Blakeley Civil War Hiking Trail

General Information Blakeley Park is located in one of the most ecological diverse areas of , and one of the most important Civil War historical sites in Alabama. My name is Gabriel Sosnowski of Troop 147 and this is my Eagle Project. I wanted Scouts from south Alabama to have a historic Civil War hiking trail with a patch of achievement similar to Civil War hiking trails in surrounding states. This 6 mile figure 8 trail goes along civil war historic landmarks, information plaques, and the abandoned town of Blakeley. This trail is a 1 way trek starting at the staff area and either loop can be completed first. Bathrooms are located at the staff area and by the boardwalk area in the northwest portion of the map.

Award (Patch) For the hikers that complete the full hike and also complete the question and answer form they earn a BSA approved patch. After answering the questions your Scoutmaster will submit the q/a form to the front office of Blakeley, with a fee of ______. This can also be mailed in later. The questions are based off of information on plaques along the trail. The questions are on the next page after the map.

Blakeley Civil War Hiking Trail Patch

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History The Battle or Fort Blakeley was the largest battle fought in Alabama and one of the last in the entire Civil War. The battle was fought on April 9 1865 and there was a combined number of 20,000 men that fought in the battle. The question and answer form does not cover the town of Blakeley but the trail still goes right through it. The Town is one of the oldest in Alabama, and it even predates the states of Alabama and Mississippi by a couple of years. At its peak it was one of the largest towns in Alabama and rivaled Mobile. Due to recurring yellow fever epidemics and economic struggles the town started to decline. By the time of the Civil War the town population consisted of a few dozen families.

Contact info

Troop number

Hike leader ______

Address:______

Phone number:______

Blakeley Civil War Hiking Trail Questions

The plaque

1. By April 9 how far apart were the two armies?

2. How many troops were in the Union general assault at 5:30pm?

3. What was placed in the battlefield by Confederate soldiers to slow down the union troops?

4. How many Confederate troops were defending the fort?

5. How long did this assault take?

6. How many troops were killed on each side?

The Colored Troops at the Battle of Fort Blakeley

1. When did the US War Department start recruiting African Americans?

2. How many former slaves and free African Americans served in the federal army?

3. Name two of the locations where the USCT fought. 4. How many colored troops fought at the Battle of Fort Blakeley?

5. Who led the USCT units?

6. How many troops did the USCT capture?

Union artillery Batteries plaque

1. How many pounds did the Battery G Parrott rifles weigh?

2. Where did the Union command crews come from?

3. Who were Parrott rifles named after?

4. What type of cannon is shown in the picture of the 17th Ohio light artillery?

5. Which Napoleon are the Napoleon cannons named after?

6. Who commanded the battery of the second Illinois light artillery?

The siege of Fort Blakeley plaque

1. How far from Fort Blakeley did the union soldiers begin the siege?

2. Where were the union soldiers ‘camps located near the rifle pits?

3. Where were the Confederate gunboats stationed?

4. On April 9 how many yards away were the Federalists from Confederate lines?

5. From which direction did Major General Steele approach?

6. Which war was Major General Canby a veteran of before the civil war?

Trail Marker