The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-08-09

teU,st, is fact known 20 few citizens of
the Capitol while stranger within the
gates pay their visits and depart. without
ever having known that short ride would
have taken them To some of the most i'm
ter,-tiug forts now standing in the C0uu-
try, as evidences of tho war between thu
States, when this was a fortified Capital
for an, first and only time in history
4 drive around the line of the old for
tidcatious forms one of the most iIupTos-
sive features of the city. although one
rarely taken advantage Of The forts
were erected during the civil war. for the
defence Of the National Capital against
the Confederate armies. They extend m
a continuous circle of forts and earth
works thirty-soyoU miles in circum-
ference. from Alexandria ou tine Virginia
side Of the Potomac. 90 Fort Greble, near
" opposite that city ON The Maryland
bank. The sites Of the old defeuces stul
remain Many OF them are IN "a wouaer-
FUZZY good state of preservation, and they
are nearly AN wei defined, and clearly
Gi-JiuEushahlC-
To many residents Of the city the cX-
istonce OF the chain Of earthworks and
forts is unknown. Yet they form one OF
the most picturesque sights Of the city,
although not on the guide books, and
source Of interest Near Auacostia is one
Of the best preserved fortificauous. Fort
Stanton. il was built in September. 1861,
for the purpose of protecting the Capitol
and Navy Yard from "a possible lombard
ment There is an extraordinary ridge eN-
tending from Auacostia, OF Union Town,
as il was formerly known. 20 Oxen Run
During the war this was sparsely settled.
and heavily wooded. and il was necessary
70 fortify the entire ridge "A distance Of
six miles The most important of these
Notifications was Fort GrebIe. on the PO-
tomac. almost directly opposite AIeXau-
dria. The old fort is still there Fort
Mcics occupies the extreme end Of the
ridge. From this point an artillery fire
could sweep the entire city Of Washing
ton. From Anacostia TO BenuinE 80. G.,
on the eastern hank OF the Eastern
Branch. a line Of earthworks stiIl remain.
They have been washed 10y storms and
pl0uEhed, and IN some instances small
forests Of pine have grown up over them.
bat they can be easily found and followed
for considerable distance
One OF the best-known Of the fortifica-
tons is Fort Mahan. built on the site Of
the old NcMahan farm near Benning. A
house now occupies the centre Of the fort
ard the old powder magazine is used as a
cellar II is one of the most picturesque
spots in the vicinity of Washington. The
woods in that neighborhood have been
made uneven by old rifle pits and earth
works. The timber, and the numerous
guilies which still exist, made il one OF
tire most difficult portions Of the line Of
defences TO be built. North Of the city,
from Benning to a point opposite the
Chain Bridge. three miles above George
town. the line Of Notifications extend in
an almost unbroken chain Of forts. The
city has grown so rapidly since the war
that many Of these sites are now thickly
settled At that time, however. the north
erp line of dcfeuCCs was six miles beyond
the city limits
On Tenley1Own Heights are the crum-
bled and almost oDliterated remains Of
Fort Reno. thrown no while the Capital
City was in a state bordering on a panic
The battle Of Bull Run had Just been
fought, and Washington was fun Of troops
who streamed continuously over the Long
Bridge and brought the news Of the de-
feat At this jUucture the outposts Of the
enemy appeared At Muuson Heights. near
Alexandria. and the engineer department
began Immediately TO erect line Of forti-
fioatons 10 protect the northern bound
aries Of the city from the invasion which
was almost hourly expected.
Fort Reno was the first Of these TO be
built IL was followed by the erection Of
Fort Stevens. which commanded the Sew
e1th Street Road, at that time one Of the
most important thoroughfares entering
Washington. From Fort Stevens the line
Of bTeastwOrks can be followed east 20
Forts TOttCn. SIocum. and Lincoln. which
commanded the Baltimore turnpike and
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The
lines Of the old rifle pits and entrench-
meats are stiu I'm existence The forts
hastily built for the protection Of the re
CeiviuG reservoir. upon which the city de
pended for its water supply. have almost
disappeared The present reese rvoir is
erected upon the site Of one Of them.
on the Virginia side Of the Potomac an
extent OF f0rtincatio4s stretches from the
Chain Bridge 20 and embracing the city
Of Alexandria. The road leading from
the Chain Bridge 20 Falls Church cuts
through one Of them. and the entire line
Of embellishments along the bIuns over
looking theTiver can Doe followed for sew
eral miles without difficulty. The old
rife pits and trenches have grown waist
high with vines and trees but are never
theiess plainly defined. The two forts at
this place are Ethan Allen and Marcy. at
an elevation Of nearly 800 feet. An old
well inside the fort, used by the garrison.
IS still there. II Is indicated only by d de-
preston in the ground. At the close OF
the war the Wei was filed up with rail-
road ties and trunks Of trees. and covered
with earth, the timbers have now bec0m.
rotten and a person walking across the
top would probably sink through several
hundred feet 90 the bottom. Such wells
were dug iu all Of the forts. and are
nearly all in the same condition.
Just above the Chain Bridge IS an old
house which In some manner escaped the
general d' structlOn which followed in the
wake 1i the war Ia that ueighbUrhO0d.
il Is inhabited by the same family which
lived there IN aute-belum DAYS and an
old gent man who witnessed one Of the
most dramatic features Of the war from
his .rgnt porch. tells many stories which
came under his own observation. When
General Early made his memorable raid
across the Potomac IN 1864 be first a.
tempted 20 gain She Maryland side uJ me
Potomac bE means Of the Chain Rridga
Tho bridge was b1rTicaded az the frs;
pier from the virginia side. and protected
nj the Maryland end by two h8yybzcrs
Ihe garrison OF the forts on the heights
above was composed Of usWly-g ullst,d
TODAY troops ot the Ohio National Guard
They had replaced tho NuU di-ciYI.ral
artillery troops. who ind been Withdrawn
and ere raw and unframed. When Ear
lys men appeared before them th.v rut
up so stubborn fight however. MAT re-
endorsements had time t. arriy. and
Early WAS obliged 10 cross the river fur
ther mp az Frederick
Tho necessity Tor line Of Qualifications
on The virginia side OF the Potomac was
seen early iu the war. Forts Euuyou and
Al.1nF were thrown up az the Long
Bridge and Fort Carcpran at the Agur-
duct which az that time carried th. Ch,S-
@peake and Ohio Canal across the river 10
Alexandra Intermediate works were