Walking Tour

The Fort from across the River. The Fort had many names, Pearmin Hill, Fort Hill, Mistletoe Hill, Fort Duffield, Camp Blair and Muldraugh Hill.

Mostly built by the 9th Michigan Infantry in Nov. and Dec, 1861 From sketch by Charles A. Kelley, Co. I.

 The Ninth first camped to the left of figure 1 and laid a bridge on scows there to cross Salt River. Fig.  2 is the upper half of the winding path, which ran as much further to the left behind the trees to the bottom of the hill. Fig. 3 marks steps to a spring, and Fig. 4 is a short route to town. Both of those places were as steep as ordinary stairs, but steps were made in the clay by constant use.

Teams got onto the hill by a long, winding road on the south side.  Sixty-one men of the Ninth were hurried on the point of the hill just to the right of the picture.This view was taken from the hills the north, and shows only the top of  across the river in Indiana a mile to Muldraugh's Hill, the lower part be ing hidden by the trees. There were several large fields in which the various regiments used to drill between the village and the hill, not shown.  

You are looking into the rear of the fort which faces from you to the south, and commanded the great Louisville and Nashville Pike, which passes around the hill to the right and rear. The fort was fifteen rods deep, and about forty rods in a straight line from right to left; but it was about eighty rods to follow all the angles, with a wide, deep ditch all around it, and would mount ten cannons and 1,000 men. A corn field occupied the top of the hill when we took possession, but all aroimd that were large trees which were cut down to give free range to the guns.

 The Ninth first camped to the left of figure 1, and laid a bridge on scows there to cross Salt River. Fig. 2 is the upper half of the winding path, which ran as much further to the left behind the trees to the bottom of the hill. Fig. 3 marks steps to a spring, and Fig. 4 is a short route to town. Both of those places were as steep as ordinary stairs, but steps were made in the clay by constant use. Teams got onto the hill by a long, winding road on the south side. Sixty-one men of the Ninth were hurried on the point of the hill just to the right of the picture.

Camps near West Point

Camp Holman at the mouth of the Salt River present day Kulmer Beach (Nov 6, 1861, 9th MI arrived)

Camp Duffield on the Old Courthouse Road (present day 6th street), later called Fort Blaire and Fort Duffield. Also camped in the meadows of present-day Salt River Road.

Camp Buell, 1st Wisconsin adjacent to the 9th MI, near the Bee branch on the Old Courthouse Road, in West Point KY

Camp Armstrong, 1st and 18th Ohio West Point KY

Camp Hazard. Near West Point, west of town in open field along the Ohio. (37th In)

Camp Haycraft: 1863-5. Elizabethtown; on SE side of town

Camp Nevin: 1861-62. Near Nolin. A temporary camp

9 miles S of Elizabethtown at Red Mills.

Camp Washington: 1861. Elizabethtown. One mile N of town along the railroad.

Battery Camp: 1864-5. Louisville, outskirts of New Hamburg.

Battery Gallup: 1865, Louisville. At Gibson Lane and 43rd Street.

Camp C. F. Smith. 1862. In Louisville area

Camp Gilbert: 1862. In the Louisville area

Camp Irvine. In the Louisville area

Camp Sigel: In Louisville area

Fort Blaire, 28th KY Inf, (Ft Duffield was renamed by 28th KY in spring of 1862.

Fort Clark: 1865. Louisville, at 36th and Magnolia Streets.

Brownsboro Road near Bellair, Vernon and      Emerald Avenues in Louisville.

Fort Elstner: 1864-5. Between Frankfort Ave and Brownsboro Road near Bellair, Vernon and Emerald Avenues in Louisville.

Fort Engle: 1864-5. Louisville, at Spring Street and Arlington Avenue.

Fort Horton: 1864-5. Louisville, at Shelby and Merriweather Streets (where the city incinerator plant is).

Fort Karnasch: 1864-5. Louisville, on Wilson Ave. between 26th & 28th Streets.

Fort McPherson: 1864-5. Louisville, on Preston St, bounded by Barbee, Brandeis, Hah and Fort Streets.

Fort Philpot: 1864-5. Louisville, at 7th Street and Algonquin Parkway.

Fort Saunders: 1864-5. Louisville, at Cave Hill Cemetery, 701 Baxter Avenue.

Fort St. Clair Morton: 1864-5. Louisville, at 16th & Hill Streets.

Fort Southwick: 1864-5. Louisville. On Paddy’s Run on the Ohio River. Marker at Algonquin Parkway.

Taylor Barracks: 1864-70?) Louisville, 3rd & Oak Streets, induction center for Union African-American troops.

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