Fort Stonewall , Choctaw Bluff, Clarke County, Alabama and it’s history.

farrargirl

First Sergeant
Joined
Jul 9, 2017
Location
Baldwin County, on the Alabama Gulf Coast
I knew very little about this fort, having only seen a reference to it regarding a Brooke cannon, one of two left there when the Federals abandoned it at war’s end. Then, during a F.A.G. search, I came across this ( no relation ) :


DFA2A02A-59A0-4B56-94D6-F2FC535980EC.jpeg


Fold3 brought up some interesting data. Pvt. Vines was a carpenter, by trade, and was on detached duty here to build the Fort. Appears most of the 21st , at the time, were based at Fort Morgan. I will provide a complete history of Fort Stonewall later in the post, but could use some help with understanding the term “stoppages” as it applies to this soldier. Here is the breakdown of the final payment to his widow:

0C9DB441-A145-453D-9AB1-56521A720F47.jpeg


CF6BBF14-67BC-46C2-9FF1-DB11FD5B3B32.jpeg

I understand the wage compilation. At the whopping rate of $.37 cents per day, he earned the $14.80 for his last forty days before the tragic horse accident. But they with-held and subtracted $17.15 for his uniform???..as an ”indebtment” to the Confederate States?? I thought stoppages were deducted for cartridges,etc. but I need help understanding why the CSA would show this as a stoppage..plus, she could not even file a U.S. pension, until the Confederate soldiers were finally deemed eligible decades later...
But back to the Fort:
Here was the location, one of several along the Alabama and Tombigbee River bluffs to fortify the Mobile area:
F0650CDF-9DFD-4F0D-89F4-78417189FFBC.jpeg
Peter Brannon, noted for his knowledge of Alabama history, wrote this fascinating history of Fort Stonewall in 1937.He worked as curator, archivist, and director of The Alabama Department of Archives and History for 57 years :

85F5035C-D66C-470A-88F1-128A123909DF.jpeg

( note: in 3rd column, he describes the death and burial of the two owner’s horses, named “the Lord” and “Jesus” !).

Since this is a lengthy history, here is the link to the article: :https://www.newspapers.com/image/413912998/?terms="Fort+Stonewall"

As to the present owner of this property, I believe it is still owned by the family of Ben Stimpson, one of the Stimpson family who owns Gulf Lumber Company in Mobile.

a final addendum from 5 years later:
DA0800D8-7D57-4DC1-96BB-0D7E5F6E2083.jpeg
 
Last edited:
I believe that the Brooke Gun (S-64) that you referred to is in front of Jackson, Alabama's City Hall. :cannon:
I believe that one is described here: ( LOC )
2EA8AB29-902B-4EC3-AFC4-633F8621A092.jpeg

with this inscription:
5C1517D4-ECC5-42D1-9E4F-23DD5E940FAB.jpeg


I really do believe Mr. Brannon is correct. That old Brooke Cannon is still on private property at Choctaw Bluff.
The one at Jackson City Hall ( above ) was used at Oven Bluff, which was located almost directly west of Fort Stonewall, on the neighboring Tombigbee River.

And that’s not even counting the one at Old Live Oak Cemetery, in Selma!
Out of 123 made in Selma, I wonder how many we ever got back 😂....

Here is a drawing of Oven Bluff from a great website : digitalalabama.com


C87DEF12-0CC4-413B-B171-AD4BD48351CA.jpeg


Do not know a thing about architectural renderings, but to name a fort “Sidney Johnston” was a real tribute...
 
Last edited:
I believe that one is described here: ( LOC )View attachment 394301
with this inscription:
View attachment 394302

I really do believe Mr. Brannon is correct. That old Brooke Cannon is still on private property at Choctaw Bluff.
The one at Jackson City Hall ( above ) was used at Oven Bluff, which was located almost directly west of Fort Stonewall, on the neighboring Tombigbee River.

And that’s not even counting the one at Old Live Oak Cemetery, in Selma!
Out of 123 made in Selma, I wonder how many we ever got back 😂....

Here is a drawing of Oven Bluff from a great website : digitalalabama.com


View attachment 394303

Do not know a thing about architectural renderings, but to name a fort “Sidney Johnston” was a real tribute...
Thank you, I stand corrected.
 
Edited. The best way to see the fort is by boat. The fort at Oven bluff is still there and they even did gunboat production there.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
As of about 8 years ago the Brooke was still in the hands of the landowner who is a DICK with ears. The best way to see the fort is by boat. The fort at Oven bluff is still there and they even did gunboat production there.

Here's something Tom once told me to make me feel better concerning, less-than-likable, landowners:

"Landowners come and go."
 
Not if it runs in the family.

Funny thing, I said the same thing when Tom dropped that pearl of wisdom, he had another:

"Heirs love money more than land."

Heirs have a tendency to sell land these days. Someone else could get it, unless we're talking Champion Family levels of keeping land.
 
Hello all,

I am the most considerable landowning Heir to the property around Fort Stonewall. Due to infrastructure concerns, we do not allow anyone to the site of the Fort. Thank you for the information you found about our beloved lands. We thank you, and in the future, we may be open to historical visits by select University level archeological teams. We do not encourage anyone to trespass on the lands, as they are privately owned and hard to navigate. Trespassers will be fully prosecuted. There is armed security on the property 24/7, 365 days a year. ""Under Alabama law, a person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and is in any place where he or she has the right to be, has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground. '" The laws of Alabama and Clarke County are enforced strictly on every inch of our property.

