The National tribune., 1907-07-11
Fortifying Washington.

the army, Brighten. John Ii. Barnard,
of the Engineer Corps. was bringing al!
the resources of his department corps
to the work of protecting Washington
by adequate fortifications. Again we
have work done according to the best
European models, without the slight
est limitation being put upon expenses.
The plan adopted was that of the fam
Gus lines of Torres Vedras of the PENN
sular War These lines were construct
ed with such skill that Wellington with
his small army was able to stand OH
the very much more numerous host
that Napoleon sent against him in or
der to sweep him out of the Peninsula
and end the annoying struggle in that
quarter. Profound political and mill
tary reasons as well as professional en-
thusiasm, combined TO make this work
as fine an exhibition as possible of the
science of military engineering. Gen.
Barnard called upon his brother engi-
neerS for advice and suggestions, and
received unlimited help from Mcclellan,
who was in entire sympathy with him,
and strangely preferred having his vol
unteers dig rather than devote the time
to drilling and manuvering. of which he
claims they were so much in need. Gen.
Barnard also received liberal appropria-
tionS from Congress for the work. The
political reason was. of course, the safe |
ty of the Capital. which should be as |
Sured beyond doubt after the months |
of anxiety that had followed the firing
on Fort Sumter, accentuated by the de-
feat at Bull Run. The military reason |
was that the Army of the Potomac was
intended for aggressive operations, and
the stronger the works in its rear could |
be made the fewer men would be re-
quired to guard the Capital, and the
safer would be the refuge for the army |
in case of disaster.
The Three Lines of Possible Attack.
There were three directions from
which the land forces would attack |
Washington in the then situation, the
first of these being that of the Virginia |
side of the river, where the Arlington |
flights commanded the city. and which |
would enable the enemy gaining pos |
session of them to shell and possibly |
destroy the place. The Potomac was
crossed by three bridges, Long Bridge |
in front of Washington leading towards |
Alexandria: the Aqueduct Bridge, above
the city, by which the Cumberland
Canal formerly crossed the river to /
reach Alexandria, and some miles above
this the so-called Chain Bridge, con- |
structed at a point where the sides of
the gorge of the Potomac approach |
each other most closely. The control of
these bridges was, of course, necessary |
to prevent a victorious enemy from
crossing the river and actually occupy |
ing the city. In the SO miles of canyon
which the Potomac cuts thru the gran |
ite between Harper's Ferry and Wash |
ington the river is crossable at several
points under favorable circumstances, !
when the water is low and the cross 1
ing unopposed. An enemy could, 1
when the water was low, cross at Ed !
wards Ferry, about half way between I
Washington and Harper's Ferry. The
best crossing, however, was at Harper's
Ferry, and this excited the most con-
cern from the first until the end of the
war, because it was always possible
that the enemy, coming down the Shan- 1
andoah Valley, should pass thru the
gateway at Harper's Ferry and strike
directly at Washington, as Jubal Early |
did in July, 1864.
The third line of approach to Wash /
ington was that which the British fol- |
lowed when they captured the city in
1914. The eastern boundary of the
city of Washington is formed by the
Anacostia or Eastern Branch of the Po-
tomac. This is a wide, rather shallow
estuary upon which the Navy Yard is
situated, east of which Is a range of
hills about $50 feet high. All of these
lines of approach had to be provided
with defeEses so as to meet any possible
contingency. There was even the prob
ability that a force of the enemy might
be thrown across the lower Potomac
into Maryland, and by a rapid march
gain the nights beyond the Anacostfa,
d
else, would destroy the Navy Yard, the
Arsenal and other places within range.
The first fortifying was, as already de-
scribed, on the south or right-hand side
of the Potomac. The first movement
across the river into Virginia gave pos
session of the nights of Arlington, and
slight works were thrown up there. with
some inner works to serve as bridge
head for the Aqueduct Bridge. At the
same time party crossed by the Chain
Bridge and threw up some slight works
to make a "bridge-head" or tete de
pont, as the phrase then was, to cover
the Chain Bridge. When the advance
was made upon Alexandria Runyon's
troops were left to throw up a bridge
head at the first hill to cover Long
Bridge.
After Mcclellan took command of the
army the fortifying began scientifically
and comprehensively, according to the
plan elaborated by the engineers. This
involved beginning at the highest point
in the neighborhood, Mount Prospect, a
mile above Chain Bridge. very heavy
work was erected there called Fort
Marcy. Then came chain of other
forts within mutual supporting distance.
and following the highest ridge ran
enthusiastically to the high ground in
the rear of Alexandra which overlooks
Cameron Run. Upon this an unusually
heavy work was built named Fort Els
ley of the run Fort Lyon was built, the
two commanding the valley thru which
the railroad passed from Alexandria to
Manassas. The control of this impor-
tant valley was assured by the construc-
tion of Forts Worth, Ward, Richardson
and Craig upon advantageous points.
Other works extended this line to the
Potomac.
Within this upper line Of works there
was an inner line with numerous small
er forts. batteries and lunets, so that in
September the approach to Washington
from the south was regarded as reason
ably secure.
On the Georgetown Front.
Attention was next paid to guarding
against a sudden rush by an overpower-
ing force from the upper Potomac and
Harpers Ferry. Fort Pennsylvania
afterwards called Fort Reno. was begun
on the nights of Tennallytown to COM
mand the roads leading up the Potomac
from Georgetown, and Fort Gaines car
ried the line over toward Rock Greek
Beyond Rock Creek Fort Stevens was
built to command the road leading t.
Rockville, and to its right were For1s
Totten, Slocum and Lincoln, to guard
the roads to Baltimore and extend the
line to the Anacostia. This line was
later strengthened by the construction
of additional forts, De Russy Bunker
Hill Saratoga, Slemmer and Thayer