. The abandoned factory was bought by the city in 1872 and torn down for new industry.

Civil War Defenses of Augusta
(1864), Augusta
Confederate General Braxton Bragg with 10,000 troops defended the city against Sherman's March, which never came. Earthworks and other defenses were quickly thrown up in several places (locations undetermined). The Magnolia Cemetery at 702 Third Street has cannon embrasures in the east wall.

Camp Dyer
(1898), Augusta
A Spanish-American War training camp. Location undetermined.

Camp McKenzie (2)
(1898 - 1899), Augusta
A Spanish-American War winter training camp for troops of several northern states, located near Wheless Station between Wrightsboro Road and Troupe Street. Originally named Camp Samuel B.M. Young.

Camp Hancock
(1917 - 1919), Augusta
A Federalized National Guard training encampment and demobilization center for the 28th Division. Site sold to the city after the war, became Daniel Air Field and a housing area.

Fort Wrightsborough
(1776), Wrightsboro
A town fort located on the site of the present-day Methodist Church. The town was originally named Brandon from 1754 to 1768.

Fort Carr
(1776 - 1780), McDuffie County
A Patriot fort located on an unnamed creek in the northern part of the county. Captured by the British in 1779. Patriots attempted to recapture the fort in February 1779, but were driven off when reinforcements arrived from Fort Ninety-Six in SC. The Battle of Kettle Creek occurred four days later, site west of Washington on present-day Warhill Road.

Fort Washington
(1780's ?), Washington
A state marker locates site at Fort Washington Park. This town, in 1780, was the first in the country named after George Washington.

Stephen Heard's Fort
(1774 - 1780's ?), Sandtown
A fortified frontier house that was once the capital of Georgia in 1780. No trace remains.

Samuel Knox's Fort
(1786), Wilkes County
A settlers' fort. Undetermined location.

Kerr's Fort
(1770's - 1780's ?), near Broad
A settlers' fort during the American Revolution.

NEED MORE INFO: Old Garrison Road in Jones County.
Towns: Fort Valley in Peach County.

North Coastal Georgia - page 1 | Savannah Area - page 2 | South Coastal Georgia - page 3
Southern Georgia - page 4 | Greater Atlanta - page 6 | Northwestern Georgia - page 7
Northern Georgia - page 8