- Joined
- Feb 23, 2013
- Location
- East Texas
At the beginning of the Civil War there was only a single fortification in place to protect the Federal capital, Fort Washington seen above, which had its origins in the 1808 Fort Warburton built on the same site on the Maryland shore of the Potomac across from George Washington's estate, Mount Vernon. The British bypassed Warburton when they captured the city in 1814, but the successful defense of Baltimore in the same campaign encouraged the construction of this larger instillation.
The secession of Virginia and threatened secession of Maryland in 1861 plunged the Federal Government and the administration of newly-elected President Abraham Lincoln into a panic over the security of the capital, necessitating the creation of a defensive ring that eventually included 68 forts, 93 gun batteries, and twenty miles of rifle pits, all connected by 32 miles of military roads. These earthen works were erected in northern Virginia and Maryland as well as within the District of Columbia, and many remain today as silent reminders of the times that spawned them.
This summer I had the opportunity to be in the area for several days and devoted time to locating and photographing several remaining examples. I purposely included well-maintained and interpreted forts as well as others somewhat off the beaten path. This sample is by no means complete - if anyone would like to add other surviving examples I have omitted to these, please feel free to do so.
Fort Washington
Although not really considered a part of the Civil War defenses of Washington, Fort Washington continued to be garrisoned and improved and remained in service in various capacities well into the Twentieth Century. Visiting here also gives a better idea of the philosophy and development of fortifications in the Nineteenth Century. For more information, please see the following:
http://civilwartalk.com/threads/fort-washington-maryland.103797/
Fort Foote
Fort Foote was the southernmost fort in the Washington defense chain and like its predecessor Fort Washington was placed on the Maryland shore of the Potomac to guard against possible naval incursion. Though not so well-preserved today as Washington, Foote nevertheless offers a fascinating look at the development of earthen fortifications and boasts two excellent examples of 15" Rodman smoothbores like the one above. For additional views of the fort and its guns, see the link below.
http://civilwartalk.com/threads/fort-foote-maryland.103832/
Fort Ward
Probably the best preserved and interpreted example of the surviving forts and batteries today is Fort Ward at Alexandria, Virginia. It was supposedly one of the largest and earliest built due to fears that the victorious Confederates from nearby Manassas would advance on Washington in the wake of their victory at First Bull Run in the summer of 1861. Ward also boasts an excellent small museum of relevant artifacts which help depict soldier life of the garrisons of these defenses. For more, please visit the following:
http://civilwartalk.com/threads/fort-ward-alexandria-virginia.103860/#post-946199
Fort Marcy
Probably most typical of the surviving forts is the relatively obscure Fort Marcy, also on the Virginia side of the Potomac and built to guard the vital Chain Bridge which connected the capital with Northern Virginia. There is relatively little to be seen here but the fort gives a good idea of the state most are now in; for additional pictures, visit:
http://civilwartalk.com/threads/fort-marcy-virginia.103884/
Fort Stevens
The only fort in the defenses of Washington to actually come under attack during the war was Fort Stevens, northernmost in the chain. Probed by Confederates under Jubal Early during his abortive attack on the city in July, 1864, it was also the site of one of the only two occasions that a sitting U. S. president has come under enemy fire when Lincoln briefly visited. (The other was President Madison in 1814 at Bladensburg.) Now surrounded by housing developments and apartment complexes in northern D. C., it and the nearby Battleground National Cemetery still provide a glimpse into that memorable occasion. For more, please see the link below.
http://civilwartalk.com/threads/the...ns-and-battleground-national-cemetery.103589/
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