Fort Harker was built to defend a strategic position captured by Union troops in northeastern Alabama. Situated atop a hill east of the town of Stevenson, it was constructed in the summer of 1862 by soldiers and freed slaves of the Army of the Cumberland, commanded by Union General William Rosecrans. Stevenson was located at the junction for the Memphis and Charleston Railroad and the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad. The location of the fort placed it within firing range of the town, railroads, supply depots, and warehouses. In addition to Fort Harker, the Union Army established a hospital and a refugee camp in the town. The Union position would prevent Confederate troops from using the railroads in the defense of Chattanooga and secure critical supply lines for the Army of the Cumberland.