Civil War Trail

Click here to view a full map showing the different trail locations across the state.

Alabama Civil War Trail
by Grey Brennan

From the telegram ordering the first shot at Fort Sumter to the last major battle of the conflict, Alabamians played pivotal roles in America's Civil War and the shaping of the country as we know it today.

Confederate Memorial Park in Marbury is the site of Alabama's only state-operated Confederate veterans' home. The new museum showcases an extensive collection of uniforms, weapons and other Civil War memorabilia in a tribute to Alabama's Confederate past. The Battle of Mobile Bay Civil War Trail along Alabama's coast spotlights Fort Morgan and historic Fort Gaines.

Many important Civil War battles were fought on Alabama soil, including the war's final major battle at Fort Blakeley (Apr. 9, 1865). Nearly two dozen battle re-enactments occur in Alabama annually. Dates and locations of this year's re-enactments include the Siege of Bridgeport (March 13-15), Battle of Selma (April 17-20), Campaign at Fort Morgan (April 18-19), Tannehill Skirmish (May 24-25), Fort Morgan Siege & Encampment (August 2-3), and the Battles for the Armory in Tallassee (November 13-14).

In Montgomery - where the Confederate States of America was born in February 1861 - stand on the spot where Jefferson Davis took the oath of office. Tour the restored State Capitol and visit the nearby First White House of the Confederacy and the Alabama Department of Archives and History.

Depot museums in Huntsville, Selma and Stevenson offer unique glimpses into the lives of Confederate and Union soldiers. See excellent examples of Civil War weaponry and equipment on display at Anniston's Berman Museum, Decatur's Blue and Gray Museum and the Bessemer Hall of History. Visit Birmingham's Arlington, which served as temporary headquarters for Union commanders planning the 1865 march that led to the burning of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.