Fort Sanders Sorority

Well, sort of. Some of the Confederate trenches near Fort Sanders have been unearthed while constructing a new building at University of Tennessee.

Fire pits and ruts from cannon wheels are still visible in places.

Archaeologists also uncovered soldier’s belt buckles, ammunition, pottery, and firing mechanisms for the cannons. But the most significant find is the trench itself.

“Thanks to this fantastic archaeology, this is the only known spot that we can say without a doubt was a Confederate position in the Battle of Fort Sanders,” said Steve Dean, president of the East Tennessee Civil War Alliance. “We had maps, but never any actual indisputable proof that this find has provided.”

“This discovery verifies the accuracy of U.S. Military maps from the Civil War by Orlando Poe,” said Chapman. “When the U.S. Military made a map back then, they were remarkably accurate and this bolsters that reputation.”