New Concord in Calloway County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)

An Unfinished Fort

Photographed by Shane Oliver, March 6, 2021

1. An Unfinished Fort Marker

Inscription. Mounds of earth atop this high bluff are the remains of Confederate Fort Heiman. Its commanding view of the Tennessee River made it ideal to support the low-lying, flood-prone Fort Henry across the river. Confederate Brig. Gen. Lloyd Tilghman, then commanding officer at both Forts Henry and Donelson, ordered it built. Slave labor from Alabama and Mississippi did most of the work. The new fort—named after Col. Aldophus Heiman of the 10th Tennessee Regiment, who commanded the 1,100 troops at the fort and oversaw its construction—was still unfinished when Union Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant launched his offensive in February 1862. On February 4, realizing he probably could not prevent the destruction or capture of Fort Henry, General Tilghman moved the Fort Heiman garrison back to Fort Henry to supplement that fort's defenses. Fort Heiman was subsequently occupied by Union troops from Brig. Gen. C.F. Smith's division and later Col. W.W. Lowe's Fifth Iowa Cavalry.

Confederate Troops at Fort Heiman:
January-February 1862
• 27th Alabama Regiment
• 15th Arkansas Regiment
• Two companies of Alabama cavalry
• Unorganized

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company of 40 Kentucky cavalrymen
• A section of light artillery under Lt. Peter Stankiewizc

(Image Caption):
Colonel Adolphus Heiman

Erected by Fort Donelson National Battlefield - National Park Service - US Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is February 4, 1862.

Location. 36° 29.94′ N, 88° 3.425′ W. Marker is in New Concord, Kentucky, in Calloway County. It is on Fort Heiman Road south of County Road 1242D4, on the left when traveling south. Marker is located at the Fort Heiman Unit of Fort Donelson National Battlefield. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: New Concord KY 42076, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Jackson Purchase.

It is also in the American Midwest,

in the South,

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Antebellum

Section of Fort Heiman Earthworks near the marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Shane Oliver, March 6, 2021

2. Section of Fort Heiman Earthworks near the marker

The marker and Fort Heiman's Earthworks are all accessible by driving or hiking along Fort Heiman Road.

South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Forrest Stages A Raid (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Fort Heiman (approx. 0.2 miles away); Pook Turtles (approx. 0.2 miles away); Slave Labor (approx. 0.2 miles away); Under Union Occupation (approx. 0.6 miles away); Battle of Fort Henry (approx. 1.7 miles away in Tennessee); Fort Henry (approx. 1.8 miles away in Tennessee); Site of Fort Henry (approx. 2.4 miles away in Tennessee). Touch for a list and map of all markers in New Concord.

Also see . . . Fort Donelson National Battlefield. National Park Service (Submitted on May 11, 2021.)

Credits. This page was last revised on May 11, 2021. It was originally submitted on May 10, 2021, by Shane Oliver of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,072 times since then and 545 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 10, 2021, by Shane Oliver of Richmond, Virginia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.