Fort Morton (3)

 (1862-1867) - A Union U.S. Civil War Fort established in 1862 in present day Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee. Named Fort Morton after Brigadier General USV, James St. Clair Morton,, who was killed before Petersburg 17 Jun 1864. The fort was abandoned by Union troops in 1867 after the end of the war and after Tennessee had returned to the Union.

History of Fort Morton
Fort Morton was initially constructed under the supervision of Brigadier General USV, James St. Clair Morton,, in 1862 and located west of the Franklin Pike and south of South Street. "Fort Morton. - This work had made some progress, according to the original plans, when Col. Merrill (captain, Engineer Corps), foreseeing that it would never be finished, directed its abandonment and the substitution therefor of a polygonal redoubt, with guns en barbette and an interior block-house. When I assumed general direction of the Defenses of Nashville this fort was not half finished. I modified it slightly by increasing the number of guns and placing them in embrasure, diminishing the parapets unnecessarily thick, introducing two service magazines, which would serve also as traverses, and reducing the block-house from 120 to 80 feet length. It was my intention also the build a glacis around the work, revest the scarps with dry stone, and put flanks in the redan, so as to sweep the ditches of the fronts of attack; this has in part been done. The accompanying sketch shows these arrangements. The rocky character of the site of Fort Morton, its position on a high hill, the necessity for blasting the terreplein and for the magazines, and for hauling earth from a much lower level, and the large keep have made this work expensive and retarded its progress. Fort Morton is nearly finished."

The fort was abandoned by Union troops in 1867 after the end of the war and after Tennessee had returned to the Union.

Current Status
No remains and no markers.

See Also:
 * Nashville Defense System - U.S. Civil War

Sources:
 * , page 743.

Links:
 * North American Forts - Fort Morton