Down in Atlanta, in a corner of Grant Park you will come across the area in the picture. People pass it everyday walking their dogs, driving by, having the kids play on the hill and in the ditch that surrounds. Odds are they don’t realize what they are passing by. See that earthen redoubt, surrounded by the ditch is what remains of Ft. Walker and is the last of the Confederate fortifications that were built to defend Atlanta during he Civil War.

Built in 1863 the redoubt was part of the 13 mile long line of defenses that surrounded Atlanta. This was the southeastern salient of the inner line and consisted of a number of redoubts on hills, with rifle pits (the ditch surrounding the hill) around the perimeter and connected to the other forts along the line.

In the 1880’s Grant Park was established the location was marked with a granite pedestal, four cannon and two bronze lions. Vandals had field days at the site and eventually in the 1980’s the cannons were finally removed after one was stolen. (If you know the location of the missing cannon please contact the author.) Later the two bronze lions also went missing. (If you know the location of the missing cannon please… ah never mind.)

In 1938 the Atlanta Ladies Memorial Association placed a monument at the site commemorating the last surviving breastwork. It went missing…. just kidding. It is still there and was rededicated in 2014 with a new granite cannon and plaque that was donated by the Georgia Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

So just another case of something so significant that has sort of faded into the background. If you are in the area you should take the time to visit before it’s gone forever.