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Preserving the Heritage of Our Civil War Forts Project

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Preserving the Heritage of Our Civil War Forts Project Civil War Defenses of Washington and the Battle of Fort Stevens Preserving the Heritage of Our Civil War Forts Project Loretta Neumann, President Alliance to Preserve the Civil War Defenses of Washington Prepared for the Humanities Council of Washington DC November 15, 2017 Washington DC 1861 At the start of the Civil War, Washington DC was a small city of about 62,000 people. It was unprotected except by Fort Washington, 12 Washington DC Historical drawing National Archives miles south on the Potomac River, built in 1808 to protect Capital from enemy Fort Washington warships. Photos, National Park Service Civil War Defenses of Washington (CWDW) In July 1861, the Confederates defeated the Union Army at the first Battle of Manassas (Bull Run) in Virginia, 30 miles from DC. President Lincoln directed Major Gen. John G. Barnard, an Army engineer, to design a series of forts to ring and protect Maj. Gen. John G. Barnard Washington DC. Photos, National Park Service CWDW in 1865 DC became one of the most fortified cities in the world. By the end of the war, there was a 37-mile circle around DC with: • 68 forts • 93 unarmed batteries • 807 mounted cannon • 13 miles of rifle trenches • 32 miles of military roads May 1864 Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s Army of the Potomac laid siege to Petersburg. For support, Grant stripped DC of its veteran troops. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia was fighting Grant and defending Richmond. Gen. Robert E. Lee Shenandoah Valley May 15, 1864 The Valley was an important food and supply line for the Confederates. Grant sent Gen. Franz Sigel with Maj. Gen. Franz Sigel 10,000 troops to destroy the rails and clear the Valley of Confederates. Sigel was defeated at the Battle of New Market by Gen. John Breckinridge whose 4,000 troops were augmented by 257 students from the Virginia Military Institute. Maj. Gen. John C. Breckinridge May 19, 1864 Grant replaced Sigel with Gen. David Hunter. Hunter was ordered to take Lynchburg and Charlottesville and to destroy all supply lines. June 10 -12, 1864 Maj. Gen. David Hunter Breckinridge moved his troops to Lynchburg. Hunter reached Lexington. His troops burned home of former VA Governor John Letcher and the Virginia Military Institute. June 12 Gen. Lee gave orders to Gen. Jubal Early to: 1. Protect the Valley for fall harvest 2. Threaten or attack Washington DC 3. Draw Grant’s Lt. Gen. Jubal Early troops from Petersburg Battle of Lynchburg, June 17-18 Early defeated Hunter, who escaped to West VA. Sandusky House (c. 1808), headquarters . of Gen. Hunter in Lynchburg. Earth works at “Fort Early,” Lynchburg. LN photos 2014 Shenandoah Valley VA to West VA June –July 1864 Gen. Early’s troops marched down the Valley. They cut telegraph and rail lines, skirmished with Union troops. Meanwhile - Grant thought Early was still in Lynchburg! . West VA to Maryland July 1-6 Confederates extracted ransoms from Hagerstown, Middletown & Frederick. At Harpers Ferry, Gen. Sigel held them off for several days at Maryland Heights. Confederates later crossed into Maryland further down. View of Harpers Ferry from Maryland Heights. NPS photo Frederick, MD July 7-8, 1864 B&O President John Garrett alerted Gen. Lew Wallace (in Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace, Commander, Middle Dept. of Maryland & Delaware Baltimore). Gen. Wallace took troops to Monocacy Junction to protect trains and roads. July 8, Wallace sent telegram to Washington, warning of Early’s approach. Monocacy River at Monocacy Junction LN photo, 2013 Battle of Monocacy July 9, 1864 Troops fought on farms around Monocacy River. Union forces lost the battle, but delayed for a day Best Farm, Monocacy National Battlefield Early’s march on DC. Cannon & Cornfields, Monocacy NB Worthington House LN photos 2012 Monocacy National Battlefield - Today 1,647-acre unit of National Park System. Enacted in 1934. Land acquired beginning in 1970s. Park opened to public in 1991. Displays on balcony, visitor center Entrance sign & visitor center, opened in 2007. LN photos 2012 5201 Urbana Pike (route 355) To Washington DC July 10-11 Confederates began hot, dusty march down Georgetown (Rockville) Pike (now Rt. 355). Gen. Early spent night of July 10 at home of John DeSellum T. De Sellum in Home Gaithersburg, MD. LN Photo 2013 March to Washington Confederate Leaders with Early Maj. Gen John C. Breckinridge Breckinridge's Corps Maj. Gen. John B. Gordon Gordon's Division Maj. Gen. Robert E. Rodes Rodes' Division Maj. Gen. Stephen Ramseur Ramseur's Division Gen. McCausland - South on Rockville Pike July 11 Heads towards Tennallytown. Some skirmishing. Sees the heavily fortified Fort and Battery Reno and Fort Bayard at River Road. McCausland alerts Early in Brig. Gen. John McCausland Rockville. McCausland’s Brigade To Rockville and the March to DC July 11 At Rockville, Confederates fought off Union troops of Maj. William H. Fry. Alerted by McCausland, Early turned east on Veirs Mill Rd. then south on 7th Street Road/ Pike. (Georgia Ave.) Historic Beall-Dawson House, Rockville, MD LN Photo 2013 Houses Used by Confederates in Silver Spring Jessup Blair House, “The Moorings.” Built ca. 1850. Used by Confederates during Battle of Fort Stevens. Georgia & Eastern Ave. Richard T. Wilson’s home, headquarters for Gen. Breckinridge. 