Existing comment:
The Inner Works:
From this position along the north mail works, the guns of Fort Negley commanded the ground south of the capitol building. Originally, a 64-pound cannon was placed here, supported by an underground powder magazine. To your left, a 48-pound cannon protected the area between Fort Negley and Fort Morton, a half-mile to the west.
Stockade:
Standing just behind you was the stockade. Designed as the last line of defense if the main works of the fort were overrun, the structure was eighty-six feet in length on each side, twelve feet high, and built from timbers. Elevated rifle turrets were placed at each corner. Small salient angles projected from all four exterior sides to allow enfilade fire along the outer stockade walls. Inside, located near the center of the stockade, were a telegraph station and two cisterns to hold water. Treetops were used as observation and signal towers. The structure was designed to hold up to one thousand men.
Archeology:
Archeology links the past with the present. At Fort Negley, archaeological excavations have revealed clues to the fort's original design and WPA reconstruction. In 1993, archeologists located remnants of the original Civil War stockade -- "builder's trench: Their study concluded that the masonry walls built during the war remain at varying depths under the 1930s restoration by the WPA. Here, at the north main works, the underground powder magazine was reconstructed to house a museum. |