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Grant Park in Atlanta in Fulton County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
 

Fort Walker

Lemuel Grant's Perimeter "Line of Defenses"

— Atlanta Campaign Heritage Trail —

 
 
Fort Walker Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Mark Hilton, November 10, 2019
1. Fort Walker Marker
Inscription. This earthen fortification is one of the few remaining traces, of a ring of entrenchments that encircled Atlanta during the summer of 1864. The Atlanta City Council voted on May 22, 1863 to ask Confederate engineers to construct fortifications at the Chattahoochee River. Lemuel P. Grant, an Atlanta resident, Confederate engineering officer and former railroad builder was chosen to lead the project. In August 1863 Grant proposed adding a full perimeter of works around the city. The Confederate government approved Grant's proposal with the stipulation that the works be "far enough from the town to prevent the enemy coming within bombarding distance."

Grant originally designed the perimeter with 19 artillery forts, each having four to six cannon connected by rifle-pits. Through the fall of 1863 Grant oversaw construction, built by hundreds of slaves. Each slave was hired for $1 per day or $25 per month paid to their master. Where the defensive lines crossed private property fields were dug-up and houses were torn down, even on Grant's own land. Trees were cut down to create clear fields of fire.

The original circle of fortifications extended 10-1/2 miles but averaged only 1-1/4 miles from the center of the city--well within range of enemy rifled cannon. A larger circle would have required more troops to adequately occupy

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it, but Grant was limited by the available manpower of the Confederate army. Grant estimated his fortifications required a defending army of at least 50,000 soldiers.

At first the forts had only alphabetic designations. You are standing at fortification "R" almost two miles from the city's center. To include this prominent hill within the lines a bulge of extra works as created outside the main perimeter. Grant also began planning for extensions to the northeast and northwest of the city which were hastily constructed as Federal armies approached.

When Union Major General William T. Sherman's armies approached Atlanta in July 1864 they found before them the third most heavily fortified city on the continent, after Richmond, Virginia and Washington DC. The Confederate earthworks were judged by Sherman "to strong to assault and too extensive to invest [besiege]." As a result this fort never came under enemy fire. The closest fighting to this fort occurred 1/2 mile northeast, the Battle of Atlanta on July 22, 1864, famously depicted by the Cyclorama. In that battle, Confederate Major General William H.T. Walker was killed, and his name was subsequently given to this fort.

After the fall of Atlanta in September 1864 the Federal army occupied the works. General Sherman gave orders to build a more compact line closer to the city than Lemuel Grant's works.

Fort Walker was located at southeast corner of this park. image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Mark Hilton, November 10, 2019
2. Fort Walker was located at southeast corner of this park.
The Atlanta Zoo's Amphibian and Reptile Complex is in the background.
In 1882 Grant donated 100 acres to the city of Atlanta and "Grant Park" was named in his honor. Later enlarged, it is Atlanta's oldest park.
 
Erected by Georgia Civil War Heritage Trails, Inc. (Marker Number 30.)
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and CastlesWar, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Georgia Civil War Trails series list. A significant historical date for this entry is May 22, 1863.
 
Location. 33° 43.974′ N, 84° 22.113′ W. Marker is in Atlanta, Georgia, in Fulton County. It is in Grant Park. Marker is on Boulevard SE south of Ormewood Avenue SE, on the right when traveling south. Marker is just inside the entrance road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 783 Boulevard SE, Atlanta GA 30308, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies. This Line of Breastworks (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Fort Walker (approx. 0.2 miles away); Grant Park (approx. 0.4 miles away); Roosevelt High School (approx. half a mile away); To Robert Burns (approx. 0.8 miles away); The Hanging of Andrews' Raiders (approx. one mile away); Burial Ground of Congregation Ahavath Achim
View towards Boulevard. image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Mark Hilton, November 10, 2019
3. View towards Boulevard.
(approx. one mile away); The Bobby Jones Story (approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Atlanta.
 
Also see . . .  Wikipedia article on Fort Walker. (Submitted on November 11, 2019, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on February 8, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 11, 2019, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 384 times since then and 71 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3. submitted on November 11, 2019, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.

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Mar. 30, 2024