In the fall of 1863, Knoxville came under Union occupation, and troops
went immediately to work to strengthen existing defenses and construct
new ones. The most important of these was the earthwork atop a hill west
of the city that came to be known as Fort Sanders. The fort would be the
site of a critical battle on November 29, in which General James
Longstreet's Southern forces mounted a bold but ill-conceived assault
that lasted only twenty minutes yet resulted in over eight hundred Rebel
casualties. The completion of the fort under General Davis Tilson would
safeguard Knoxville from further attack for the rest of the war.
Rediscovering Fort Sanders is a unique book that combines a narrative
history of pre-Civil War Knoxville, the war years and continuing
construction of Fort Sanders, the failed attempts to preserve the
postwar fort, and the events which led to its almost total destruction.
Research by Terry and Charles Faulkner resulted in two major
discoveries: the fort was actually located a block farther to the west
then previously recognized, and there are still identifiable remnants of
the fortification where none were believed to exist.
More than just a chronicle of a significant chapter in Civil War and
postwar history, this book will inspire others to continue the effort to
ensure that the site and remains of Fort Sanders are preserved and
properly commemorated for future generations.
