The Battle of Fort Blakeley — which many have called the “last stand of the Confederate States of America” — involved one of the heaviest concentrations of U.S. Colored Troops engaged in a single Civil War battle. Preserving the land where these soldiers fought enhances opportunities for historical research and protects one of Alabama’s most endangered ecosystems.

Expected to contain valuable archaeological data, the 60-acre battle site property known as Blakeley Bluff was a high priority for conservation. Our protection of this land will allow greater opportunities for archaeological excavation, historical research and preservation of the battle site’s rich history.

Why It Matters: History

On April 9, 1865 — the last official day of the Civil War — in less than half an hour, the Confederate Fort Blakeley was overrun by U.S. Colored Troops, including 5,000 African American soldiers, leading to an overwhelming victory that many have called the “last stand of the Confederate States of America.”

Major General Frederick Steele led the march west from Pensacola, Florida, to attack Fort Blakeley. Steele’s 1st Division was commanded by Brigadier General John P. Hawkins and included three brigades of African American troops. The 1st Brigade, commanded by Brigadier General William Pile, consisted of the 73rd, 82nd and 86th regiments of U.S. Colored Troops. The 2nd Brigade, under Colonel Hiram Scofield, included the 47th, 50th and 51st U.S. Colored Troops. The 3rd Brigade, consisting of the 48th, 68th, and 76th U.S. Colored Troops, was commanded by Major William E. Nye. (Source: Iron Brigader)

Steel’s force reached Fort Blakeley on April 1, 1865, after a difficult march across muddy ground due to heavy spring rains. The week-long siege on the pine-covered bluffs overlooking the Mobile-Tensaw Delta began as General Robert E. Lee assembled the remnants of his troops near Appomattox. The Battle of Fort Blakeley concluded a few hours after Lee signed over the Army of Northern Virginia to U.S. General Ulysses S. Grant.

Some estimate that U.S. Colored Troops represented nearly half the Union force at Fort Blakeley. The involvement of these troops in critical battles such as this has gone largely untold. According to History.com, by the time the war ended in 1865, about 180,000 African American soldiers had served in the U.S. Army. This represented about 10% of the total Union fighting force throughout the war.

Research on the Blakeley Bluff property is likely to expose valuable archaeological data related to this African American experience that will help us tell a more accurate story of Civil War history and the imperative involvement of U.S. Colored Troops.

Because of the landscape’s history as a battlefield, farming on the property was limited and the distinctive soils found there held impressions for centuries. Trenches, gun emplacements, batteries and other marks of battle are still prominent and intact, providing opportunities for archaeological digging, data collection and vivid interpretation of the often untold history of the U.S. Colored Troops. You can learn more about the critical involvement of African Americans in the Civil War at the African American Civil War Memorial and Museum.

Why It Matters: Ecosystem

Beyond its historical importance, the Blakeley Bluff property possesses significant conservation value, unique ecology and a diversity of interesting plant species. The property derived its name from its important role in the Battle of Fort Blakeley, but also from its broad, rounded cliffs that overlook the Tensaw River. In fact, it contains some of the highest bluffs in Alabama.

Prior to the property’s protection, renowned biologist and author E.O. Wilson wrote a letter to The Conservation Fund concerning the importance of this land. In his plea to protect the battle site from development, Wilson not only cited the personal significance the bluffs held for him from his childhood days, but also the ecological and historical value of the property.

The Blakeley Bluff property consists of hardwood cove ravines, blackwater swamps and pine uplands. The hardwood ravines shelter some of the most pristine forests in the area and support rich plant diversity for species such as lilies, hibiscus, orchids and the rare Alabama dahoon holly.

Our Role

Protecting this land for its historical and environmental values was a unique challenge, involving many partners and a creative conservation solution. In 2019, TCF purchased the property to protect it with a conservation easement. The next year we transferred the easement to the University of South Alabama in order to restrict any future development, support the university’s ongoing research on the land and preserve a unique and at-risk ecosystem. We will continue to own the land in partnership with the university.

This effort was made possible with funding from the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection program, which is funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Thanks to facilitating efforts by the American Battlefield Trust, the grant was awarded to us, which allowed us to purchase the land.

With the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act in 2020, LWCF was granted full and permanent funding, essentially doubling the amount of money our federal partners can use on conservation projects such as this each year.