Fort Crafford, Va.-- Part 4: Never Saw Action

The Mulberry Point Battery, on the north side of the island, was a water battery erected to guard the Swash Channel on the James River.  It was a complement to Fort Huger on the south side of the river.

In 1862 and enclosed earthwork covering approximately eight acres was constructed near the battery to protect it from land attack and to be a refuge in case the Minor Farm Line was overrun.

This new fort was eventually called Fort Crafford (sometimes confused with the name Crawford) after the name of the family that owned the land.  The house itself was inside the fort.Since this new fort was about a half mile from the Warwick Line, it was not considered a part of it

Confederates withdrew from the fort in May 1862 with the approach of McClellan's troops.  The fort never saw action.

The foundation of the Crafford House was investigated in the 1970s.  The brick and mortar foundation is now surrounded with a fence.  Other archaeological investigations have found three sites within the fort with artifacts dating to the 1600s.

--Old Secesh