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Its Construction and Use During Civil War Franklin

By Kraig McNutt
The Center for the Study of the American Civil War

20110418

Fort Granger
Named for General Gordon Granger, commander of Federal forces in Franklin in 1863, this earthen fort was constructed between March and May of that year by laborers working 24 hours a day.

Fort Granger was approximately 781 feet long and 346 feet wide, encompassing 11.76 acres and contained two fortified fronts on the northern and eastern sides. The walls surrounding the fort, or rampart, were of packed dirt supported from within by rough timbers. The defensive wall placed on top of the rampart where the troops stood is called a parapet.
By April of 1863, Fort Granger held 18 field guns and two 30 pound siege cannons. With 314 officers and 5,494 men, most of the artillery fired through embrasures (openings in the parapet walls). At full capacity, the fort housed 5,194 infantry troops, 2,728 cavalry and 24 artillery pieces.

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Who is Fort Granger named after?
General Gordon Granger
(1822-1876)
Granger was promoted to major general of volunteers on September 17, 1862, and took command of the Army of Kentucky. He conducted cavalry operations in central Tennessee before his command was merged into the Army of the Cumberland, becoming the Reserve Corps.

General Gordon Granger

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What is a fort, fortress?
Why is it called a fort? A fort by definition during the Civil War consisted of a detached work or a work constructed within the framework of a large fortified area. During the Civil War, the term came to be associated with any important position, no matter the type of military engineering employed to construct it. Why is it not called a fortress (i.e., like Fortress Rosecrans)? A fortress was any kind of large fortification so strongly fortified as to be capable of resisting a large and sustained attack. Fortress Rosecrans in Murfreesboro was twenty times larger in the inside area - than Fort Granger was.

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Other forts in Tennessee? West Tennessee 6 Middle Tennessee 12 East Tennessee 4
Fort Granger is one of two designed forts in Williamson County. The structure on top of Ropers Knob is not complex enough to be classified as a fort. The other fort in Williamson County is in Triune.

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Location of Fort Granger in Franklin?
Fort Granger was built on the northern edge of downtown Franklin on the important Harpeth River on a 100-foot bluff overlooking the Harpeth Valley. It was about two miles away from the two knobs just south of Franklin; Winstead and Breezy Hills. The Nashville-Decatur railroad line also passed just west of the fort. Positioned were it lay, Fort Granger was designed to protect against a primary enemy assault coming from the north, or Nashville. It was strategically positioned to be able to cover actions coming from the south as well as they did during the December 1864 Franklin action.

Strategically position as it was, Fort Granger was perfectly suited to protect or defend the main arteries coming in and out of Franklin, including water and railroad routes. It was vital to the Union for transportation and supplies to flow smoothly through Franklin from the north via Nashville, and the south via Alabama.

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Firsthand accounts of the forts construction?
The Battalion was immediately assigned to duty in the construction of Fort Granger, on the right bank of the Harpeth river, opposite and commanding the town of Franklin, Tenn.
History of the 96th Illinois Infantry

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Firsthand accounts of the forts construction?
A little hill on the north side of the Harpeth River, opposite the town, was selected as the site for a strong fort, which was named Fort Granger, in honor of our commander. Working parties were detailed daily from all the regiments, and these details were so large that the men came on fatigue duty about every third day.
- History of the 115th Illinois Infantry

Emerson Opdycke, 125th Ohio

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Location in Franklin?

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Who designed Fort Granger?
Captain William Merrill, U.S. Topographical Engineers.

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Features of Fort Granger?
Fort Granger is 781 feet long and 346 feet wide, encompassing 11.76 acres. It contained two fortified fronts on the northern and eastern sides. The walls surrounding the fort, or rampart, were of packed dirt supported from within by rough timbers. The defensive wall placed on top of the rampart where the troops stood is called a parapet. According to Emerson Opdycke (125th Ohio), it also contained such features as: salient angle, face, flank, parapet, curtain, embrasures, scarp, counterscarp, and a banquette.

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Key to discovering Ft. Grangers construction?
For the last 2 months and over we have been camped in, near Franklin, Tenn. While our stay there, our time was principally occupied in working on the fortifications and scouting occasionally.
James L. Rogers, 98th Ohio Infantry June 4th, 1863
Letter purchased by Kraig McNutt off eBay in February 2011

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When was it built and who built it?
Fort Granger was built between March and May 1863.
It took approximately ten weeks to construct.
It was built by Federal troops who were stationed in Franklin during the winter/spring of 1863. The Federal troops were made up of men from Gilberts and Bairds divisions. Ohio units regiments from the 40th, 98th, 113th, 121st, 124th, 125th, 9th Ohio Light Artillery, 18th Ohio Light Artillery Indiana units 84th Indiana Infantry Illinois units regiments from the 78th , 92nd, 96th, 115th, 1st Illinois Light Artillery

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How many men did it take to build it?
There were at least 10 regiments who worked on the fort, supplying 50-75 men per detail.
After Apr 15th, 1863 details worked 24 hours a day until the work was completed.

