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Although many Civil War battle sites are off-limits for artifact hunters, here are a number of Alabama Civil War sites that you may be able to search
Alabama has many small or little known Civil War sites which are free for searching. These sites were not actual battle sites so they do not come under state recognition and are not protected by park or historical status.
Many of them are scattered about on private lands consumed with woods and weeds and to work these sites usually requires permission from the landowner.
Baldwin County:
The present day fishing village of Bon Secour at the mouth of Bon Secour River in Baldwin County was the site of a Confederate camp and salt works: which was destroyed by Federal forces in September, 1865.
Not far away is the site of Clay City located seven miles east of Fairhope on the Fish River. This was the site of an early jug works and a federal re-supply camp before 32,000 troops marched on Spanish Fort.
The Fort Alexis site is located four miles northeast of Alexis Springs. This was part of a system of fortifications built to protect Mobile.
Just two miles north of Fairhope on Rock Creek was the Rock Creek Brickworks where bricks were made for the construction of Fort Bowyer.
Chambers County:
Chambers County is the home of the Fort Tyler battle site near Lanett. Built in 1865 by convalescent Confederate soldiers, it was the site of the last fort Civil War skirmish east of the Mississippi.;
Cherokee County
Cherokee County has several sites including the Broomtown valley at Blanche where the U.S. Army, Second Division clashed with Confederates.
Off State Road 9 at Lawrence is the Forrest battle site where, on May 3, 1863, 500 Confederates under Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest forced 1,500 Union soldiers to surrender.
The Round Mountain Furnace located off U.S. 411 at Leesburg supplied Confederate ordnance and operated until 1906.
There are little or no remains of the Tecumseh Furnace site located in the Spring Garden area. The furnace was operated during the war by Willard Warner, a major general on Sherman's staff.
Clark County:
Fort Stonewall, located at Choctaw Bluff in Clark County, was built in the 1860s to guard the salt works at Jackson and the Naval foundry and arsenal upriver at Selma. The fort had 27 cannons and earthworks. The cannons were never fired and the fort was destroyed in 1865 to prevent Union capture.
Cullman County:
Two battle sites are located in Cullman County. They are the Battle of Days Gap site along U.S. 31, eight miles north of Cullman, where Confederate Gen. Forrest overtook Union raiders under Col. A.D. Streight.
The Battle of Hog Mountian was fought along U.S. 278, 10 miles west of Cullman in 18-63, as Forrest pursued Streight into Georgia.
Escambia County:
The Pollard Military Depot in Pollard, Escambia County, was the site on Jan. 1, 1865 of an engagement between Confederate Gen. J.H. Clanton and federal raiders. On March 25, 1865, the depot was destroyed by Gen. Steele's federal cavalry. The site included the depot, warehouse and town.
Jackson County:
Earthen redoubts remain at Fort Mitchell, a half mile north of the depot in Stevenson, Jackson County. The earthworks were built in July 1862 by Union forces. Six miles off U.S. 72 along Jackson County Road 11 is Sauta, a saltpeter cave mined extensively during the war. The saltpeter was shipped to Selma for the manufacture of gunpowder.
Jefferson County:
The Irondale Furnace was located in the Mountain Brook area of Birmingham in Jefferson County and during 1864 supplied iron to the Confederate Arsenal. It was partially destroyed by Union forces in 1865.
Macon County:
In Macon County, the Battle of Chehaw was fought in 1864 northwest of Tuskegee at Eufaulee Creek. Confederate embattlements can be seen from the west side of the railroad bridge.
Morgan County:
In Morgan County the Fort Bluff site in Decatur was the scene of several skirmishes.
Shelby County:
Two ironworks sites in Shelby County include the Shelby Furnace district and the Central Iron Works site.
The furnace district is located off County Road 47, five miles south of Columbiana. Built in 1849, this furnace was the largest supplier of iron to the Selma arsenal during the war. It was destroyed in April, 1865 by Wilson's Raiders, reconstructed in 1873 and operated until 1923.
The Central Iron Works was located on Buck Creek near Helena. Some ruins remain of these important ironworks which were also destroyed by Wilson. They were rebuilt in 1876.
Talladega County:
Two ironworks sites are also located in Talladega County. They are the Jennifer Furnace and Battle of Munford site. Jennifer Furnace, on Old Jennifer Road, four miles north of Munford off Highway 21, was built in 1863 and supplied pig iron to the arsenal in Selma until Union raiders attacked in 1865.M
Union raiders also destroyed a foundry in 1865 during the Battle of Munford at Munford.
Tallapoosa County:
Tallassee Mills off Highway 14 east of Tallassee in Tallapoosa County was, in 1841, the first supplier of textiles to the Confederate Army. The facility later converted to weapons and munitions production and remained untouched by Union forces.
Washington County:
The Central Salt Works on Lower Salt Creek, three miles inland from Carney's Bluff in Washington County was built in 1816, discontinued in the 1830s, revived during the war and shut down following the war.
The Upper Salt Works were located on Jackson Creek, five miles above Jackson in 1816 and was the county's largest salt works during the war.
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