8818 First Ave. LN Photo s 2017. Home of Dr. Henry Ford Condict, used by Confederates as observation post. 9315 Greyrock Road. Silver Spring, MD Gen. Early encamped at “Silver Spring,” home of newspaper editor Francis Preston Blair. Gazebo, 8060 Newell St., site of source of silver spring below. Now a park, acquired in 1942 by Maryland Park & Planning Commission. Mural drawing of Blair home, “Silver Spring,” built in 1842, demolished in 1955. LN Photos 2013 Fort Stevens July 11 Early’s troops arrived north of Fort Stevens. Fighting continued throughout the day. Historical photo of Fort Stevens, LOC Defenses Around Fort Stevens Forts Bunker Hill, Totten and Slocum (East/SE) and DeRussy, Reno & Bayard and Battery Kemble (West/SW). Fort Totten 20 guns & mortars and 100-pounder Parrott gun. Fort Totten gave long- range support to Fort Stevens Brig. Gen. Joseph Totten, chief of Army engineers. 100 pounder Parrott gun at Fort Totten - 1865 Fort Slocum Colonel John Slocum, killed July 21, 1861 at First Battle of Manassas . White officers of 4th U.S. Colored Infantry. African American NCO’s, second row on right. Heavily armed. On July 11, first canon shots of Battle of Fort Stevens from here. 31st Pennsylvania troops near Ft Slocum LN photo 2014 Fort DeRussy 100-pounder Parrot rifle and other guns repulsed Confederates during Battle of Fort Stevens. Large, unrestored earthworks Union Brig Gen DeRussy, Supt of US Military Academy (1833- 1838) Fort Reno Highest elevation in DC. Signal corps saw dust from marching Confederates. Largest of the forts. Supported a dozen heavy guns, 3,000 men. Maj. Gen. Jesse Lee Reno, mortally wounded at Battle of South Mountain, MD, View from Fort Reno - McMillan Commission Report, 1902 Sept. 14, 1862. Union Troops Arrive July 11 Gen. Wright’s troops (VI Corps) came by steamboats to 6th St. Wharf. President Lincoln went to greet them. From 6th St. Wharf to Fort Stevens, 6th St. Wharf, Drawing, LOC. nearly 7 miles. Sixth Street Wharf Thomas Law & wife Eliza Parke Custis, Today granddaughter of Martha Washington Southern end of Maine Ave. SW. Law House across from 6th St. Wharf. Built in 1794, became a hotel during the Civil War. Now a LN Photos 2013 community center for Tiber Island Cooperative. Lincoln Cottage During the summers President and Mrs. Lincoln often stayed at the cottage. Fearing President might be captured, they were moved Gothic-Revival "cottage," originally built for George W. Riggs in 1842. LN Photo 2013. temporarily back to the White House. Next to the Soldier’s Home, with signal station and telegraphic link to the War Department Battle of Fort Stevens July 11- 12 President Lincoln visited Ft. Stevens twice during the battle. On July 12 he was shot at - only time a sitting U.S. President under direct enemy fire. President Lincoln at Fort Stevens, 1864 (drawing). Battle of Fort Stevens Union Army Leaders Maj. Gen. Horatio Wright, VI Army Corps Maj. Gen. Alexander McCook, in charge of the Northern Defenses of Maj. Gen. Christopher Auger Washington Brig. Gen. Frank Wheaton, Commander of the Department 1st Brigade of Washington - XXII Corps (Town of Leesborough renamed in his honor) Battle of Fort Stevens – Overview Map, Civil War Preservation Trust Battle of Fort Stevens Tulip tree used by Confederate sharpshooters. Site of former Walter Reed Army Medical Center north of Fort Stevens. Plaques and cannon balls at site of former Photos courtesy of US Army tulip tree. Entire area included in Walter Reed Historic District. Battle of Fort Stevens Scene of the battle, drawn in 1864. Soldiers, remains of a building burnt to the ground, and smoke from cannon fire beyond. Aftermath of Battle of Fort Stevens Falkland, the burned home of Montgomery Blair, Lincoln’s Postmaster General . House near Fort Stevens after the battle. The Morning After - July 13 Gen. Early slipped out of DC overnight. The morning of July 13, the Confederates were gone. During the day, Union and Confederate troops skirmished at Rockville. Fort Stevens Aftermath, July 13-16 Gen. Early crossed the Potomac at White’s Ford (north of today’s White’s Ferry). His troops went back to Virginia though Leesburg to the Shenandoah Valley. White’s Ferry LN Photo 2013 Battle of Cedar Creek, VA October 19 In September, Union Gen. Philip Sheridan launched campaign, “The Burning,” in Shenandoah Valley. Morning of Oct.
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