Old Breastworks
Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina
Marker Inscription
Old Breastworks. Breastworks were thrown up around Raleigh, 1863, by order of Governor Vance, for protection against Federal raids. Remains are 1/3 mile W.
Erected by North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
The Story
In 1863, by order of Governor Zebulon Vance, earthen breastworks were thrown up around Raleigh to guard the capital against Federal cavalry raids during the Civil War. The fortifications ringed the city as the tide of war turned against the Confederacy. Remnants of these earthworks survive a third of a mile to the west.
Why it matters
Home-front fortifications like these show how the Civil War reached beyond the battlefield to reshape and defend the everyday landscape of Southern cities.
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Related people
- · Zebulon Vance
Related events
- · Construction of Raleigh's defensive breastworks, 1863
Themes & tags
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