Sally Port and Abatis

Directly ahead is Fort Granger's original entrance and exit, known in military parlance as the sally port. With the completion of the fort in the spring of 1863, Union soldiers had enough artillery to protect the entrance from Confederate cavalry attack. Cannons positioned to either side of the sally port provided deadly crossfire.

The sally port was a narrow passageway that offered a way to convey men, supplies, and equipment into the fort. Nearly every surrounding trench line and earthworks had rows of abatis, felled trees with their branches sharpened, which protruded from the earthen wall. The abatis functioned like modern-day barbed wire and were very difficult to penetrate. While a seemingly effective and widely used obstacle during the war, creating abatis removed many trees, quickly leaving towns such as Franklin barren.

The sally port served as a way out of the fort to the railroad and the Federal camp to the north. A secure passage to the town, however, was not north of the fort. Pvt. Charles S. Falkler, 92nd Illinois Infantry, noted in letters written on March 19 and April 13, 1863: "They are building a rousing old fort here and yesterday two big siege guns came in on cars and they now have them mounted. ... Our camp is on this side of the Big Harpeth and the town of Franklin is on the other side of



the river from us. We have a pontoon bridge to cross over the town."

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