Middlesboro in Bell County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)
Dirt-and-Log Forts
— Cumberland Gap National Historical Park —
[Cumberland Gap] is the roughest place in the world, but we are going to stick the mountain full of cannon to prevent the Lincolnites from crossing. —Letter of Confederate soldier, November 1861
It sickens one to the heart to witness the waste of war. The rebels left standing 400 to 500 tents, but...all but four or five were slit to ribbons. Flour, meal, rice, and beans were strewn all over the surface of the fortifications and hillsides....Tons of shot and shell were thrown over the cliffs into the ravines below... —Benjamin F. Stevenson, surgeon, 22nd Kentucky Volunteer Infantry Regiment, June 19, 1862.
(captions)
Confederates called this outpost Fort Green. Union soldiers renamed it Fort Edgar after a Union captain killed in combat here at Cumberland Gap in August 1862.
Illustration based on December 17, 1862 drawing of Fort Edgar.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • War, US Civil.
Location. 36° 36.58′ N, 83° 40.283′ W. Marker is in Middlesboro, Kentucky, in Bell County. Marker can be reached from Pinnacle View Road, 1.7 miles east of Old Wilderness Road (Kentucky Route 988), on the left when traveling east. Marker is located in the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Middlesboro KY 40965, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Two Armies, One Railroad (approx. 0.2 miles away); Forts and Batteries, North and South (approx. 0.2 miles away); Pinnacle Overlook (approx. 0.3 miles away); Gateway to Kaintuck (approx. 0.3 miles away); Boundaries Settled (approx. 0.3 miles away in Virginia); a different marker also named Gateway to Kaintuck (approx. 0.3 miles away); a different marker also named Pinnacle Overlook (approx. 0.3 miles away); A Masterful Retreat (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Middlesboro.
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Old Marker At This Location also titled "Dirt-and-Log Forts"
Also see . . . Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. National Park Service (Submitted on August 30, 2022.)
Credits. This page was last revised on October 13, 2022. It was originally submitted on August 29, 2022, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 146 times since then and 20 times this year. Last updated on August 30, 2022, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. Photos: 1. submitted on October 12, 2022. 2. submitted on August 29, 2022, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.