Fort Randolph was built in late 1864 by Confederate force as a defense against an expected third invasion by Union forces of the Louisiana Red River Valley in 1865. The fort was named for Captain Chistopher M. Randolph who was in charge of its construction. After the 1864 Red River Campaign, Confederate General Edmund Kirby Smith, commander of the confederate Trans-Mississippi Department, realized the need for fortifications along the Red River that could prevent Union naval vessels from ascending the river past Alexandria Louisiana.