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Timeline late 1862

As late as December 24, 1862 the Confederates had control of Franklin as this CSA military pass indicates. The Federals must have taken control shortly thereafter, since they began work on the Fort in mid February.

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Timeline March 1863
Mid Feb March 7th March 15th Union divisions of Gilbert and Baird, respectively, arrive in Franklin area. General Granger begins work on fortifications. Men were detailed to work on the entrenchments today from every company I in the corps. Zeboim Carter Patten (1840-1925) , 115th Illinois Infantry, Co H

March 17th
March 19th

Two siege guns from Nashville in Fort. Zeboim Carter Patten, 115th Ill Inf, Co H
They are building a rousing old fort here and yesterday two big siege guns came in on the cars and they have them mounted. There are three thousand men at work every day on the fort.
Letters of Charles F. Walker, 72nd Illinois Infantry.

March 21st March 23rd

Siege guns were tried with shell. Zeboim Carter Patten, 115th Ill Inf, Co H The entrenchments have been hurried as fast as possible. Zeboim Carter Patten, 115th
Illinois Infantry, Co H

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Timeline April 1863
April 10th The siege guns in the fort and a battery near it had been thundering. Zeboim Carter Patten, 115th Ill
Inf, Co H

April 13th Last Friday (April 10th) about one oclock the rebels attacked this place with the intention of rushing in and spiking the guns in the fort, but they got spiked. Our camp is this side of the Big Harpeth and the town of Franklin is on the other side of the river from us . . . All this time our guns and a light horse battery were playing away on them out in the timber . . . The rebels need never expect to take this place for they cannot do it. Letters of Charles F. Walker, 72nd Illinois. April 15th Gen. Granger report, "main work was only partially finished. . . April 21st I was on the detail for the fortifications today. All the well men not doing guard duty were put on the detail. We were put on a new point which they have commenced to fortify. Where the house and out buildings were burned yesterday . . . There was 17 men called from our company for the works, but we had only 12 to furnish. Zeboim Carter Patten, 115th Ill Inf, Co H Our fort is nearly completed. Emerson Opdycke, 125th OVI We are making several other works hereabouts of lesser magnitude . . .
Opdycke, 125th OVI

April 26th

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Timeline May 1863
May 7th Still slashing timber. The guns of the fort will have a clear sweep when we finish.
Opdycke, 125th OVI Emerson

May 11th Our regiment has gone out to chop down trees to give us a full view of the rebels if they attempt to come in . . . We have got 4 more guns. They are howitzers. They are to throw shells at old Jeffs ragged coats. Letters of Charles F. Walker, 72nd Illinois Infantry May 18th See April 11th note: . . . until May 18th, when the work had so far progressed that an order was issued reducing the working force to a daily detail of forty men per regiment. Opdycke,
125th OVI

May 20th Work is still going on in the entrenchments and drilling by squad, battalion and brigade has been commenced by the latter . . . Zeboim Carter Patten, 115th Ill Inf, Co H May 29th Report from Merrill; fort is complete.

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SE bastion, looking south

Postern wall on north side of fort

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Impact upon Franklin residents?
Fort Granger was built using good timber, dirt, and even brick for some sections. Due to the rapidity with which it was built, the Federal soldiers even used some local existing resources from homes or Franklin structures. One Franklin resident, M.S. Royce, even sought legal remunerations after the war for the total destruction of his home, estimated to be at least $5,000 a hefty sum in 1863. Moses S. Royce was a member of Forrests cavalry and escaped from prison in February 1864. Before the war, Moses Royce was also the rector at St. Pauls Episcopal Church in Franklin. Mrs. Royce did NOT sign the oath.

Account of Dr. J.S. Park

James Dickinson Park 11th TN Cav, Co B Home of Dr. J.S. Park, saved from destruction by Union soldiers in building of Fort Granger.

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Kind of Armament in Fort Granger?
Fort Granger was used by the Federal troops before it was even completed in mid April 1863 (i.e., the first Battle of Franklin) as CSA General Van Dorn attacked the Federal position in Franklin near Hughes Ford. Two large siege guns (30-pounders) were fired during the engagement, and were apparently quite effective in diminishing the Confederate threat. Smaller rifled guns were also deployed in this engagement, taking aim at Confederate position along the Lewisburg Pike and around the Carter Cotton Gin.

The armament installed in Fort Granger by April 1863 included two 30-pound siege cannons and 18 field guns.

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Use of Fort Granger in Franklin Nov 1864 action?
It appears that Fort Granger was not used significantly again by the Federals until November 30, 1864 when the guns of Granger were deployed against CSA General John Bell Hoods Army of Tennessee. During the second Battle of Franklin, the Federals effectively used several guns to decimate the right Confederate flank, protecting the left Union flank positioned adjacent to the Decatur-Nashville railroad and the Harpeth River near downtown Franklin. It is likely that hundreds of Confederate troops of Scotts and Featherstons brigade were killed by Union artillery supplied from Fort Granger on November 30, 1864.

The far left Union flank was supported by artillery fired from Fort Granger during the 30 November 1864 Battle of Franklin.

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Fort Granger today?