Fort Gaines (3)

 (1816-1865) - A Federal Second System fort first established in 1816 as a result of the Creek Indian War and the Treaty of Fort Jackson (1814). Constructed and garrisoned by a detachment of the 4th U.S. Infantry on the Chattahoochee River in Clay County, Georgia. Named after General Edmund P. Gaines who sometimes used the fort as his headquarters. Established to provide a defense against hostile Indians and a refuge for local settlers. A second fort was constructed on the site in 1836 during the Second Creek Indian War as a settler refuge. The site was next used as a fort and gun battery by Confederate forces during the U.S. Civil War. Abandoned in 1865.

History
The first Fort Gaines was established 2 Apr 1816 by a detachment of 4th U.S. Infantry troops as small stockade with two opposing blockhouses in the corners. This fort was located on the edge of the boundary with the Creek Indian Nation and was considered to be a part of the federal Second System inland fortifications. The post was garrisoned until about 1819 and it was dismantled about 1830.

Second Creek Indian War (1836)
The second Fort Gaines was built in May 1836 during the Second Creek Indian War by the 88th Regiment of Georgia Militia. The Creek Indians, angered by settlers taking their lands, attacked the town of Roanoke, Georgia, in early May of 1836 and killed 12 inhabitants. The remaining population fled toward Fort Gaines and Columbus, Georgia. General Winfield Scott was called upon to put down the rebellion. By the end of 1836, the rebellion was over and the Creek Indians were being removed from their lands in what became known as the Trail of Tears. Thousands of Creek Indians died along the trail that led from Fort Mitchell in Alabama to Fort Gibson (1) in Oklahoma.

U.S. Civil War (1861-1865)
The third Fort Gaines was built during the U.S. Civil War by Confederate Troops. This third fort was located south of the town of Fort Gaines overlooking the Chattahoochee River. Artillery batteries and an arsenal were constructed on the site and they remained there until the end of the war.

Current Status
One blockhouse is reconstructed in town representing the original fort. One of the batteries and a surviving gun can still be seen nearby at the site of the Confederate U.S. Civil War fort.

Sources:
 * , page 222

Links:
 * North American Forts - Fort Gaines (3)
 * Southern History - Fort Gaines