Fort Negley

The largest inland stone fortification built during the Civil War, constructed by Union forces using conscripted labor including freed slaves, many of whom died during construction.

Fort Negley was built in 1862 by Union forces occupying Nashville, making it the largest inland stone fortification constructed during the Civil War. The fort was built using conscripted labor — roughly 2,800 men, including freed and escaped slaves, prisoners of war, and poor white laborers. Conditions were brutal: inadequate food, clothing, and shelter combined with back-breaking quarry work led to hundreds of deaths. Many workers were buried in unmarked graves on the hillside surrounding the fort. The site sat abandoned for decades before becoming a city park. Visitors report seeing shadowy figures of laborers carrying stones on the hillside paths, particularly at dusk. The sound of picks striking rock echoes from the old quarry area when no one is present. Cold spots are frequent near the unmarked burial areas, and some visitors report an overwhelming sense of sorrow near the fort's foundation walls.