Fayetteville Defense
along the
Cape Fear River
The photo left is oriented north from the east bank of the Cape Fear River with the Confederate earthworks located to the rear. The two bridges provide the viewer an approximate location of the than wooden bridge which provided travel across the Cape Fear. In this area the final shots in the defense of Fayetteville were carried out by the withdrawing Confederates against Sherman’s lead forces.
The below photographs are the current remains of Lt. Col. Child’s effort to fortify the approaches to Fayetteville. Built in 1863 to defend against possible Union attacks from the east, these works are remarkably preserved today on private property. Unfortunately, future development of the area threatens these remaining works of Confederate engineering.
