Portal:Louisville/Selected article/11
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The American Civil War fortifications in Louisville were designed to protect Louisville, Kentucky, as it was an important supply station for the Union's fight in the western theatre of the war. They were typically named for fallen Union officers; usually those that served in the Army of the Ohio. The inspiration for building the forts came in October 1862, when Confederate forces engaged in their largest attack in Kentucky, only to be halted at the Battle of Perryville. Construction began in 1863, going at a slow pace until Confederate forces marched on Nashville, Tennessee in the autumn of 1864.
They typically held a minimum of 50 artillerists and 200 infantrymen, with four to six cannon. Twelve batteries were to back up eleven forts in an 10 and a half mile arc around the city, relying on the Ohio River to protect the city's northern flank. They were placed in prominent positions, where they could engage in a cross-fire of opposing forces. The forts' length were between 550 and 700 feet, with walls fifteen to thirty feet thick, and six to eight feet high.
