In the early days of the Civil War, before Fort Duffield was constructed, West Point witnessed a brief but dramatic encounter between Union Home Guard troops and Confederate cavalry. This skirmish, occurring on September 9, 1861, is one of the earliest recorded combat-related events connected to the fort’s history.

A cloud of dust rose along the Louisville–Nashville Turnpike as a mounted Confederate unit entered West Point. The cavalry, commanded by Captain Mitchell Lapaille, was scouting the area for General Simon Bolivar Buckner’s forces. Their goal was to seize several store boats owned by Venne P. Armstrong, but the boats had already departed downriver.

Unknown to the Confederates, a company of Louisville Home Guards under Captain T. W. Gibson had camped the previous night at the confluence of the Salt and Ohio Rivers. Half the unit was on each side of the river, preparing to ferry across when the Confederate cavalry appeared.

Captain Gibson was inside Young’s Inn, operated by Mrs. Ann Lewis, when the alarm sounded. The sudden appearance of Confederate troops caught both sides off guard.

A brief firefight erupted between the Home Guard and the Confederate cavalry. Neither side knew the strength of the other, and neither was eager for a full engagement. The Confederates outnumbered the Union troops, especially with the Home Guard split across the river.

After exchanging fire, both sides withdrew:

• The Confederates retreated south toward Bloomington (modern Radcliff).
• The Home Guard hurried back across the ferry to Louisville.

According to accounts, the ferry operator was extremely busy transporting the frightened Home Guard back across the river after their “baptism of fire.”

Although small in scale, the skirmish demonstrated the vulnerability of West Point and the need for a fortified position overlooking the rivers and roads. Within weeks, Union forces began constructing Fort Duffield on Pearman Hill.

The incident remains one of the few combat-related events directly tied to the fort’s early history and highlights the tense atmosphere in Kentucky during the fall of 1861.

Although Fort Duffield itself never came under direct attack, a brief skirmish occurred in the town of West Point. Confederate cavalry probed the area, testing Union defenses and attempting to disrupt supply routes. Union pickets and Home Guard units responded quickly, driving off the attackers. The incident reinforced the importance of the fort’s elevated position and the need for constant vigilance.