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Fort Duffield is a 
The fort is mostly a serpentine wall, unlike the typical star-shaped Civil War forts in Kentucky. The earthworks of the fort are well-preserved. Originally there was a one-mile clearing between the fort and any trees, but since the fort's abandonment the forest has grown back around the fort. A fresh water spring was located inside the fort.
In 1995 a team of volunteers led by Billy Morris and Dennis Wren started the clearing of overgrowth. By 1996 it was opened as a tourist attraction. You could catch a bus in the town of West Point and ride it to the top of the steep hill where there are wooden facilities and an information station showing a map of the fort and the different paths to take. The full tour of the fort included wooden walkways to the top where you could see small cabins built and tents where reenactors would do demonstrations. You could follow the path on to the lookout point that gives a clear view of the Ohio River and West Point. From there you were able to take a small pathway past the very natural spring that was used in the times of the Civil War. This trail took you back to the beginning of the wooden pathway and start of the walking tour by the information station and outhouses.
As of 2021 there are not any reenactments or bus rides currently but you can still hike the hill and follow the trails and pathways and see the little cabins. There is a bench to sit at the lookout point. However it's too dangerous to go by the natural spring so that has been excluded from the public trail. Volunteers from West Point Historical Society and the West Point Historical Museum including Mony Matthews and Chris Lueken help with the upkeep of the fort. There is also a Civil War cemetery on the west side of Fort Hill that has been updated with new grave markers and cleared out for visitors to experience. The bottom of Fort Hill has a parking lot and there are multiple biking trails that start right off the parking lot to take advantage of the beautiful area. Also there is a boat dock/camp ground to the left of the entrance off of Dixie hwy (31w) that puts you in to the Salt River.
Civil War Fort Duffield, an American Battlefield Trust Heritage SiteTourism Information about Fort DuffieldFort Duffield History & Photos
19th-century buildings and structures in Louisville, Kentucky Duffield National Register of Historic Places in Hardin County, Kentucky American Civil War on the National Register of Historic Places Parks in Kentucky Protected areas of Hardin County, Kentucky Kentucky in the American Civil War Tourist attractions in Hardin County, Kentucky Duffield 1861 establishments in Kentucky
Union
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** ''Un ...
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
fort located outside West Point, Kentucky
West Point is a home rule-class city in Hardin County, Kentucky, United States, near the edge of Fort Knox military reservation on Dixie Highway. It is located in a former meander bend of the Ohio River. The population was 797 at the 2010 census ...
. It saw use in 1862, and was abandoned when it appeared that the war would never come near the fort. Ironically, John Hunt Morgan
John Hunt Morgan (June 1, 1825 – September 4, 1864) was an American soldier who served as a Confederate general in the American Civil War of 1861–1865.
In April 1862, Morgan raised the 2nd Kentucky Cavalry Regiment (CSA) and fought in ...
would in 1863 lead his Raiders right past the fort and may have been stopped had the fort not been abandoned.
William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman ( ; February 8, 1820February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, educator, and author. He served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865), achieving recognition for his com ...
was concerned with the Confederate positions in Bowling Green
A bowling green is a finely laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of turf for playing the game of bowls.
Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding of Thrupp, near Stroud, UK, invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep ...
and Columbus
Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to:
* Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer
* Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio
Columbus may also refer to:
Places ...
, and sent the 37th Indiana and the 9th Michigan regiments to West Point. The plan was to use West Point as a Union supply base for Elizabethtown. Sherman ordered the fort to be built on Pearman Hill to protect the town and supply route. Construction began on November 3, 1861, and was finished in two months. The fort was named for the Rev. George Duffield of Detroit, whose son, Colonel William W. Duffield, led the 9th Michigan Infantry. There were 950 troops stationed there, but they were soon sent to the front lines and the fort was mostly unused in 1862, seeing its last use that fall.
The fort is mostly a serpentine wall, unlike the typical star-shaped Civil War forts in Kentucky. The earthworks of the fort are well-preserved. Originally there was a one-mile clearing between the fort and any trees, but since the fort's abandonment the forest has grown back around the fort. A fresh water spring was located inside the fort.
In 1995 a team of volunteers led by Billy Morris and Dennis Wren started the clearing of overgrowth. By 1996 it was opened as a tourist attraction. You could catch a bus in the town of West Point and ride it to the top of the steep hill where there are wooden facilities and an information station showing a map of the fort and the different paths to take. The full tour of the fort included wooden walkways to the top where you could see small cabins built and tents where reenactors would do demonstrations. You could follow the path on to the lookout point that gives a clear view of the Ohio River and West Point. From there you were able to take a small pathway past the very natural spring that was used in the times of the Civil War. This trail took you back to the beginning of the wooden pathway and start of the walking tour by the information station and outhouses.
As of 2021 there are not any reenactments or bus rides currently but you can still hike the hill and follow the trails and pathways and see the little cabins. There is a bench to sit at the lookout point. However it's too dangerous to go by the natural spring so that has been excluded from the public trail. Volunteers from West Point Historical Society and the West Point Historical Museum including Mony Matthews and Chris Lueken help with the upkeep of the fort. There is also a Civil War cemetery on the west side of Fort Hill that has been updated with new grave markers and cleared out for visitors to experience. The bottom of Fort Hill has a parking lot and there are multiple biking trails that start right off the parking lot to take advantage of the beautiful area. Also there is a boat dock/camp ground to the left of the entrance off of Dixie hwy (31w) that puts you in to the Salt River.
See also
* American Civil War fortifications in Louisville *Kentucky in the American Civil War
History of Kentucky, Kentucky was a Border states (American Civil War), border state of key importance in the American Civil War. It officially declared its neutrality at the beginning of the war, but after a failed attempt by Confedera ...
* Louisville in the American Civil War
Louisville in the American Civil War was a major stronghold of Union forces, which kept Kentucky firmly in the Union. It was the center of planning, supplies, recruiting and transportation for numerous campaigns, especially in the Western Theat ...
* List of attractions and events in the Louisville metropolitan area
This is a list of visitor attractions and annual events in the Louisville metropolitan area.
Annual festivals and other events
Spring
* Abbey Road on the River, a salute to The Beatles with many bands, held Memorial Day weekend in Louisvil ...
References
{{reflistExternal links
Civil War Fort Duffield, an American Battlefield Trust Heritage Site
19th-century buildings and structures in Louisville, Kentucky Duffield National Register of Historic Places in Hardin County, Kentucky American Civil War on the National Register of Historic Places Parks in Kentucky Protected areas of Hardin County, Kentucky Kentucky in the American Civil War Tourist attractions in Hardin County, Kentucky Duffield 1861 establishments in Kentucky