Fort Carney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort Carney |
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| Jackson, Alabama in United States | |
 Fort Carney
Fort Carney
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| Coordinates | 31°24′18″N 87°54′16″W / 31.40500°N 87.90444°W |
| Type | Stockade fort |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Private |
| Controlled by | Private |
| Open to the public |
No |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1813 |
| Built by | Alabama Territory settlers |
| In use | 1813-1814, 1862-1865 |
| Battles/wars | Creek War, American Civil War |
Fort Carney was a small fort built a long time ago in 1813. It was located in what is now Clarke County, Alabama. This fort was important during the Creek War, which was a conflict happening at the same time as the bigger War of 1812.
Fort Carney's Story
The Creek War Years
During the Creek War, some Native American warriors, known as the Red Sticks, started attacking settlers. To stay safe, many families built strong, walled forts called stockades.
Josiah Carney, who came to Clarke County in 1809, started building one of these stockades in 1813. This fort was at a place called Carney's Bluff. Later, this spot was known as Gullett's Bluff. Because of this, Fort Carney was also sometimes called Fort Hawn or Fort Gullett. The fort was about six miles south of Jackson.
Not everyone agrees on how many people stayed at Fort Carney. One historian, Albert J. Pickett, said 390 people were there. But another person, Timothy Ball, thought there were only "a few occupants."
Sixty soldiers from the 8th Regiment Mississippi Militia also stayed at Fort Carney.
Before a terrible event called the Fort Mims massacre, some Red Stick warriors looked at Fort Carney. But they decided to attack Fort Mims instead.
Another fort, Fort Powell, was located three miles south of Fort Carney. After the Fort Mims massacre, settlers from Fort Powell moved to Fort Carney. Then, they moved again to a safer place called Mount Vernon.
A brave man named Jeremiah Austill once stopped at Fort Carney. He was riding from Fort Madison to Fort Stoddert. Austill was famous for his part in the Canoe Fight. He volunteered for a long, 75-mile ride to ask for more protection for the people at Fort Madison.
The American Civil War
Years later, during the American Civil War, a new fort was built on the same spot as Fort Carney. This new fort was called Fort Gullett. It was built in 1862 by the Confederate side.
Fort Gullett was important for two main reasons. First, it protected nearby places where people collected salt. Salt was very important for preserving food and other things during the war. Second, the fort helped stop Union (Federal) gunboats from sailing up the Tombigbee River.
