Civil War History In Clarksville, Tennessee

On a recent trip to Clarksville, Tennessee, I found Fort Defiance, a Civil War site located on a hilltop overlooking the Red and Cumberland Rivers. The spot was chosen by Confederate troops as a site to construct a fort to defend the river approach to Clarksville, which was later captured by Union forces, renamed, and occupied for the remainder of the war. The site was a magnet for runaway and freed slaves, and many were employed in and around the fort. It then became an enlistment location for the United States Colored Troops.