The Battle of Fort Sanders

 
 
 

On November 29, 1863 , the Confederate forces of James Longstreet massed for a pre-dawn attack on a Union earthwork just west of Knoxville, Tennessee.


The earthwork, held by the troops under Ambrose Burnside, seemed vulnerable.    It appeared that the rate of fire from the northwest bastion simply could not stop a large attacking force.    Incomplete or inaccurate Confederate reconnaissance failed to reveal a deep ditch in front of the parapet, and that flaw would lead to the disastrous attack.


One Hundred forty four years later a documentary production crew used the description of Union engineer Orlando Poe to reconstruct the northwest bastion.  Built on a slope very similar to the original location, the bastion stands as a monument to the men who met in battle on that fateful day.


Sponsoring Units

79th N.Y. East Tennessee & 63rd Tennessee



Re-enactment Sponsors







The Frank H. McClung Museum

The University of Tennessee


Media sponsor

 

150th  Anniversary re-enactment - October 10-13 2013

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

GO TO MENU ITEM “REENACTOR INFO”

Re-enactors registration contact sclapp44@yahoo.com

Photo by Wendell Decker