ENROLLED ORIGINAL A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION 22-143 IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA July 11, 2017 To commemorate and celebrate the 153rd anniversary of the Battle of Fort Stevens. WHEREAS, Fort Stevens, originally named Fort Massachusetts for the home state of the soldiers who constructed it, was built to defend the District of Columbia against attacks from the Confederate army from the north, along the 7th Street Pike, now known as Georgia Avenue; WHEREAS, Fort Massachusetts was renamed Fort Stevens after the death of Brigadier General Ingalls Stevens at the Battle of Chantilly on September 1, 1862; WHEREAS, during the summer of 1864, General Ulysses S. Grant moved most Union troops to the south, leaving only approximately 9,000 troops to defend the District of Columbia; WHEREAS, the Battle of Fort Stevens lasted 2 days, from July 11 through July 12, 1864, and marked the defeat of General Jubal A. Early's Confederate campaign to launch an offensive action against the District of Columbia; WHEREAS, the victory at Fort Stevens saved the nation's capital, helped ensure President Abraham Lincoln's re-election, and aided in the preservation of the Union; WHEREAS, the remains of 41 Union soldiers who died in the Battle of Fort Stevens are buried on the grounds of Battleground National Cemetery, which was created and dedicated by President Lincoln, and is located in the Brightwood neighborhood of Ward 4; WHEREAS, following the Battle of Fort Stevens, the Military Road School, one of the first schools to educate African American children, was established on the grounds of Fort Stevens; WHEREAS, the Military Road School closed in 1954, but remains an essential part of the history of Fort Stevens and of the Civil War for the District of Columbia; WHEREAS, Fort Stevens Park now serves as one of many Civil War defenses operated and maintained by the National Park Service in the District of Columbia as a place of enjoyment and a memorial to all those who fought for our country; and 1 ENROLLED ORIGINAL WHEREAS, the Battle of Fort Stevens is the only Civil War battle to take place in Washington, D.C., and has a lasting legacy to the District of Columbia and the United States. RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution may be cited as the “Battle of Fort Stevens 153rd Anniversary Recognition Resolution of 2017”. Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia celebrates the Union victory at Fort Stevens on July 12, 1864, and is forever grateful for the brave soldiers who defended the District of Columbia. Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon the first date of publication in the District of Columbia Register. 2 .