Founded in the late 1840s, the community of Bridgeport, Alabama, became a hotbed of activity during the Civil War. A key railroad bridge spanned the Tennessee River at Bridgeport connecting Alabama to Chattanooga as well as all points north and south.
During the early part of the war, the Confederacy controlled Bridgeport and its strategic bridge. Confederate Brig. Gen. Danville Leadbetter commanded 450 troops to defend the city at a fort approximately 500 yards from the bridge.
If you go
› What: Re-enactment of the Siege at Bridgeport› Where: County Road 255 off Highway 72, Bridgeport, Alabama› When: 10 a.m. EDT gates open for camp tours, 2 p.m. CDT re-enactment battle, Saturday-Sunday, March 23-24› Admission: $5 adults, $4 ages 55 and older, $3 children, free for active military› For more information: 256-437-8873
In April 1862, Federal forces seized Bridgeport in a fierce battle that lasted over an hour. Union Gen. O.M. Mitchell led more than 5,000 troops into Bridgeport forcing Ledbetter to retreat toward Chattanooga.
Over the remaining years of the war, Confederate troops unsuccessfully attempted on numerous occasions to regain control of Bridgeport. With the Union controlling the bridge, Bridgeport became a major shipping center for troops and supplies supporting Gen. William T. Sherman's infamous "March to the Sea." The shipping route from Bridgeport to Chattanooga became known as the " Cracker Line."
This weekend, an expected 1,000 soldiers will again converge on Bridgeport when the 25th anniversary re-enactment of the Siege at Bridgeport is held Saturday and Sunday. This living history event has become the largest Civil War re-enactment in Alabama, according to organizers.
Before gates open to the public on Saturday, a day for schoolchildren will be held Friday. Students from Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia will travel to Bridgeport to learn Civil War history, gain a better understanding about the life of soldiers and watch demonstrations.
"The re-enactment teaches children what life was like during war – and there wasn't anything 'civil' about it. We want today's generations to realize what conditions were like and what our forefathers endured to secure the freedom we enjoy today," says Glenn Hill, one of the organizers of the event.
Visitors on Saturday and Sunday are invited to tour Confederate and Union camps, see suttlers' wares and watch the popular anvil shoot at noon each day. An anvil shoot involves launching a 100-pound anvil more than 100 feet into the air.
The battle re- enactment will begin at 2 p.m. CDT each day and last about one hour.
For more information: www.siegeatbridgeport.com.