Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-18

| Terry. while these exciting events were oc-
| curing, that Is, during most of Monday and
Tuesday, the President, the Secretaries Of State
| and War and many other officials visited Forts
| Stevens and Reno and were intensely interested
in the scene before them.
FOOTPRINTS OF THE WAR
Tia Asnains Of Old Forts SIN Existin Z
Around washinet0n.
ALL fnn HfIIs ABOUT oovrRsD wrrn DsnAx-
| TIED nAlrHwolxs-wHERk soLprRns WE'RE
HNrRENcRID IN TIE DAYS OF PERIII--soNE
| JonTs sf11L WILL rnnszAvHD.
IT WING MEMORIES OF THE WAR ARE
- dear 10 the old soldiers, and nowhere today
are those memories more wildly presented
than in Washington and its environs. On
every hand you are brought face to face with
reminders Of the bloody conflict. But among
all these attractions perhaps none are more in
tsrssting to the veterans than the old forts that
encircle the city. To be sure, with the excep-
ton Of Fort Stevens, out at Brightwood, they
revive no recolIeotions Of sanguinary conflicts,
but they do bring back to many an old soldier
memories Of anxious and happy DAYS spent in
their trenches, on their battlements and ram
parts and in the cozy huts and tents, where
Joke, story and song were ever heard amid
laughter and good cheer. The forts we're
| built, a. rule, by raw troops temporarily sta
toned here. preparatory to assignment to act
i've duty in the field
Time has dealt gently with few of these old
works, but many Of them are either leveled to
the ground or obscured by growths of trees
and underbrush. The sites OF all of them are
easy Of access. for they we're connected by
| system OF roadways that have SINCE az rule been
continued as public highways And so familiar
have the old forts become in the eighborhoOd
mind that even At this late day nearly every one
living In the vicinity of any of them is able to
furnish inquirers with desired information re-
garding its particular location.
THE FORTS ABOUT ALEXANDRIA.
To enable readers of The STAR, both resident
and visiting. to reach these old interesting
relics Of the great war by the shortest and best
routes The STAR will briefly direct them
thither.
Forts Willard, ORourke, Weed. Farnsworth.
Lyon, Ellsworth, Williams, Worth and Ward,
and Battery Rodgers are in the vicinity of
Fort Willard formed the extreme left Of the
defenses OF Washington, and ia mile aud half
south OF Hunting Creek bridge. Its southern
exposure is prominently visible from River
road. The earthworks are pretty wen pre-
served.
Battery Rodgers stood near Jones' Point
light, at the mouth of Hunting creek The
works are nearly oblterated. The site Of the
battery bears the distinction of being the
southern point Of the ten miles square that
constituted the old District Of Columbia
Fort Lyon, over ON the old Mount Vernon
road, is prominent viewed from Hunting Creek
bridge. The road mentioned runs through
the Old works, which are quite well preserved.
1t is well worth visit. splendid views are
presented from the old parapets, which are 40
feet above tide level. 1t was named after Gen.
Lyon, who was killed early in the war at Will
sons Creek, Mo. It is one and half miles
from Alexandria and is reached most directly
be reached by way OF Hunting Creek bridge
and Gravel road
Fort O'Rourke stands back of Gravel road.
near Its junction with old Mount Vernon road.
1t Is one mile and a half from Alexandria and
was named in honor Of Col. O'Rourke of the
New York volunteers, who was killed at Gettys-
burg.
Forts Weed and Farnsworth are also in thl
vicinity, which was known as Mount Eagle !
the old days.
be reached by the Telegraph and old Mount
vernon roads, or by way OF Hunting Greek and
Gravel road.
THE FIRST ERECTED.
Fort Ellsworth stands on Suffers Hill in
West Alexandria and is l49 feet above the level
OF the Potomac. 1t can be reached by either
the elegraph or Leesburg roads. 1t is named
after Col. Ellsworth, who was killed at the
Marshall House, Alexandria. Nav "a, 1851 by
Jack n, the proprietor OF the house, as he was
coming down stairs carrying a captured seces-
sion flag which was flying from a flagstaff on
the roof. Il WAS the first fort erected in Vir-
ginia by the Union forces, work being begun
on 1t on the morning Of Ellsworth death.
Capt H. G.. Wright, who afterward became fa-
nous as the commander OF the old sixth CORPS
Of the Army OF the Potomac, superintended its
construction. This fort is delightfully."- situ-
ated, affording the finest landscape views i'm
aginable, and much Of the old earthworks are
yet visible.
Forts Williams and Worth are north Of Little
River road, about a mile west Of Alexandria
and are reached by way of the Telegraph and
Little River roads. portion of the earth
works are visible and fairly well preserved.
They stand 267 feet above tide level
Fort Ward is about three miles west OF Alex-
andria on the Leesburg road and about mile
from Fairfax Seminary. 1t occupies q COM
handing hill, 2S5 feet above the level of the
river afording far-reaching views. The old
works are pretty we'll preserved and are not at
all obscured by trees or other vegetation.
CROSSING THE LONG BRIDGE.
Forts Reynolds Scott, Barnard, Berry Rich
ardson, Albany, Craig, Runyon and jackson are
best reached by way of the Long bridge and
the Columbia road They can also be reached
by way Of the Georgetown bridge by taking at
Rosslyn either the Georgetown and Alexandria
road or the Fort Myer and Cemetery road and
Mcpherson road. Either of these two routes
penetrates the Columbia road at the village of
Arlington.
Fort Jackson stood at the north end of the
Long bridge, but there is nothing now to indi-
cate its exact location.
Fort Runyon is In the midst of the brick
yards at the Junction of Columbia and W sh-
ington and Alexandria roads, and a good part
OF the earthworks are yet visible.
A mile west OF Fort Runyou at the junction
OF the Columbia and Georgetown and Alexan-
dria roads. il Fort Albany. 1t is south of the
first named road, occupies a commanding site,
$50 feet above the river the works being pretty
well preserved.
Fort Scott is on Garfield ridge, and ia reached
by way OF the Georgetown bridge and George
town and Alexandria roads. Crossing Column
bia road and moving through Fort Albany to
the old Georgetown aud Alexandria road
which leads along the top Of Garfield ridge for
mile to the southern end OF the ridge when
turning to the left on old Armory road, which
il now. unused and nearly obliterated few
PAGES brings you to the old works Although
now almost entirely obscured by the trees and
underbrush, the works are in a good state Of
preservation. They stand l66 feet above the
river. From Mr.. Edward Cranes house, near
by, tne views are presented.
ABOUND ARLINGTON.
Fort Richardson il best reached by way Of
the Georgetown bridge and the Georgetown
and Alexandria and Columbia roads, Arriving
AZ the last named road and moving IN the riobt