Fort Duffield

Field Manual Overview — West Point, Kentucky

Mission Briefing

Constructed in late 1861 by the 9th Michigan Infantry and 1st Wisconsin Infantry, Fort Duffield stands as Kentucky’s best-preserved Union earthen fortification. Positioned high above the Ohio River and Salt River Valley, the fort guarded critical supply routes and protected the strategic town of West Point.

Enter Historical Records

Walking Tour

Follow the designated route through the fort’s earthworks, observation points, rifle pits, and reconstructed features. Each station includes interpretive text, period accounts, and QR-linked audio.

Proceed to Tour Map

Cemetery & Memorials

The Memorial Cemetery honors soldiers who died at Fort Duffield and in nearby West Point camps. Research includes burial lists, grave markers, and historical documentation from the 1895 GAR reunion.

Review Cemetery Records

Personnel Files

Biographical dossiers on key figures including Colonel William W. Duffield, General Don Carlos Buell, General Lovell Rousseau, Chaplain Lozier, and soldiers stationed at the fort.

Open Personnel Dossiers

Research & Field Reports

Ground-penetrating radar surveys, archaeological investigations, deciphered letters, military correspondence, and structural analysis of the fort’s earthworks and defensive layout.

Access Research Archive

Documents & Downloads

Flyers, brochures, letters, maps, audio files, and official documents related to Fort Duffield operations, reenactments, and historical preservation.

Open Document Repository