Turner's Fort, also known as Fort Turner, was a stockade fort built in 1813 in present-day

Clarke County, Alabama Clarke County is a County (United States), county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 23,087. The county seat is Grove Hill, Alabama, Grove Hill. T ...

during the

Creek War The Creek War (also the Red Stick War or the Creek Civil War) was a regional conflict between opposing Native American factions, European powers, and the United States during the early 19th century. The Creek War began as a conflict within th ...

(part of the larger

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

). Turner's Fort, like many other forts built around the same time, was built in response to

Red Stick Red Sticks (also Redsticks, Batons Rouges, or Red Clubs)—the name deriving from the red-painted war clubs of some Native American Creek—refers to an early 19th century traditionalist faction of Muscogee Creek people in the Southeastern Uni ...

attacks on settlers in the surrounding area. Turner's Fort was built in the spring of 1813 around the home of Abner Turner. The fort was located in the West Bend community near the eastern bank of the

Alabama River The Alabama River, in the U.S. state of Alabama, is formed by the Tallapoosa River, Tallapoosa and Coosa River, Coosa rivers, which unite about north of Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery, near the town of Wetumpka, Alabama, Wetumpka. Over a co ...

in Clarke County and was eight miles south and five miles west of

Fort Easley Fort Easley was a stockade fort built in 1813 in present-day Clarke County, Alabama during the Creek War (part of the larger War of 1812). History Creek War Fort Easley was built in 1813 on the east side of the Tombigbee River to provide local se ...

. The

Choctaw The Choctaw ( ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States, originally based in what is now Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The Choctaw language is a Western Muskogean language. Today, Choct ...

village of Turkey Town was located three miles south of the fort. The

stockade A stockade is an enclosure of palisades and tall walls, made of logs placed side by side vertically, with the tops sharpened as a defensive wall. Etymology ''Stockade'' is derived from the French word ''estocade''. The French word was derived f ...

fort had palisades constructed of doubled-walls of split pine logs and contained two or three

blockhouse A blockhouse is a small fortification, usually consisting of one or more rooms with loopholes, allowing its defenders to fire in various directions. It is usually an isolated fort in the form of a single building, serving as a defensive stro ...

s. Thirteen men and boys offered protection for the fort's occupants. In August 1813, the occupants of Turner's Fort attended a

camp meeting The camp meeting is a form of Protestant Christian religious service originating in England and Scotland as an evangelical event in association with the communion season. It was held for worship, preaching and communion on the American frontier ...

at Fort Easley. In September 1813, the occupants of Turner's Fort and Fort Easley abandoned their positions and fled to St. Stephens for greater protection. The Turner Corn Crib at the Clarke County Historical Museum is thought to be constructed from timbers taken from Turner's Fort. Tandy Walker, who served as an interpreter for the Choctaws and rescued a Mrs. Crawley from

captivity, spent time at Turner's Fort.

References

External links

Video describing the Turner Corn Crib
Pre-statehood history of Alabama Buildings and structures in Clarke County, Alabama

Turner Turner may refer to: People and fictional characters * Turner (surname), a common surname, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Turner (given name), a list of people with the given name *One who uses a lathe for tur ...

Creek War {{fort-stub