Evening star., 1938-02-27
Capitals War Defenses
Revealed in Winter
Story of Confederate Drive
Told as Forts Lose

in July, 1861, the first effort being
expended to protect the heights of
Arlington, south of the Potomac.
Work on Fort Reno, at Tenleytown,
was begun in early August. 1861;
Fort Stevens at about the same time
The plan called for a total of 48
forts in all around the National Cap
ital and Alexandria, occupying per-
imeter of 33 miles.
Fort De Russy was designed to oc-
cupy its very commanding position
overlooking the deep valley of Rock
Creek and provide a eross-f1re upon
the approaches to Fort Stevens and,
together with Fort Kearney, between
it and Fort Reno, to control the coun-
try roads between Rockville turn
pike and Rock Creek, according to the
report of the Army engineers who laid
out the works.
THE following is quoted from a re-
port by Maj. Gen. j. G. Barnard,
who was in command of the defenses
of Washington during a large part of
| the Civil War:
The country between Forts Reno
and De Russy was rugged and gen.
orally wooded. A tributary of Rock
Creek, Broad Branch. having a deep
and wide valley, bisects the interval.
Fort Kearny. a large lunette with
stockaded gorge, occupies a position
from which this valley is we'll seen.
The auxiliary batteries, Rossel and
Terrill, and third on a spur over
looking the stream, add their fire to
that of the fort sweep the slopes of
minor depreSsions and command por-
tions of the valley otherwise unseen.
These works are supported by rifle
trenches almost continuous from Fort
Reno to Fort Kearny and thence. in
terrupted by the valley of Broad
Branch, to Fort De Russy.
Fort De Russy occupies a salient
and exposed point of the line. Orig
inally small inclosed. unflanked
work and entirely isolated, it would
have exerted little influence in re-
pelling an attack on the city and had
indeed little power of resisting assault
upon itself The position is very COM
manding, especially over the valley of
Rock Greek and the ground between
1t and Fort Stevens AS subsequently
modified and connected by parapets
with the auxiliary batteries, Smeade
and Kingsbury Cthe first of which
inclosed by stockade group, it be-
came strong position. The line of
trenches continued thence to Fort
Stevens, including in them one or two
small batteries near the creek, by
which better to control the bed and
the valley Of the tributary lying be-
tween it and Fort Stevens"
Fort De Russy was named for Brig
Gen. Gustavus A. De Russy, who for
a time was in command of the de-
fenses of Washington north of the
Potomac. He was in command OF the
i threatened works at the time of Early's
attack
zen. EARLY has left description
of the defenses of Washington as
he found them at the time of the at
tack. The following paragraph will be
of interest to the visitor to Fort Stev-
ems or De Russy:
"Rode's skirmishers were thrown to
| the front, driving those of the enemy
to the cover of the works and We pro-
! ceeded to examine the Notifications in
order to ascertain if it was practicable
to carry them by assault. They were
| found to be exceedingly strong and
consisted Of what appeared to be in
closed forts for heavy artillery. with
tier of lower works in front of each
pierced for an immense number of
guns, the whole being connected by
curtains with bitches in front and
strengthened by palisades and abattis.
The timber had been felled within
cannon range all around and left on
the ground making a formidable OBJ
stacle, and every possible approach was
raked by artillery. On the right was
Rock Creek running through a deep
ravine, which had been rendered inn
passable by the telling of timber on
each side, and beyond were the works
on the Georgetown pike, which had
been reported to be the strongest of
all. On the left, as far as the eye
could reach, the works appeared to be
of the same impregnable character
The position was naturally strong for
defense, and the examination showed,
what might have been expected. that
every appliance of science and unlim-
tied means had been used to render
the Notifications around Washington
as strong as possible"
FOR a time it was feared in the
Union lines that Early's attack
might fall on Fort De Russy. About
II am. July II, 1864, the signal officer
at Fort Reno observed clouds of dust
and Army wagons moving from the
direction Of Rockville toward Blair's
farm, on the Seventh street road, now
Georgia avenue.
"All available troops were concen-
trated in the rifle trenches5on either
side of Fort De Russy," Gen. Barnard
said in his report some of the vet
eran reserves were moved across Rock
Creek from the 1st to the I'd Brigade
and the picket line was strengthened
as much as possible from the Brook
vile pike to Seventh street road"
Col. Marble, 151st Ohio National
Guard, was sent to command the
troops and the line at and near Fort
De Russy, which was regarded as the
weakest portion of the line attacked
because of the broken ground and
shelter afforded by stumps and rocks.
Fire was opened from the heavy guns
in Fort De Russy to check the enemy
advance in large bodies
AS the Confederate attack devel-
oped, about noon of July IL, the Union
pickets fell back to the forts and the
guns of Stevens, De Russy and Slocum,
to the east, went into heavy action.
Advance of the enemy was checked
and he took cover, maintaining q gall
ing fire on the gunners in the forts
Skirmishing continued until after
dark, Mai Gen. H. G. Wright arriv.