Fortress Rosecrans

Fortress Rosecrans (1863-1866) - A U.S. Civil War fortress first established in 1863 in present day Murfreesboro, Rutherford County, Tennessee. Named Fortress Rosecrans after General William S. Rosecrans, (Cullum 1115), Commander of the Army of the Cumberland. The fortress was abandoned in 1866 after the end of the war.

History of Fortress Rosecrans

Fortress Rosecrans was a very large bastioned earthworks fortification begun 23 Jan 1863 after the Battle of Stones River. Constructed by the Pioneer Brigade under the direction of Brigadier General USV, James St. Clair Morton, (Cullum 1495).

The fortress was located at a strategic road junction of the Nashville Turnpike and the Wilkerson Turnpike and sat astride the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad tracks. The Stones River ran right through the fortress. The fortress became a major logistical hub for Union armies in this part of the country.

As one of the largest earthworks fortifications built during the U.S. Civil War, the fortress contained numerous named fortified elements including four redoubts, nine lunettes, two demilunettes, one redan and two batteries enclosed in a 225 acre reservation. The earthen walls surrounding the fortress were ten to fifteen feet high fronted by a ten foot deep ditch filled with sharpened stakes. The fortress was never directly attacked.

An inspection report dated 14 Jan 1864 indicated that the fort was manned by the 1st Kentucky Battery and about 800 convalescent officers and soldiers commanded by Major Charles Houghtaling, 1st Illinois Light Artillery.

Redoubts	Lunettes	Demilunettes	Redans	Batteries
Redoubt Schofield Redoubt Brannan Redoubt T.J. Wood Redoubt Johnson	Lunette Stanley Lunette Negley Lunette Reynolds Lunette Rousseau Lunette Gordon Granger Lunette Crittenden Lunette McCook Lunette Thomas Lunette Palmer	Demilunette Davis Demilunette Garfield	Redan Van Cleve	Battery Cruft Battery Mitchell (3)

Fort Rosecrans was abandoned in 1866 after the end of the war.

Current Status

Now a unit of Stones River National Battlefield. Parts of the southern wall of the fortress and Lunettes Palmer and Thomas remain and are under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service in Old Fort Park on Old Fort Street. Many markers at this location.

The earthworks of Redoubt Brannan remain in a separate location on West College Street. Much of the remainder of the fortress has been overbuilt by modern development. Many markers at this location.

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USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) Database Entry: 1681015

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Location: Murfreesboro, Rutherford County, Tennessee. Maps & Images Lat: 35.85722 Long: -86.41056 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 564'

See Also:

• Murfreesboro Defense System - U.S. Civil War

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.

Links:

• North American Forts - Fort Rosecrans
• Wikipedia - Old Fort Park
• Tennessee Encyclopedia - Fortress Rosecrans
• NPS - Stones River National Battlefield
• Fortress Map
• Murfreesboro Post - Building Fortress Rosecrans
• Latitude 34 North - Redoubt Brannan ~ Fortress Rosecrans Marker
• HMDB - Main Site Markers
• HMDB - Redoubt Brannan Marker

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