Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-10-14

still standing that was occupied as offlcerE
quarters during the war. Fort Ellsworth,
named in honor of the hero who was killed
while removing a confederate flag from the
Marshall House in Alexandria. May 4, 1861,
occupied commanding position on Suffers
Hill, west of Alexandria. The reservoir
which supplies Alexandria with water now
occupies part OF this hin. The armament
consisted Of twenty-four heavy guns. in
Guiding PARROT rifles. seacoast howitzers
and siege guns. Fort Ethan Allen was on
the Virginia side near the Chain bridge,
and. with Fort Marcy helped to command
the approach to that important position. 1t
was one Of the largest and most complete
forts in the Notifications. Eleven OF its
tfirty-four guns were thirty-pounder Par
rctt rifles. and there were three twelve
FOUNDER Whitworths and four tel-inch
siege guns. Fort Farnsworth was a mile
and half south of Alexandria. 1t Was a
small fort.
Fort Gaines.
Fort Gaines occupied a site upon the tract
of land to be used by the Methodist Univer-
sity on the Loughboro' road. a quarter of a
mile west Of the Tenleytown road. The
electric cars run within a quarter OF a mile
Of the fort. ard it's works are well pre-
served. In the immediate vicinity are Forts
Reno, Bayard, Simmons and Mansfield.
Fort Lincoln was situated where the Dis
trict reform school buildings now stand.
Inc spot was known Mount Pleasant be-
fore the war and was called Camp Union
before the erection OF the fort. 1t was here
that the gallant Barney's guns were posted
IN 1914 to annoy the British redcoats as
! they advanced on Washington from Bla-
dcnsburg. The fort was powerful work
named in honor of President Lincoln. and
| its armament consisted OF th!rty-four heavy
guns Of various kinds and caiibcrs.
Fort Lyon was on the old Mt. Vernon
road a mile and a half south Of Alex
andria, and was the largest of all the forts
except Fort Runyon. Its armament con-
sisted of forty-one guns, manned by sc
gunners and they commanded the water
ways to Washington and the roads lead
ing from the southeast 10 Alexandria. Fort
Mahon, with eighteen guns, occupied an
isolated hill on the eastern edge of the
| village of Benning, and il remains i'm a
| fair state of preservation. Forts Sedgwick
and Craven are visible to the southwark
from Fort Mahon. Upon the ridge which
| held Forts Mahon, Sedgwick. Craven, DIT
Pont, Davis, Baker, Wagner, Ricketts,
| Stanton, Snyder Carroll and Greble
which were armed with from eight TO six
| teen guns each, and of the same general
| construction as the forts already described
| was Fort Metgs. Ii was just outside the
| MARYLAND. and at the junction of the East
| Benning, Marlboro and Bowen roads Ii
mounted twenty heavy guns of various
| kinds.
Fort Reno.
Fort Reno occupied the highest ground
| in the District of Columbia, on a hill 4aC
| feet high, back of Tenleytown and east OF
| the Brookville pike. 1t overlooked the val
| ley in front and on both TANKS. and with
| its 1Oo-pounder PARROT could do execution
| at vast distance. In addition to this
gun IL mounted nineteen other heavy
| pieces Probably the first secret society
| FORMED In the army was organized in this
| fort in 1S61. September "a. that year a
| lodge OF Free Masons was established in
| the I'd Pennsylvania Reserves and named
Potomac Lodge. 1t continued to hold meet
| lngs in the field as circumstances hermit
ted during the entire service of the regi-
| ment.
| In the village of Garfield NAV be found
| the remains of Fort Ricketts, a small
earthworks, which was intended to sweeu
| the deep ravine in front of Fort Stanton
The first fort built was Fort Runyon
| which stood at the margin of The botrou
| lands of the Potomac, in the angie of ths
| Columbia and the Washington and Alex.
| andria roads, half mile south of the Lang
| prldge. me site is now covered by brick
| yards Fort Runyon covered twelve acres
| ana Its armament consisted of twenty-tbr..
| heaNy guns. A strong stockade command.
| ed the marsh between the fort and the
| river. ''
| Forts Sedgwfck and SIocum
Fort Sedgwick was situated on a high
NH IN the eastern outskirts of Benning
| on the west side of the east Benning road
Its remains are still conspicuous. II was
| never fuily armed, only a few guns being
mounted. Fort Simmons stood between
| vi - Day diu anu mansfield on the Shoe
MAKER farm. a mile and half west of
| Ienleytown. Very little is left TO show
| that a fertilization ever existed on the
| site. Its armament consisted of eight
| heaVy caIlber guns, including five thirty
| FOUNDER PARROT rifles. Fort Slocum was
| situated on the west side of the Blair
| road, and its site may be reached in a
| short walk from Lamond station on the
| Metropolitan branch of the Baltimore and
| Ohio railroad. This fort with Fort Ste
vehs, was regarded as one of the most
important defenses to the city, but its sit
| uatlon, ike that of Fort Stevens, was a
| weak one, because a mile north of IL there
| were hills twenty or thirty feet higher
| than the eminence upon which II rested
| giving advantageous positions to the en-
envy. General Early was quick in dis
| covering this weakness and concentra ted
his troops for the attack upon Fort Ste
| vens and Slocum, but the arrival of re-
Inducements happily frustrated his PLAN
Fort Strong was on the north side of the
| rails Church road, about a mile southwest
| of RosSlyn. Some remains of il are still
in evidence. Fort Sumner was situated
! al the head OF the receiving reservoir half
| mile north of the Conduit road Ii was
| one of the largest of the forts. and its ar
mament consisted of three eight-inch how
| itZers, two one hundred-pounder Parrot
| rifles, eight thirty-two FOUNDER and four
| twenty-four FOUNDER sea coast guns six
| four and one-half-inch rife guns. four six
FOUNDER James, two y-four-pounder
| Calhoun and one ten-inch siege mortar.
| Fort Sumner was supported by Redoubts
| Kirby, Cross and Davis Fort Tillinghast
was situated on Arlington Heights. inme-
| diately south of Fort Myer. Its site may
still be family traced. 1t mounted four
| teen guns Fort Totten occupied a strong
commanding position on Rock Creek
Church road. The old works which are
yet prominent. are fianked on the west by
the village of Ruplyville. During Early
investment the fort was garrisoned by
Battery A, 4th US. Artillery, and Ohio and
New Hampshire volunteers The rebel
cavalry operated in the vicinity of the fort
July IL and II. 1894 and were shelled.
Fort Totten mounted twenty guns.
Forts Whipple and Stevens.
Fort Whipple stood the elevated
plateau west of Arlington, overlooking the
city and commanding extensive views of
the country in every direction. At the
close Of the war the fort was converted
into camp of instruction for officers and
men of the signal service of the army and
| placed under the command of Albert Myer
whose name IL assumed. In 1881 General
| Sheridan transformed ii into cavalry
| camp or barracks and IL is now the head
| quarters of the active branch at the ma
| tional capital. Its present comma nder is
| Colonel S. S. Sumner, the marshal of the
Union Veteran Legion parade.