Fort Branch
Martin County, Martin County, North Carolina
Marker Inscription
Fort Branch. Confederate fort. Was built, 1862-1863, at Rainbow Banks to protect railroads & upper Roanoke River valley. Earthworks 3 miles NE.
Erected by North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
The Story
On the bluffs at Rainbow Banks above the Roanoke River, Confederate forces raised the earthen fortifications of Fort Branch between 1862 and 1863. Its guns guarded the vital railroad crossings and the upper Roanoke valley against Union gunboats probing inland from the coast. The well-preserved earthworks still crown the ridge three miles to the northeast.
Why it matters
River-and-rail chokepoints like Fort Branch show how the Confederacy tried to hold its interior supply lines against the Union's overwhelming naval reach along North Carolina's sounds and rivers.
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Related events
- · American Civil War
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
W. D. Pender
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