Building Fort Sevier (Defiance)

Building Fort Sevier (Defiance). . Throughout history forts have been built to protect important sites. Civil War-era forts were generally masonry for seacoast fortifications. Earthen forts were predominant at inland locations, including Forts Donelson and Sevier (Defiance Fort Sevier's earthen walls, called parapets, were designed to protect its garrison from enemy fire. Ditches outside the parapets would slow assaulting troops. The covered way, a large trench with a wooden and dirt roof, protected troops carrying ammunition. The thickly protected magazine stored the ammunition Senior Confederate military engineer Jeremy Gilmer sited Fort Sevier to protect the bend in the Cumberland River. Gilmer hired civilian engineer Edward Sayers to build the fort. Local slaves were leased, and Confederate soldiers were ordered to build the fort. Continuous labor shortages caused construction to lag. Factors made this an untenable fort. The hill's height required a downward angle that was too steep for the cannons to effectively fire upon that portion of the river. The shape of the fort and the structural core did not comply with military engineering guidelines. Earthen forts were typically built with a core of stacked logs with dirt packed on top, but archeological evidence shows Fort Sevier was not built in this manner. Fort Sevier and Fort Clark were initially garrisoned by the Montgomery Heavy Artillery, C.S.A. Clarksville's forts were not as heavily armed as Fort Donelson. They were abandoned after Fort Donelson's capture under the belief they could not stop the Union advance.