History of Fort Branch-Why Rainbow Banks

History of Fort Branch

Construction of Fort Branch
Timeline of events
General Lawrence O'Brian Branch

Why Rainbow Banks?

Rainbow Banks, Hamilton, Martin County, North Carolina ainbow Banks (also called Rainbow Bend and Rainbow Bluff) near Hamilton, N.C. was an ideal location for a Confederate earthen fortification. The bluff— about 70 feet above a bend in the Roanoke River two miles below Hamilton and about 60 miles from the mouth of the Roanoke near Plymouth—provided a clear view in both directions. Its height protected Confederates from the fire of passing Union gunboats as well as offering an exceptional position of attack.

The earthworks at Rainbow Banks would become the cornerstone of the entire Roanoke Valley’s defense and serve several important purposes:

It would deter Union advances on a weak point in the vital “lifeline of the Confederacy”, the rail link between the port at Wilmington and Richmond. That weak spot was the railway bridge over the Roanoke River near Weldon.
It would protect the construction site of an ironclad ship at Edward’s Ferry above Hamilton. Once completed, the ram C.S.S. Albemarle would help regain control of the coast by sinking the wooden vessels of the U.S. Navy.
It offered protection for the lives and property of the upper Roanoke Valley’s citizens.

Photo: Rainbow Banks overlooking the Roanoke River east near Hamilton, Martin County, North Carolina
(Photo by Bobby Burns)