Fort Barnesville - Ellington, Missouri

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Fort Barnesville - Ellington, Missouri
A small fort built during the Civil War. It is on the National Historic Register. It is believed that it was built in early 1863 by the 13th Illinois Cavalry and the 25th Missouri Infantry, with possibly some help from the 3rd Missouri Militia.
The 13th was garrisoned at Barnesville and built a fort for protection. It is believed that the fort was not completed and there is little evidence of a Civil War camp on the north side of the fort. There is no evidence of any skirmish or battle of any type at Fort Barnesville. It is believed that the Union 13th Cavalry was camped at the village of Barnesville. This was known as a picket, meaning their main camp was elsewhere other than the fort. A small group of soldiers would have been placed at the fort for guard duty.

During the Civil War, both confederate and union armies used the Bellevue Trail, harassing settlers as the troops moved through. Union soldiers burned Barnesville to dispose of houses where Confederate officers had been living. The remains of the Civil War fort, Fort Barnesville, were recently discovered and the fort been approved for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

Location: Ellington, Missouri