The Waterway Survey: The History and Prehistory of a 100 Meter Corridor on the Alabama and Georgia Banks of the Chattahoochee River on Fort Benning, Russell County, Alabama and Chattahoochee County, Georgia

Under a continuing services contract with the U.S. Army Infantry Center, Directorate of Public Work, Environmental Division, Fort Benning Military Reservation, Panamerican Consultants, Inc. was contracted in 2003 to evaluate the site conditions and summarize information about existing sites in a corridor consisting of the Chattahoochee River itself and all land within 100m of the banks of the pre-impoundment river. For this project historic newspapers were reviewed, existing CRM reports studied, historic maps reviewed, and other historic documents investigated. Sixty-one sites were found to be within the defined corridor and were all visited in June and August of 2004 to determine their current condition and provide data for conservation or mitigation actions. For the central purpose of this report, nine sites were found to be threatened and in need of new conservation or protective action. Two of these, I RU59 and 9CE1 , are eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and are recommended for mitigation or protective action due to erosion of the river bank. Six sites, 1RU290, 1RU298, 1RU384, 1RU482, 9CE68, and 9CE5, are threatened by erosion and considered potentially eligible for the NRHP. These sites are recommended for Phase II investigations in order to determine if they are eligible for the NRHP and in need of protective action. One site, 1RU63, the Yuchi Town site, was heavily impacted by looters in the 1980s and 1990s but has been protected by countermeasures. Fresh looter damage at the northwestern end of the site was observed by Panamerican 's field crew. It is recommended that looting countermeasures be reviewed to determine if this part of the site needs additional protection. Twenty-four sites were found to be in need of protective action of a lower level of urgency or in need of further investigation . A further six sites were found to be potentially threatened by future erosion and in need of monitoring. The remaining 22 sites need no corrective action or other attention . Two confederate vessels sank within the boundaries of the future Fort Benning. These vessels were the gunboat Chattahoochee and the ironclad Jackson. The Chattahoochee was partially salvaged in 1964, but most of the NRHP eligible hull remains on the river bottom. The site was investigated in 1984 and the vessel 's then location is known. As significant information may still be recoverable from this wreck and as deterioration and damage is ongoing, further underwater investigation is recommended. The Jackson's hull was completely recovered from its position near the southern end of the base in the Alabama bank of the river. Its site is no longer considered NRHP eligible, but in this report it is recommended for future investigation, as its engines may remain in the river. Two steam powered river boats are known to have sunk on the Chattahoochee River within the future Fort Benning. These both sank in the area known as Uchee Shoals. Though it is quite possible that one or both boats have been destroyed by Corps of Engineers river improvements, investigation of this section of the river is recommended to make certain of the status of these vessels.