Fort Pillow State Park
Physical Geography Of Fort Pillow State Park GG315 World Physical Geography Abstract/Synopsis Fort Pillow State Park is the site of a significant Civil War victory for the Confederate Army. ... While the fort is little known in the overall scheme of the war, it contains significant features pertaining to world physical geographical studies that were important to the battle’s outcome. This study is designed to tour those features pertaining to its physical presence, atmospheric predominance, the impact of hydrological aspects, the fort’s biological significance and overall geological structure; all of which combined to produce just such a victory. ... Basic Information: Fort Pillow State Park is located on the far western side of Tennessee, in the town of Henning. ... The Marietta Times indicates: “Fort Pillow was on the Tennessee side of the Mississippi River, about forty miles north of Memphis. ... At the beginning of the American Civil War a confederate general named Gideon Pillow realized the strategic importance of the spot, and caused a fort to be built there, which was named after him. ... The fort is located at approximately 35 degrees, 3 minutes north latitude and is pretty much right on the 90 degree, 0 minute west longitudinal line that covers the earth. ... Census Bureau shows the fort to be centered on 35. ... Shown below is a graphic that indicates the actual location of Fort Pillow on the small Tennessee inset, and the larger view indicates its physical presence and the surrounding area. There are a few significant facts that surround the fort’s location and it’s significance to being built against the Mississippi River, which will be reviewed in this report. ... Atmospheric Information: In the early sights of pending springtime that exists today, one can gain a greater appreciation for the temperature variations, the atmospheric pressures, winds and rains that affect Fort Pillow because similar conditions probably existed at the time of the actual battle, in April of that year. ... In a study of an Analemma scale (5) I noted that when the battle at Fort Pillow was fought, the vertical rays of the sun were striking 8 degrees north latitude and they were virtually overhead only one minute past noon on that day. ... In other words, if the sun is peaked at about high noon closer to the Earth’s equator than they are at Pillow’s 35-degree north location, there is little surprise that temperatures are lower than one would desire. ... “Air is free to move in any direction” (9) and in West Tennessee, (of course in the Fort Pillow area) we get our share of wind-driven storms. ... 269 people were killed while on boats on the Mississippi River (10) as this was a main form of transportation and also gives credence to the significance of the fort resting high on a bluff for those reasons – to attack passing soldiers. ... It ripped the center out of a 100+ year old maple tree only 20 feet from my home, which is a mere 10 or so miles from Fort Pillow.