Alabama
Fort Blakeley Battlefield
Grantee: University of South Alabama
Land Acquired: Fort Blakeley Battlefield, Chippewa Lakes LLC Tract, 59.09 acres (Fee Simple)
Project Partner: American Battlefield Trust
Amount: $293,354
The last combined-force battle of the Civil War, the Battle of Fort Blakeley, occurred in March 1865 when two Federal infantry columns converged on the defenses of Mobile, Alabama. After the Confederate surrender of Spanish Fort, Confederate forces fell back to the defenses of Fort Blakeley. Union forces under General Edward R.S. Canby breached the earthworks forcing the Confederates to surrender six hours after Robert E. Lee surrendered his army at Appomattox, Virginia. Nearly half of the Union force attacking Fort Blakeley was made up of the 73rd Regiment U.S. Colored Troops (USCT), making it one of the largest contingents of USCT in any Civil War Battle. The 73rd USCT was the first to plant a Union flag on the Confederate defenses.