If you want to see the Fort's location, it is perfectly acceptable to do so from the Alabama River. However, docking/coming ashore on our property is strictly prohibited, and Trespassers will be fully prosecuted. The closest acceptable public landing is in the city of Jackson, Alabama, and is called Jackson Landing. Please refrain from drinking alcohol, appearing menacing, gambling, soliciting sex, dipping tobacco, using or possessing a vaping device, possessing ****ographic materials, using illicit drugs, or smoking cigarettes during your boating excursion, as the Alabama River and her tributaries would not like this trash in her waterways. Please refrain from swimming in the Alabama River due to wildlife concerns.

Please refrain from littering in the Alabama River during your boating experience. If you face a problem while on the Alabama River, call Clarke County Sheriff's Office at 251-275-4254.

Very Respectfully,

The Heirs
 
Hello all,

I am the most considerable landowning Heir to the property around Fort Stonewall. Due to infrastructure concerns, we do not allow anyone to the site of the Fort. Thank you for the information you found about our beloved lands. We thank you, and in the future, we may be open to historical visits by select University level archeological teams. We do not encourage anyone to trespass on the lands, as they are privately owned and hard to navigate. Trespassers will be fully prosecuted. There is armed security on the property 24/7, 365 days a year. ""Under Alabama law, a person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and is in any place where he or she has the right to be, has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground. '" The laws of Alabama and Clarke County are enforced strictly on every inch of our property.

If you want to see the Fort's location, it is perfectly acceptable to do so from the Alabama River. However, docking/coming ashore on our property is strictly prohibited, and Trespassers will be fully prosecuted. The closest acceptable public landing is in the city of Jackson, Alabama, and is called Jackson Landing. Please refrain from drinking alcohol, appearing menacing, gambling, soliciting sex, dipping tobacco, using or possessing a vaping device, possessing ****ographic materials, using illicit drugs, or smoking cigarettes during your boating excursion, as the Alabama River and her tributaries would not like this trash in her waterways. Please refrain from swimming in the Alabama River due to wildlife concerns.

Please refrain from littering in the Alabama River during your boating experience. If you face a problem while on the Alabama River, call Clarke County Sheriff's Office at 251-275-4254.

Very Respectfully,

The Heirs
Thank you very much for taking the time to read this post, which focused primarily on the history of the fort during the Civil War era. Additionally, there are many members here who focus almost exclusively on cannon.
You are very fortunate to own a piece of history, such as this. Please be assured that most of the members I have met here would not be inclined to engage in gambling, drinking, procuring sex, using mind-altering illegal drug, spitting tobacco, and appearing menacing…..well, at least while on a boat 😎😎
 
LiDAR topo of the Choctaw Bluff site. I fully respect landowners rights. Alabama river on far right. Battery on bluff on river and star earthworks inland.

131A352D-2360-4213-8A82-4C6F47EE15A8.jpeg
 
Hello all,

I am the most considerable landowning Heir to the property around Fort Stonewall. Due to infrastructure concerns, we do not allow anyone to the site of the Fort. Thank you for the information you found about our beloved lands. We thank you, and in the future, we may be open to historical visits by select University level archeological teams. We do not encourage anyone to trespass on the lands, as they are privately owned and hard to navigate. Trespassers will be fully prosecuted. There is armed security on the property 24/7, 365 days a year. ""Under Alabama law, a person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and is in any place where he or she has the right to be, has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground. '" The laws of Alabama and Clarke County are enforced strictly on every inch of our property.

If you want to see the Fort's location, it is perfectly acceptable to do so from the Alabama River. However, docking/coming ashore on our property is strictly prohibited, and Trespassers will be fully prosecuted. The closest acceptable public landing is in the city of Jackson, Alabama, and is called Jackson Landing. Please refrain from drinking alcohol, appearing menacing, gambling, soliciting sex, dipping tobacco, using or possessing a vaping device, possessing ****ographic materials, using illicit drugs, or smoking cigarettes during your boating excursion, as the Alabama River and her tributaries would not like this trash in her waterways. Please refrain from swimming in the Alabama River due to wildlife concerns.

Please refrain from littering in the Alabama River during your boating experience. If you face a problem while on the Alabama River, call Clarke County Sheriff's Office at 251-275-4254.

Very Respectfully,

The Heirs
I was going to ask about anyone going out to Oven Bluff... and I see from reading this that's a no for almost all of us.

I've dealt with quite a few heirs, family no less, and money does seem more than land to them. I seem to own the land. Of course I don't have a large amount of nearly untouched historical land. But come visit. We have a train wreck site from the war here. And the Erie RR seems to be slightly kinder in that you can go up to the site twice a year.
 
I honestly don't know how to make said function work on my Google map type thing. But if you type in Oven Bluff you'll come up with it

Tell you what though, I've been on or around the water my whole life. If I was going to launch anything I'd probably launch right from where the houses are on the low point of the bluff.

The pets on said it was infrastructure that cause Ft. Jackson/bluff to be privately heald.

Personally I think they are building a secret fleet of armored tour boats there. Lol
 
Thanks. That did work. Unfortunately, you can´t see anything due to the foliage. Gave me a great idea of why they built a gun emplacement there, though.
 
Back
Top