Fort Clifton

Fort Clifton (HMB5I)

Location: Colonial Heights, VA 23834
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Country: United States of America
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N 37° 16.89', W 77° 21.96'

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Inscription

A stronghold that was never taken

Fort Clifton, constructed between 1862 and 1864, helped protect the city of Petersburg from Union gunboats. Its high elevation and well-placed gun embrasures made Fort Clifton a stronghold that was never taken by Union forces until it was abandoned after the fall of Petersburg in April 1865. In 1864, Federal gunboats frequently steamed up the Appomattox River to observe the fort.

The most important event in Fort Clifton's history occurred on May 9, 1864, when five Union gunboats sailed up the Appomattox River and opened fire. For more than three hours, Confederate artillerymen in the fort battled the heavier guns of the Federal fleet. The attack was repulsed and one Union gunboat, USS Samuel L. Brewster, was damaged and scuttled by her crew.

Federal gunboats also shelled Fort Clifton from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. on June 16, 1864, but were driven off. This was the last major Union attempt to pass Fort Clifton.
Details
HM NumberHMB5I
Tags
Placed ByVirginia Civil War Trails
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Monday, September 22nd, 2014 at 12:00am PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 290245 N 4128725
Decimal Degrees37.28150000, -77.36600000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 37° 16.89', W 77° 21.96'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds37° 16' 53.40" N, 77° 21' 57.60" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)804
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 5216-5226 Fort Clifton Trail, Colonial Heights VA 23834, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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