Fort Randolph (2)

Fort Randolph (2) (1861-1862) - A Confederate U.S. Civil War Fort established in 1861 along the east bank of the Mississippi River on the second Chickasaw Bluff near Randolph in Tipton County, Tennessee. Abandoned by Confederate forces in 1862. History Fort Randolph was located west of Covington and just south of Randolph on the Second Chickasaw Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in Tipton County, Tennessee. Construction began by troops under General Leonidas Polk, (Cullum 477), just as nearby Fort Wright (3) was nearing completion in the summer of 1861. In a 4 Mar 1862 Union dispatch, Flag Officer Foote indicates that the rebel garrison at Columbus, Tennessee had evacuated to Fort Randolph and burned down the town of Columbus as they left. The dispatch describes Fort Randolph's position as naturally strong by virtue of being constructed on the 2nd Chickasaw Bluff more than 100 feet above the river. Fort Randolph commanded a view of the Mississippi River for six miles each way. A Union landing party went ashore at Fort Randolph on 4 Jun 1862 and determined that the fort had been abandoned by Confederate forces. Current Status Fort Randolph/Fort Wright Readerboard. Markers only. The exact site is not identified. Two approximate options are provided. Site 1 is from the GNIS database but appears too far south of Randolph. Site #2 is about the right distance from Fort Wright and is right next to the old town of Randolph. This site also matches the engraving at the top of the page. Some sources think that Fort Wright and Fort Randolph are the same and that Fort Randolph is simply Fort Wright renamed. This seems unlikely Location:Near Randolph, Tipton County, Tennessee. Maps & Images Lat: 35.50832 Long: -89.90670 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 411' GPS Locations: 35.50832, -89.90670 Site 1 - GNIS Coordinates 35.51854, -89.89188 Site 2 - Just South of Randolph 35.51769, -89.89007 Markers See Also: Fort Wright (3) Sources: Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 746. USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) Database Entry: 1646819 Links: North American Forts - Fort Randolph Wikipedia - Fort Randolph (2) Tennessee Civil War Trails - Forts Wright and Randolph New York Times - The Evacuation of Columbus. Visited: 6, 8 Sep 2020 Area