Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-01


veering off then to warrenton and Cuipeper
Court House and returning to Lees lines &C
Fredericksburg on New Year day.
special commission appointed by the Sec
rotary of War December 80 reported: Fort
Lyon forms the extreme left of our line south
portant one--that Of holding the heights south
of Hunting Greek, from which Alexandria
could be shelled and our left flank exposed"
The commission recommended construction Of
an interior redoubt, traverses and additional gun
platforms at the fort to bring more f1re to
bear on the heights across Happy Valley.
In 1868 John s. Mosby, famous Confederate
partisan ranger leader, brought the savagery Of
guerrilla warfare to the country before Fort
Lyon. Wild night attacks, ambushing of small
patrols and foraging parties and attacks on
wagon trains became the order of the day. AS
a result by March 81 the garrison of Fort
Lyon had been increased to 500 artiiierymeu
and 1850 Infantry and Gen. Barnard recon-
mended that If the enemy came too close this
garrison be increased by 1000 additional men
to man the rifle pits. supply of 100 rounds
OF ammunition per gun stored in the
magazines of the fort.
On June o. 1863, occurred the greatest tragedy
in the history Of the defenses of Washington,
when the north magazine at Fort Lyon blew
up, killing 20 men and injuring scores Of others,
a number Of whom died later. A detail of 60
men was engaged In filing shells and examine
ing ammunition when one shell exploded.
setting of the entire magazine with crash
heard 10 miles. The earth and timber roof
rose in geyser Of smoke and every man in the
fort was thrown to the ground. Everything in
the vicinity Of the magazine was wrecked, the
big guns being toppled OF their carriages.
Fragments Of the magazine and shells and even
OF human bodies fell hundreds of yards from
the works. When the dazed survivors reached
the scene they found In place Of the magazine
yawning crater Of raw clay, filled with wreck
age and curling eddies Of smoke. The cause
OF the catastrophe never was determined, as
every man in the magazine was killed instantly
and every trace Of evidence demolished. The
wounded were removed to the Army hospital at
Alexandria and the magazine was rebuilt.
When Lees army began its march into PENN
Sylvania In June, 1863, Maj. Gen. j. e. b. Stuart,
dashing Confederate Cavalry leader, led his
troops between the Union Army and Washing
ton. His advance, led by Gen. Wade Hampton.
on June 81, smashed detachment Of Federal
Cavalry near Fairfax and the Union commits
sary stores there were looted and burned. Blue
outposts were driven into the Notifications and,
passing outside the line Of works. the leading
Confederate brigade struck a Union supply train
at Tenleytown, capturing more than 125 wagons
and nearly 400 prisoners. Only the forts pre-
vented q raid into the National Capital, Stuart
said later.
stirring pursuit of his army back into Vir-
ginia, Mosby resumed his guerrilla warfare in
the vicinity Of Fort Lyon. Gen. George ARM
strong Custer, later killed by the Sioux with his
entire command on the Little Big Horn, took
command of the Cavalry in front of Fort Lyon
on August 2, 1868, establishing a picket line
to Aqua Greek with 600 men. Mosby, however,
penetrated the line and on September 81 led
raid to a point within sight of Fort Lyon,
capturing Col. Dulaney, aide to the Union
Governor OF Virginia. He then burned the
railroad bridge across Cameron Run three miles
raid
shot through the thigh and side and carried
to Lynchburg on stretcher.
Fort Lyon again was host to a great army
when the 18th and 18th Army Corps were trans
ferred from the Army of the Potomac to the
Army OF the Cumberland during the closing
weeks Of September, 1853. The corps camped
around the fort while being Quilted by the
quartermaster and commissary depots. On
OCTOBER IL Lee took advantage of the de.
parture of the two corps to attack the Army of
the Potomac, driving it from the Rappahannock
TO Br1stoe Station. Lee, October Is, reported to
Jefferson Davis that he had forced the enemy
east of Bull Run and could easily turn his
position and If he still be unwilling to engage
In battle could force him to retire to the forth
ncations around Alexandria" Wisely however.
Lee again retired to the Rappahannock without
further battle
Mosby, recovered from his wounds, resumed
operations and on October 49, after capturing
400 prisoners. horses, mules and wagons near
Fairfax, met the LIST District Of Columbia Cavalry
Battalion, Maj. E. J. Conger, at AnnandaIe.
and captured another captain and seven more
men and horses.
Gen. Barnard, October IA, reported to the
Secretary Of War the completion of Fort Lyon
and its outworks, together with auxiliary bat
ter1es and rifle pits connecting them. The
lunettes were named Forts Weed, Farnswort1
and ORourke IN tribute to Union officers slain
at Gettysburg.
Virtually all Of the veteran heavy artillerymen
were taken from Fort Lyon on March IS, 1864.
by order Of Gen. Grant In preparation for the
closing Of the Union forces upon Richmond. A.
scant handful Of the veterans were left to train