The only survivor of four earthen forts Union troops built around Cape Girardeau beginning in August 1861, designed by German-American engineers from St. Louis and built by soldiers including the 20th Illinois Infantry, Bissell’s Engineers of the West, and militia under Lt. John Wesley Powell. The earthworks, a stone blockhouse, and display panels are free to walk any time. Reenactors hold living history days on Memorial Day weekend, the Fourth of July, and Labor Day weekend, and an original 1861 cannon fires at 11 a.m. on Veterans Day. On April 26, 1863, Union and Confederate forces fought the four-hour Battle of Cape Girardeau around the city.
- Where
- 920 Fort Street, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
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