Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1896-12-21
THE BOOMING CANNON
RECITALS OF CAMP AND BAT
TIE INCIDENTS.
Survivors of the Rebellion Relate
Many Amusing and Startling Incl
dents of Marches, Camp Life, Forag-
ing Experiences and Battle Scenes.
Circ1ed by Forts.

country the position Of the national
capital was precarious in the extreme.
The same stream that washed it's
wharves touched the opposite shore of
an enemy's country, and in the State
that surrounded it on the north the SEN
timent of the people could scarcely be
called sympathetic with the govern
ment at Washington. SO it was not
surprising that the authorities at the
home of the nation set about to protect
it from invasion and violation. In a sur
prisingly short time strong Gordon
of forts and batteries we'll equipped
with ordnance and garrisoned by eager
and willing men extended in defiant
circle around the city. It would take
volumes to describe the difficulties that
were overcome to establish this belt of
protection, but these were largely of
a material character, and were met in
great degree by the natural advanta-
ges of the surrounding country, which
offered so many excellent points for
fertilization and embattlement.
On either side of the river, both in
Virginia and Maryland, the hills pre-
scented continuation of heights which
commanded the territory lying beyond,
and these were quickly taken advan-
tage of by the engineer department Of
the United States army. Strong en-
bankmentS were thrown up, powerful
guns were placed in position, and in
order to give the widest range for exc
cution forests were leveled and in some
instances houses and barns removed, so
that the enemy would have no chance
to come upon the city unaWareS. AS the
forts were erected and provided with
garrisoned by the troops that poured
into Washington from the North, and
many Of the bravest and best of the
soldiers who fought for the perpetuity
of the government saw their first ser
vice in the forts around Washington.
By the first Of January, 1862, the en-
tire defensive line, mounting about
500 guns, was in an advanced con-
dition, although not completed. 1t was
not, indeed, until the summer of 1864
that they were in anything like fin
ished shape. When completed the
works comprised sixty-two forts with
forty-four supporting batteries, the
whole having an armament of over
1000 guns and requiring 10000 men to
properly arm them. The first sugges-
ton to erect Notifications was made
early in May, 1861, by Gen. Mansfield,
who was then in command of the
troops in this city, and he indicated Ar
lington Heights as the best place to be-
gin. By the oath of that month Forts
Ellsworth, Runyon, Albany and Cor
coran were established for the special
purpose of the protection to the ap-
proaches of the bridges and ferries on
the Potomac. It was not until the first
battle of Bull Run had been fought,
however, that a systematic plan of de-
Tense was thought Of. After the battle
of Bull Run the cluster of command
ing heights four miles west of Alex
andria and six miles from Washington
were occupied by the Confederates, but
in October of that year the hills were
again takes possession of and fortified
by the Union troops. The system of
works constituting what are called the
defenses of Washington were divided
into four groups: First, those south of
the Potomac, commencing with Fort
Willard, below Alexandria, and ter
minating with Fort Smith, opposite
Georgetown, comprising twenty mine
forts and eleven supporting batteries;
second, Forts Ethan Allen and Marcy
at the Virginia end of the Chain bridge,
with their five batteries for field guns;
third. those north of the Potomac and
between that river and the Anacostia,
commencing with Fort Sumner and
terminating with Fort Lincoln, COM
prising nineteen forts, four batteries
armed with heavy guns and twenty
three batteries of field guns; fourth,
those south of the Anacostia, commenc-
ing with Fort Mahon at Benning and
terminating with Fort Greble at Oxon
run, nearly opposite Alexandria, COM
prising twelve forts and one armed
battery.
Most of the heavy labor on the fortif-
cations was done by hired laborers, but
a good part was the work of the sol
diers. Indeed, it became the aim and
duties of the soldiers who were quar-
tered in the forts to make them as
strong and perfect as possible. The
cost of the work, exclusive of arma-
ment. amounted to considerably more
than half million dollars. When they
were first being erected there was 4
conglomeration of names, and the forti-
fications were named indiscriminataly
after States, cities and individuals, but
in 1861 the War Department issued an
order giving to the forts the names Of
distinguished soldiers who had lost
their lives in defense of the flag.
Of the forts south Of the Potomac,
between the Long bridge and Airing
ton, which comprised Runyon, Jackson,
Scott, Richardson, Barry, Craig, Nc
Pherson and Hagerty and Albany, the
armament of the latter gives a good