The morning times., 1896-06-14
THEY GUARDED THE CITY
Old Forts Around Washington
Are Rapidly Disappearing.
HELD ENEMY IN CHECK
Early Would Have Entered the Cap
ital Had He Not Considered
the DefenSes Too Strong.

Off north of the old military road from
Brightwood to Fort Reno and just east OF
the Chevy Chase line stands q number OF
persimmon trees up gulch, on the side OF
steep hill. Beyond the trees, outlined
against the sky, appear the square lines OF
battlement of some sort.
The attention of the curious paSser is
at once attracted and many visitor has
gone up to see what is at the crest OF the
hill. 1t is long climb up the steep hill
side, barren OF everything but broom sa ge,
but the view from the top Acne will re-
pay it. The square lines belong to an earth
work, put the re in the days swheneveryhody
was little nervous at times for fear, in
some way, Lee 's army might setinto WASH
ington and the friends OF the Union, with
their government, lie forced to go out In
other words it was part cf the fortifica-
tons of this city in the civil war.
1t was a part of the strognbold called
Fort De Russy. and consisted of four walls
of earth about ten feet high originally.
These We're set on the very crest or the
conical rise that formed the hilltop. The
wallis were about 100 feet on each side.
and at the corners were irregularities OF
Outline that marked the position OF cannon
placed so as to have wide range.
GRASS GROWING ON THE RAMPARTS.
Now there is left only an overgrown ram
part. with slight Irregularities at the cor
Ders and depressions at points where cdn-
non were mounted. Pine and oak and other
trees stragye up the outer bank and over
the wall down into the center of the in
closed space. as men might have met in
conflict thirty years ago. There is
tapgle OF grasses at the bottom. and in one
corner is a thrifty young cherry tree in rec
ogniton of the fact that swords have been
turned into pruning hooks. The place makes
.to.,,r tr,fN ..f l,a Nir
turesque parts of Rock Creek Park. Itmay
some day have a little attention paid To the
preservation OF it's lines, and SD be retained
for the artists pencil and for the sight
seer of q hundred years from now. 1t is
one of the few points about Washington
where the footprints of war linger unmis-
takably.
The movement for the circumvallation of
the capital was begun little more than
thirty five years ago, May %, 1861. On
that day Major Wood went by way OF the
AQueduct Bridge, Major HeintZelman,
afterward general, by Long Bridge, and
Col Ellsworth by water to Alexandria,
all to take up u position on the sacred soil of
Virginia and make Notifications to protect
Washington. Capt. d. P. Woodbury., aidt.i
by Lieut. o. f. Cross. had charge of the en-
gineering operations at Aqueduct Bridge,
Capt B. s. Alexander with Lieut.. F. E.
Prime at Jackson City, and Capt. II. G.
Wright, a volunteer, was sent by Gen. Mans
field, who seems to have been in chief coin
mand, to select the points for making the
forts.
NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE COUNTRY
At that time, il is stated, that the officers
oftbearmy-event those who had spent much
oftheir time at Washington and Sew York
were great deal better acquainted with
the approaches to Paris than they were
with the country surrounding this city.
II had been made part of their education.
and after reading to know what had been
done abroad in modern fcrtiflcations for
great centers OF population, nearly all were
familiar with the general lines of the works
for the protection of Paris and other foreign
capitals. Nothing at all had been done here
and many even OF those who had lived here
for some time kne W almost nothing of the
lay OF the country in this vicinity.
Sites We're chosen at once for Fort
Runyon, near the south end of Long
Bridge on the hills near st. Asaph; Fort
Corcoran, just back of Rosslyn, toward
Arlington. and Fort Ellsworth, at Alex
andria. With Fort Corcoran were the
auxiliary batteries known as Fort Bennett
and Fort Haggerty, with system OF
blockhouses and rifle trenches around the
head of the aqueduct Bridge, while Fort
Runyon was supported by Fort Albany.
Fort Ellsworth probably had thanking
batteries placed along the elevations
around Shutters Hill, where 1T was To-
Gated though no account of the fact has
been found.