Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-10-14
ClRCLED BY FORTS
How Washington Was Defended Dur
-, ing the Rebellion.
A STRONG GORDON ABOUT TIE CAPITAL
Description. of the Prominent For
tifications and Their Armaments.
SITES OF THE OLD WORKS


When the war cloud broke upon the
country the position of the national capt.
tai was precarious in the extreme. The
same stream that. washed its v-harves
| touched the opposite shore of an enemy's
country and iE the state that surrounded
| it on the north the sentiment of the peo-
pie could scarcely be called sympathetic
with the government at Washington. So
| 1t was not surprising that the authorities
| at the home of the nation set about to
| protect il from invasion and violation. In
| a surprisingly short time strong Gordon
| of forts and batteries well equipped with
] ordnance ard garrisoned by eager and will
! ing men extended in a defiant circle around
| the city. 1t would take volumes to de-
| scribe the difficulties that we're overcome
| to establish this belt Of protection, bur
| these were largely of a material character
| and were met in a great degree by the
| natural advantages of the surrounding
| country, which offered SO many excellent
points Tor fertilization and embattlemLnL
On either side OF the river, both in. Vir-
! slnia and Maryland, the hills presented 4
| continuation of heights which commanded
the territory lying beyond, and these Were
quickly taken advantage of by the engi-
neer department of the United States army.
| Strong embellishments were thrown up, pow
| erful guns were placed in position, and
In order TO give the widest range for ex-
| ccut1on forests were leyeIed and in some
| instances houses and harms removed SO
| that the enemy would have no chance to
l'come upon the city unawares. AS the forts
| W+ft erected ana provided with their
| iHaineft they were as quickly earrisoned
| 3y The troOIS that poured into Washing
| ION from the north. and many of :he BRAY
| est and best of the soldiers who fought
| fcr the perpetuty of the government saw
| Their first service in the forts around
| Washington.
| The System of Defenxes.
By the LIST of January. 1862, the entire
defensive line, mounting about 100 guns,
was in an advanced condition, although
not completed. 1t was not, indeed, until
the summer of 1864 that they were in
any thing like finished shape. When COM
pleted the works comprised G. forts with
| 1t supporting batteries, the whole having
| an armament OF over LOCO guns and re
curing lG,e~ men to properly arm them.
| ne nrst suggestion to erect fortifications
was made early in May, 1861, by Cen
| Mansfield, Who was then in command of
| inc troops in this city, and he indicated
| Arlington Heights as the best place to be
| sln BY the 2ith of that month Forts Ellis
| worth, Runvon, Albany and Corcoran were
| established for the special purpose Of the
| protection to the approaches of the bridges
and ferries on the Potomac. 1t was not
| fought, however that a systematic plan
| OF defense was thought of. After the bat
| tie of Bull Run The cluster of corlnan
| iEr heights four miles west of Alexandria
and six miles from Washington We're &C.
| cupied by the confed.rates, but in October
of that year the hills were again taken pos
session of and fortified by the Uni5n
| troops. The system of works constituting
| what are called the defenses of Washing
ton were divided irto four groups: First.
those south OF the Potomac, commencing
with Fort Willard, below Alexandria, and
| terminating with Fort Smith opposite
| Georgetown, comprising twenty-nine forts
and eleven supporting attaries; second
Forts Ethan Allen and Marcy at the Vir-
glhla END OF the Chain bridge with their
hive batteries for field guns; third those
| iorth OF the Potomac and between that
| river and the Anacostia, commencing with
Fort Sumner and terminating with Fort
| Lincoln, comprising nineteen forts, four
batteries armed with heavy guns and
| twenty-three batteries of field guns; fourth
those south of the Anacostia, commencing
WIZ Fort Mahon at Benril.g and termi-
| mating with Fort Greble at OAon run
| nearly opposite Alexandria, comprising
twelve forts and one armed battery.
The Cost and Building.
Most of the heavy labor on the fortifca-
tons was done by hired laborers, but a
good part was the work of the soldiers.
Indeed, it became the aim and duty of the
soldiers who We're quartered in the forts
to make them as strong and perfect as pos
sible. The cost of the work, exclusive of
armament, amounted to considerably more
than half a million dollars When they
were first being erected there was a con-
giomeratlon OF names, and the Notifications
were named indiScriminately after states
cities and individuals, but in 1861 the War
Department issued an order giving to the
forts the names of distinguished soldiers
VINO had lost their lives in defense of the
flag.
OF the forts south of the Potomac, be-
tween the Long bridge and Arlington.
which comprised Runyon, Jackson, Scott,
Richardson, Barry, Craig, Mcpherson and
Hagerty and Albany, the armament of the
| latter gives good idea of the armament
OF all 1t consisted of Is guns-thirteen 24-
! FOUNDER barbettes, two 6-pounder field
pieces and three 24-pounder howitzers
These were manned by 1S3 gunners.
Description of the Defenses.
To take the remainder of the forts al.
phabetically 1t is we'll to begin at Fort
Baker, which was one of the largest of the
0efenses. 1t was situated in the outskirts
Of Good Hope HILL on the south side of the
Bowen road, and commanded the Anacostia
and Navy Yard bridge Gen. Sickles at one
time had his headquarters there Fort
Baker was named after the hero of Balls
Blum, and was armed with three S-inch
| howitzers, seven 24-pounder seacoast guns
two 4-pounder field howitzers. eight IN,
FOUNDER PARROTS and one 1o-inch and one
24-pounder Calhoun mortars A short dis.
lance east of Fort Baker was Fort Davis
while Fort Wagner was still to the west
Fort Bayard was situated on the River roa d
mile west of Tenleytown, and a portion
; OF the Old work is still preserved and il
plain view from the roadside
Fort Bennett occupied the eastern point
OF the bluff that overlooks the Virginia
end OF the Aqueduct bridge from the west
ward Fort Berry stood in the angle form
ed by the Columbia and old Falls Church
roads, about two and one-half miles from
the Aqueduct and Long bridges. 1t was
l built by the 2lst New York Regiment and
named after the city where the organiza.
Gen. Mcdowell, preparatory to his advance
to the first battle Of Bull Run. The works
are still in good state of preservation
and are protected by growth of young
? trees.
. Fort Bunker Hill.
} Fort Bunker Hill, which Is now within tn,