Fort Duffield

During the Civil War, Louisville was an important supply depot for the Union army. The Louisville & Nashville Railroad (L&N), which ran east of West Point, was vulnerable to Confederate attacks. Needing to protect supplies at Louisville and the Union line of supply via the L&N Turnpike, in late 1861, Gen. W. T. Sherman built fortifications on the hill above West Point.

(Reverse) In Nov. 1861, the 9th Michigan Inf., led by Col. W. W. Duffield, built Fort Duffield, a 1,000 foot long earthen wall with 10 angles of fire. A number of men who died from disease or accident were buried on the hill south of the fort. In Feb. 1862, the 9th Mich. built a bridge across Salt River that became an important transportation route for Union operations in the area.