Take a driving tour of Columbus Civil War spots

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Having grown up in Columbus, I heard years ago that Columbus was the last battle of the Civil War. Historians debate this, of course. Many people think the war ended with Robert E. Lee's surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia, but that's not true. Nonetheless that did indicate that major resistance was hopeless afterward. Communications were slow back then. Transmitting messages by telegraph and on horseback or foot took time. Consequently Union forces arrived at Columbus on Easter morning, April 16, 1865, with the mission to destroy the manufacturing capacity in town.

While having heard this in my youth and my Dad pointing out a couple of old breastworks in Phenix City where he grew up, I knew the general facts. But I knew that the Civil War Naval Museum had a CD supporting a driving tour of the battle. I decided to purchase the CD and dragged my wife along to drive so I could sightsee. The tour was fascinating.

The first event that surprised me was learning that a Union cavalry regiment charged down Sandfort Road trying to capture the Dillingham Street Bridge.The charge failed due to Confederate resistance and demolition of the bridge.

The battle then moved north where the Union forces attacked the Confederate line roughly along the Summerfield Road of today. As my wife and I maneuvered around the streets of Phenix City, I was surprised to see the number of positions still traceable in areas where I spent part of my youth. I was especially surprised to find myself driving up behind childhood friends' houses. The CD even mentioned that Frederick Benteen was a Union cavalry regiment commander.

As the battle moved into the night, the better trained Union force broke the Confederate line. Confederates in retreat and Union soldiers in victory all ran toward the 14th Street Bridge. The mob of soldiers from both sides running over the bridge prevented the Confederate defenders on the Columbus side from using their artillery firing canister into the covered bridge to stop the attack. Firing would have killed as many Confederate soldiers as Union soldiers. The real fighting for Columbus occurred in Alabama. Columbus suffered afterward.

The tour required about 2 hours and provided a fascinating glimpse into local area history as well as military operations in 1865. I couldn't help but wonder how the local area would be different today had the Union force and the local residents known that the war was in essence over.