The Civil War Defenses of Washington, D. C.

James N.

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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
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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
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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
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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
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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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Types of Field, Garrison, and Siege Artillery

The forts in the defenses of Washington, D. C., also provide a good sampling of the types of heavy artillery pieces used within them. Here are a few examples from the five I visited:

Field Guns
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Twelve-pounder howitzer.

Field guns are those small and light enough to be pulled by conventional four- or six-horse teams under ordinary road or battlefield conditions. They include older pieces like these bronze smoothbores seen here at Fort Marcy and also the various Napoleons, 10-pounder Parrotts and 3" ordnance rifles most of us are familiar with from Civil War battlefields. They had little place in these fortifications, however, being generally too small-bored and short-ranged to be of much practical use, although most forts had one or two for possible use in repelling an infantry attack.

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Six-pounder gun.

24-Pounder Gun
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This large smoothbore cannon at Fort Washington is mounted on the distinctive barbette carriage which allowed a cannon to protrude above the ramparts of a masonry or earthen fort to allow greater opportunities in aiming.

4 1/2" Ordnance Rifles
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This larger ordnance rifle seen at Fort Ward was an excellent weapon with a range at least twice its familiar 3" brother. Iron rifled cannon like this and Parrotts forever changed the artillery arm.

30-Pounder Parrott Rifles
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Guns like these at Fort Stevens were larger versions of the ten- and twenty-pounder field guns and were operated similarly but required larger crews to handle the increased weight of both the pieces and their projectiles.

15" Rodman Smoothbores
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Guns like these at Fort Foote were among the largest made during the Nineteenth Century, weighing over 49,000 pounds and requiring twice as many men to crew as a field gun. During this period there was competition among gun designers as to whether smoothbore guns like these or rifled guns like those above represented the future: those favoring smoothbores felt that larger projectiles like those they threw were necessary to smash the ironclad ships like the Virginia/Merrimac then in fashion. Only events like the reduction of Fort Pulaski in Georgia showed that equally large rifled guns like the 100- and 300-pounder Parrotts were equally efficient in destructive power.

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One of the dots on the map is still a fort today. Probably the name Ft Whipple does not ring any bells with anyone, but nearly everyone has heard of Ft Meyer, home of The Old Guard of the Army.
 
Types of Field, Garrison, and Siege Artillery

The forts in the defenses of Washington, D. C., also provide a good sampling of the types of heavy artillery pieces used within them. Here are a few examples from the five I visited:

Field Guns
View attachment 46236
Twelve-pounder howitzer.

Field guns are those small and light enough to be pulled by conventional four- or six-horse teams under ordinary road or battlefield conditions. They include older pieces like these bronze smoothbores seen here at Fort Marcy and also the various Napoleons, 10-pounder Parrotts and 3" ordnance rifles most of us are familiar with from Civil War battlefields. They had little place in these fortifications, however, being generally too small-bored and short-ranged to be of much practical use, although most forts had one or two for possible use in repelling an infantry attack.

View attachment 46237
Six-pounder gun.

24-Pounder Gun
291-jpg.jpg


This large smoothbore cannon at Fort Washington is mounted on the distinctive barbette carriage which allowed a cannon to protrude above the ramparts of a masonry or earthen fort to allow greater opportunities in aiming.

4 1/2" Ordnance Rifles
344-jpg.jpg



This larger ordnance rifle seen at Fort Ward was an excellent weapon with a range at least twice its familiar 3" brother. Iron rifled cannon like this and Parrotts forever changed the artillery arm.

30-Pounder Parrott Rifles
233-jpg.jpg


Guns like these at Fort Stevens were larger versions of the ten- and twenty-pounder field guns and were operated similarly but required larger crews to handle the increased weight of both the pieces and their projectiles.

15" Rodman Smoothbores
View attachment 46239

Guns like these at Fort Foote were among the largest made during the Nineteenth Century, weighing over 49,000 pounds and requiring twice as many men to crew as a field gun. During this period there was competition among gun designers as to whether smoothbore guns like these or rifled guns like those above represented the future: those favoring smoothbores felt that larger projectiles like those they threw were necessary to smash the ironclad ships like the Virginia/Merrimac then in fashion. Only events like the reduction of Fort Pulaski in Georgia showed that equally large rifled guns like the 100- and 300-pounder Parrotts were equally efficient in destructive power.

View attachment 46240
Those Rodmans are impressive when you stand next to them.
 
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