The Defenses of Washington: Fort Stevens

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Fort Stevens was one of a circle of defensive forts built during the Civil War to protect Washington, DC, from Confederate attack. Collectively, the were known as the Defenses of Washington. The most famous engagement at Fort Stevens occurred 11-12 July 1864 when Confederate forces under Jubal Early attacked the fort in an attempt to capture Washington. (There is a speculative fiction novel in which the Confederates win this battle, Washington is captured and Lincoln taken prisoner.)

Aware that the conflict was near, President Lincoln ventured out to what was then the rural outskirts of Washington to view the engagement. He was there while the battle raged and is the only sitting President, as Commander in Chief of the military, to come under actual fire. Today, Fort Stevens is primarily a group of surviving earthworks with interpretive historical markers and two cannon. July 12, 2014 marked the 150th anniversary of the battle. To commemorate the sesquicentennial, reenactors representing Union troops, civilians, and Abraham Lincoln himself gathered under the sponsorship of the National Park Service. A costumed storyteller recounted the African-American experience in 1864 while living history demonstrations of Civil War musket firing, camp life, a fife and drum unit and battlefield medicine took place on the field. A Postal Service philatelic display offered commemorative covers. I purchased one. Other attendees had come in costume as well, including a Girl Scout troop representing the ladies of Rockville who came to assist.

The Confederate forces were repulsed, with an estimated 500 casualties, and retreated back to Virginia. Fifty-nine Union soldiers were killed in action. Forty-one are buried at nearby Battlefield National Cemetery, the smallest of the National Cemeteries. I also stopped to visit Battlefield National Cemetery on Georgia Avenue.

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Photos

Fort Stevens Interpretive Marker
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Union Soldier
Union reenactor representing the 1st Regiment, United States Colored Troops. Battle of Fort Stevens sesquicentennial.
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Union Reenactors
Union reenactors. Battle of Fort Stevens sesquicentennial.
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Fife and Drum Corps
Union Fife and Drum Corps. Battle of Fort Stevens sesquicentennial.
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Storyteller
Storyteller. Battle of Fort Stevens sesquicentennial.
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Lincoln and Stanton
President Lincoln and Secretary of War Stanton take the field. Battle of Fort Stevens sesquicentennial.
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Fort Stevens Lincoln Plaque
Fort Stevens Lincoln commemorative plaque. The battle at Fort Stevens in July 1864 is the only military action in which the Commander in Chief (President Abraham Lincoln) came under direct fire from an enemy force. The monument to President Lincoln located on the site where he observed the 1864 conflict. Dedicated in 1911 and relocated to its present site in 1930.
Contributing resource, Civil War Fort Sites. National Register of Historic Places 74000274.
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Union Soldier
Union reenactor in full kit. Battle of Fort Stevens sesquicentennial.
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Pensive Reenactor
Pensive reenactor portraying a woman of the Civil War era.. Battle of Fort Stevens sesquicentennial.
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Fort Stevens Artillery
Fort Stevens, in far Northeast Washington, DC, was one of the ring of forts established to defend Washington, DC, during the Civil War. It is is notable for the battle of July 11-12, 1864 that marked the defeat of Jubal A. Early's Confederate campaign to launch an offensive action against Washington, DC. The battle at Fort Stevens is the only military action in which the Commander in Chief (President Abraham Lincoln) came under direct fire from an enemy force.
Partially reconstructed in 1937-1938 from original plans. Six replica cannons are mounted on appropriated field carriages on platforms.
Contributing resource, Civil War Fort Sites. National Register of Historic Places 74000274.
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Fort Stevens Artillery
Fort Stevens, in far Northeast Washington, DC, was one of the ring of forts established to defend Washington, DC, during the Civil War. It is is notable for the battle of July 11-12, 1864 that marked the defeat of Jubal A. Early's Confederate campaign to launch an offensive action against Washington, DC. The battle at Fort Stevens is the only military action in which the Commander in Chief (President Abraham Lincoln) came under direct fire from an enemy force.
Partially reconstructed in 1937-1938 from original plans. Six replica cannons are mounted on appropriate field carriages on platforms.
Contributing resource, Civil War Fort Sites. National Register of Historic Places 74000274.
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Fort Stevens Palisade
Reconstructed palisades at Fort Stevens, in far Northeast Washington, DC, was one of the ring of forts established to defend Washington, DC, during the Civil War. It is is notable for the battle of July 11-12, 1864 that marked the defeat of Jubal A. Early's Confederate campaign to launch an offensive action against Washington, DC. The battle at Fort Stevens is the only military action in which the Commander in Chief (President Abraham Lincoln) came under direct fire from an enemy force.
Contributing resource, Civil War Fort Sites. National Register of Historic Places 74000274.
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Jubal A. Early
Reenactor portraying Confederate General Jubal A. Early. Battle of Fort Stevens sesquicentennial.
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Mother and Son
Reenactors portray a Civil War mother and son. Battle of Fort Stevens sesquicentennial.
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Civil War Mother
Reenactor portraying a Civil War wife and mother. Sepia treatment. Battle of Fort Stevens sesquicentennial.
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Civil War Nurse
A reenactor portrays a nurse from the U.S. Sanitary Commission. Battle of Fort Stevens sesquicentennial.
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Elizabeth Thomas
A reenactor portrays Elizabeth Proctor Thomas. The farm and house belonging to Elizabeth Thomas (d. 1912) were taken in 1861 to build Fort Stevens. Battle of Fort Stevens sesquicentennial.
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Civilian Volunteers
Reenactors portray civilian volunteers defending Washington, DC. Battle of Fort Stevens sesquicentennial.
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Firing a Volley
Union reenactors demonstrate firing their Springfield rifle muskets. Battle of Fort Stevens sesquicentennial.
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Battleground National Cemetery
Battleground National Cemetery is near Fort Stevens in Northeast Washington, DC. Of the 59 Union soldiers killed in action at Fort Stevens, 40 are buried at Battleground National Cemetery. This National Cemetery was established in 1864 shortly after the Battle of Fort Stevens. 6625 Georgia Avenue, NW.
National Register of Historic Places 66000032.
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25th New York Volunteer Cavalry Monument
25th New York Volunteer Cavalry Monument. Battleground National Cemetery. Erected in 1914.
National Register of Historic Places 66000032.
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New York Volunteers Monument
122nd New York Volunteers Monument. Battleground National Cemetery. Erected in 1903.
National Register of Historic Places 66000032.
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98th Pennsylvania Volunteer Monument
98th Pennsylvania Volunteer Monument. Battleground National Cemetery. Erected in 1891.
National Register of Historic Places 66000032.
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Battleground National Cemetery
Battleground National Cemetery is near Fort Stevens in Northeast Washington, DC. Of the 59 Union soldiers killed in action at Fort Stevens, 40 are buried at Battleground National Cemetery. This National Cemetery was established in 1864 shortly after the Battle of Fort Stevens. The Doric-style rostrum was erected in 1920-1921 for Memorial Day ceremonies. 6625 Georgia Avenue, NW.
National Register of Historic Places 66000032.
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