The Bluffs At Columbus Kentucky

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I never knew about this or that there were great earthworks here! This is something I'd like to see. Has anyone been there and to the museum?

The Bluffs at Columbus, Kentucky​


Posted on November 6, 2020 by ECW Guest Post


Emerging Civil War welcomes guest author Katy Berman

The Columbus-Belmont State Park, located in western Kentucky, commemorates the Battle of Belmont, which was fought in Missouri. The great guns of Columbus were used to advantage during the fight, but Union and Confederate troops bloodied and alternately routed each other on Missouri’s shores. Today, Columbus contains more historical interest, due to a remarkable system of earthworks that stretch well-inland from the banks of the Mississippi. The once steep banks have eroded to gentle hills, but visitors can still marvel at the enormous, interconnected grassy mounds, masterpieces of engineering and backbreaking labor, and wonder at their ultimate futility.

Belmont-bluffs.jpg

Belmont Bluffs

Several artifacts bear additional witness to the dashed Confederate hopes for Columbus. A 32-pound gun that was abandoned during the Confederate evacuation of March, 1862 has been polished and reassembled. Nearby is an anchor and section of an enormous chain that once stretched across the river as part of the Confederate defenses. The heavy chain was severed by the strong currents of the Mississippi River, then further dismantled by Federal troops when they occupied the city. Anchor and chain sank into the soft mud; subsequently, a landslide toppled the cannon into the river. All were salvaged in the next century thanks to erosion, luck, and human ingenuity. Finally, an excellent, small museum is housed in a home that is believed to have served as a hospital after the battle. There the story of what happened and why on November 7, 1861 is well told.[1]​
 
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