The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-08-14
WASHINGTON FORTS.
Completion of the Line of Fortifca-
tionS Encircling the National Capital.

| II.
The great Napoleon has left on record tn,
statement that 5000 unconditional Guards
and 5000 artillerymen will defend fortified
city against an army of 100000 men, and that
had Vienna, Berlin and Madrid been fortified
the countries Of which they are the capital,
would have been preserved from the fatal re
suits of his campaigns of 1906 and 1903; and
that had Paris been fortified in 1914 his owl
Empire would have been saved from over
throw. The various operations recommended
by the commission sanctioned by the Secretary
of War were prosecuted with great vigor dur
ing the year 1863. Many of the new works
were models of strength, and several, includ
ing Forts Whipple and C. +. Smith, became the
most perfect and beautiful specimens of what
may be termed semi-permanent" field works
The operations of the Engineer Corps. ex
tending through the years 1868 and 1864, re
suited in enlarging the system of fortifcations
from few isolated works covering bridge:
| and roads, or commanding few especially i'm
portant points, to
A CONNECTED SYSTEM,
by which every prominent point, at intervals
| of 500 TO 1000 yards, was occupied by an in
| closed field fort; every important approach OF
depression of ground, unseen from the forts
| swept by battery of field guns and the whole
connected by rife trenches, which were, in
fact. lines of infantry parapets furnishing en-
| placement for two ranks Of men, and affording
covered communication along the line While
| roads were opened wherever necessary, so that
| troops and artillery could be moved rapidly
/ from one point Of the immense periphery to
/ another, or, under cover, from point to point
along the entire line.
TO MAN TIE WORKS.
in December, 1862, Maj Gen S. P. Heintzelman,
commanding, had force of BIO cavalry, :, ,459
artillery, and p, ,2SS infantry; total present for
duty, equipped, 81 ,S57. The returns for March,
1868, show force present for duty of 45, 233
/ In October of the same year Mai.-Gen. G. G.
Augur succeeded to the command of the De-
partment of Washington, at which time the
total present for duty was 2l AS out of an ag-
| gregate of 39,4o5. There were over 5000 sick
and as many more absent on leave.
The accession of Gen. Grant to the command
of the Army wrought a change in the personnel
of the garrisons in the defenses of Washington
81 r43o officers and men Of the permanent gar
rlsons were withdrawn in May, 1864. and their
| place partially supplied by the Ohio National
! Guard, enlisted for that purpose, to serve 100
days. The advantage of the elaborate system
/ OF defenses that had been constructed soon be-
came apparent.
When, in July, 1864, Early appeared before
Washington in front of Forts Stevens aud Slo-
cum, ali the artillery regiments which had
constituted the garrisons of the works and who
were experienced In the use OF artillery, hay-
ing been incorporated into the Army of the
Potomac, the duty of defending the Capital
devolyed upon the newly-enlisted men, sup
ported by a
MOB OF HASTILY ORGANIZED TROOPS,
composed of clerks in the Departments. team
I c% d.n@e9 T. - Il r =
works promising security from danger, il
would have been impossible speedily to have
placed these undrilled and inexperienced men
IN any proper position, or TO have held them
there against such charge as the veterans
under Early would doubtless have made.
The advantage under these circumstances OF
established lines of infantry parapets and pre-
pared epaulements for ield-guns can hardly
be oTerestimated. Fortunately,
THE ARRIVAL OF THE SIXTH CORPS
| prevented these unfiedged heroes from making
d demonstration of their valor but the fact
remains that the well-established line of de-
| fensiye works, manned by force q whose
character the Confederates were unable to
/ judge, prevented an attack before the arrival
OF the corps.
CHARACTER OF THE WORKS.
Fort Lyon, situated on the spur of Seminary
Ridge southwest from Alexandria by its ism
lated position demanded that it should be large
and well fianked. The work had perimeter
Of 937 yards. Across the plateau in front, at a
distance OF over 300 yards, an advanced rife
| trench was excavated. The work was supplied
with bomb-proof protection and its front
paTapets were Is feet in thickness. To give
4 still greater security, three advanced works
/ Forts Weed, Farnsworth and O'Rourke-were O
erected, covering the Mount Vernon road and
TO lock into the ravine which heads near the
site OF the latter work. These works con-
nected with each other and with Fort Lyon by
a rihe-trench containing powerful auxiliary
/ batteries, constituted a position of great
strength. Beyond the Acc0tink turnpike Fort
Willard was built united with the other forts
/ by a military road. Fort Williams was erected
! on Cooper's Hill, connected with Fort Worth
I by rifie-trenches and detached batteries, two
strong field batteries extending the line towards
l Fort Ellsworth.
FORT WARD
was one Of the largest of the forts constituting
/ the defenses Of Washington, and controlled the
approach 70 Alexandria by the interval between
Hunting Creek and Four Mile Ran through
which the Leesburg turnpike led, passing is
right flank. 1t had perimeter of s18 yards with
! an armament Of 36 guns One hundred -pounder
/ rIfed PARROTS mounted on the parapets of
/ Forts Worth, Ellsworth, Richardson and Ward
reached the more distant elevations of Mum
son IS and Mason Hills and the entire range OF
nights around 10 and south Of Hunting Greek.
From Fort Worth to Fort Reynolds con-
| tInuous line of trenches supported by powerful
batteries led past the intervening forts, Ward
and Garesche, efiectually controlling the val
ley of -Four Mile Run and covering the line OF
defense.
Immediately north Of the Loudoun & Hamp-
shire now Midland) Railroad, stood Fort Bar
1 nard, position Of considerable strength. built
70 cooperate with Fort Reynolds IN controll-
/ ing the valley lying between them and to
sweep by its fire the tributary valley which
rises in front Of Fort Ward.
Fort Berry was built in 1868, between Forts
Barnard and Richardson, as a connecting link
in the line Of defense.
THE ARLINGTON LINES.
This term was commonly applied to the line
OF forts extending along the nights Of Airing.
ton TO the Cham Bridge Forts Woodbury.
Cass, Tillinghast and Craig, between Forts
C0rcoran and Albany, have been mentioned in
the previous chapter. The addition of Forts
Nhipple and Mcpherson created second In.
terror line OF strong detached works extending
from Forts Bennett and Corcoran to Forts
Albany and Scott. The batteries swept the
ragines between Forts Cass and Woodbury., moi
seen from those forts.
Fort 9. Il. Smith was built in 1863 imrnedi
ately north Of Fort Strong de KaIb), near the
south bank of the Potomac, constituting the
extreme right of the interior line facing south.
ward The fort was constructed in accordance
with the most approved models, and served tc
cnt OF all flank approaches towards the work!
III its rear.