Online Exhibits > Civil War Photographs by George Barnard

FORT SANDERS
Knoxville, TN
March 1864

Longstreet's main column attacked this part of the fort. The night before had been unusually cold, and Federal defenders had poured water down the slopes of the dirt walls, creating a sheet of ice. The next day, the attacking Confederates became mired in the ditch at the base of the walls, unable to scale the icy slopes. They died by the score as Union defenders lobbed explosives and fired down into the groups of trapped Rebel soldiers below.