Fort Pocahontas facts for kids
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Fort Pocahontas
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 Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Charles City, Virginia |
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| Area | 60 acres (24 ha) |
| Built | 1864 |
| Architect | United States Colored Troops, U.S. Army |
| NRHP reference No. | 99000848 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | July 27, 1999 |
Fort Pocahontas was a special kind of fort built from earth. It was located on the north side of the James River in Charles City County, Virginia. During the American Civil War, this fort was a key place for the Union army to store supplies.
African-American soldiers, part of the United States Colored Troops, built this fort. They worked under the command of Brig. Gen. Edward A. Wild.
Contents
Fort Pocahontas: A Civil War Story
Building the Fort and Early Challenges
Fort Pocahontas was still being built in May 1864. Even though it wasn't finished, it faced a big test. About 2,500 Confederate cavalry soldiers attacked it. These soldiers were led by Maj. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee.
The fort was defended by around 1,100 Union troops. General Wild led these defenders. They also got help from a Union Navy ship, the USS Dawn, which fired its cannons.
The Battle of Wilson's Wharf
The attack on the fort happened on May 24, 1864. This event is known as the Battle of Wilson's Wharf. The Union soldiers successfully fought off the Confederate attack. This was a significant victory for the Union.
Historian Ed Besch helped rediscover the fort's location. He noted that Fitzhugh Lee was very embarrassed by this defeat. It was especially tough because he lost to African-American Union soldiers. At the time, Lee was hoping to take over as the head of the Confederate cavalry.
Life at the Completed Fort
After it was finished, Fort Pocahontas became an important place. It offered safety for people who had escaped slavery. It was also used to hold people suspected of helping the Confederacy. This continued during the Siege of Petersburg. The fort remained active until the war ended in April 1865.
Rediscovering Fort Pocahontas Today
For over 130 years, the fort's location was mostly forgotten. No new buildings were built on the site. In 1996, after Ed Besch's research, Harrison Ruffin Tyler bought the land. Tyler was born in 1928 and lived nearby. He was the grandson of President John Tyler.
The site of Fort Pocahontas is now on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as an important historical place. Experts from the College of William and Mary have done a lot of research there. They have studied the fort and the events that happened there.
Today, people hold annual Civil War reenactment events at Fort Pocahontas. These events help bring history to life. In 2005, parts of the movie The New World were filmed at the fort. Other scenes were filmed along the nearby James and Chickahominy Rivers.
