Historical Highway Markers

Fort Huger

K-327

One mile northeast, at Hardy's Bluff on Lawne's Neck, existed Fort Huger, a Civil War earthen fortification. Virginia State Engineer Col. Andrew Talcott authorized this and other forts to block any Union naval advance up the James River to Richmond. Beginning in July 1861, enslaved and freed blacks assisted in the construction of Fort Huger. It formed the right riverine flank of Confederate Gen. John B. Magruder's Peninsula defenses in 1862. Union gunboats engaged Fort Huger on 8 May 1862 and USS Monitor shelled it on the 12th. After several bombardments, Confederate forces abandoned it by 19 May.

Department of Historic Resources, 2006

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References/Bibliographic Citation:

Dictionary of American Biography (New York: Charles Scribners's and Sons, 1936), 36:281; Map, Plan of Fort Huger, Hardy’s Bluff. Col. Andrew Talcott, State Eng. Undated. Map from the Confederate Engineer Bureau, Richmond, VA., General J.F. Gilmer, Chief Engineer. Presented to The Virginia Historical Society; The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Prepared Under the Direction of the Secretary of War by Robert N. Scott. 129 Vols. (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1889-1901), 9:40-41; Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion (Ser. 1, v. 1-27; ser. 2, v. 1-3. Washington: U.S. G.P.O., 1894-1922), Series 1, 7: 328-329, 343-347, and 352-387; W. Thomas Smith, "Fort Huger," Quarterly Bulletin: Archaeological Society of Virginia 25(June 1971): 209-229; Virginia Engineer Department Records, 1861-1862 (call number 36887), Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia (documents that relate to Fort Huger include: Letter Books 1-2 Box 5, Pay Rolls Fort Huger 1861 September –October Box 7 Folder 2, Slave Rolls-Fort Huger 1861 September-October Box 8 Folder 2, Descriptive List of Defensive Works 1861 Box 10 Folder 3).