Civil War Defenses of Washington Historic Resource Study

Cover

Chapter I. An Introduction to the Civil War Defenses of Washington

Chapter II. Pre-Civil War Defenses

Chapter III. The Land and the Owners

Chapter IV. The Civil War Years

Chapter V. The Fortification System

Chapter VI. Maintenance of the Defenses

Chapter VII. Jubal Early's Raid/The Battle of Fort Stevens

Photographs and Illustrations

Appendices

Appendix A: Alphabetical Listing of Forts, Batteries, and Blockhouses

Appendix B: Alphabetical Listing of Known Fortification Owners, Their Representatives, and Fortifications on Their Land

Appendix C: Naming of Forts

Appendix D: Correspondence Concerning Appropriations for the Defenses of Washington

Appendix E: General Reports about the Defenses

Appendix F: Supplement to Commission Report

Appendix G: Mostly Orders Pertaining to the Defenses of Washington

Appendix H: A Sampling of Correspondence, Reports, Orders, Etc., Relating to the Battle of Fort Stevens

Appendix I: Civil War Defenses of Washington Chronology

Bibliography

Chapter I. Silenced Guns

Chapter II. The "Fort-Capped Hills"

Chapter III. The Fort Park System

Bibliography

Appendices (omitted from the online edition)

Appendix A: General Orders No. 56, Headquarters Department of Washington, 22d Army Corps, April 26th, 1865, announcing the reorganizations of districts within the department. Record Group 393, Preliminary Inventory 172, Part 1, Department and Defenses of Washington and 22nd Army Corps, 1862-69, Entry 5385, General Orders (Printed), Sept. 1862-Dec. 1867, Volume 5 of 6.

Appendix B: General Orders No. 77, War Department, Adjutant General's Office, April 28, 1865, For Reducing Expenses of the Military Establishment. U.S., War Department, The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Washington, DC: The Government Printing Office, 1880-1901 (Serial 125) Series III, Volume IV, 1280-8, as reproduced on CD-ROM by the Guild Press of Indiana.

Appendix C: Thomas W. Berry to Major James Gleason, Quartermaster's Office, Washington, July 28, 1865, relating to claims for the use of his land at Fort Greble. Record Group 92, Special Files, Consolidated Correspondence File, 1794-1890, "Defenses of Washington, D.C."

Appendix D: S.B. Scagg's relinquishment of claims for land on which various fortifications, including Fort Chaplin, were located, October 24, 1865. Record Group 77, Records of Detached Engineer Officers, Defenses of Washington, 1851-66, Entry 574, Land Releases, 1865.

Appendix E: Gilbert Vanderwerken's relinquishment of claims for land on which Fort Marcy was located, October 24, 1865. Record Group 77, Records of Detached Engineer Officers, Defenses of Washington, 1851-66, Entry 574, Land Releases, 1865.

Appendix F: Ellen J. King's relinquishment of claims for land on which Battery Parrott was located, October 28, 1865. Record Group 77, Records of Detached Engineer Officers, Defenses of Washington, 1851-66, Entry 574, Land Releases, 1865.

Appendix G: Brevet Brigadier General Barton S. Alexander to Major General Richard Delafield, Chief Engineer, U.S. Army, December 12, 1865, enclosing "Account of Auction Sales of Engineer Property Record Group 77, Entry 18, Letters Received, 1826-66, A2395.

Appendix H: Defences of Washington, List of transfers of Public property as compensation for damages and releases by the Claimant, December 16, 1865. Record Group 77, Records of Detached Engineer Officers, Defenses of Washington, 1851-66, Entry 574, Land Releases, 1865.

Appendix I: Report of Government buildings at Fort Marcy and recommendations for disposition of them. Record Group 92, Special Files, Consolidated Correspondence File, 1794-1890, "Defenses of Washington, D.C."

Appendix J: Report of Government buildings at Fort Bayard and recommendations for disposition of them. Record Group 92, Special Files, Consolidated Correspondence File, 1794-1890, "Defenses of Washington, D.C."

Appendix K: Special Orders No. 54, Headquarters Department of Washington, March 15, 1866, concerning Special Orders No. 54, Headquarters Department of Washington, March 15, 1866, concerning Ordnance, Ordnance stores and Engineer property at various forts. Record Group 94, Entry 44, Orders and Circulars, 1797-1910.

Appendix L: General Order No. 17, Headquarters Department of Washington, April 27th, 1866, announcing the discontinuance of the "Defences of Washington and Garrison of Washington." Record Group 393, Preliminary Inventory 172, Part 1, Department and Defenses of Washington and 22nd Army Corps, 1862-69, Entry 5385, General Orders (Printed), Sept. 1862-Dec. 1867, Volume 6 of 6.

Appendix M: General Order No. 62, Headquarters Department of Washington, October 19th, 1866, assignment of troops. Record Group 393, Preliminary Inventory 172, Part 1, Department and Defenses of Washington and 22nd Army Corps, 1862-69, Entry 5385, General Orders (Printed), Sept. 1862-Dec. 1867, Volume 6 of 6.

Appendix N: Major D. C. Houston to Brevet Major General A. A. Humphreys, Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army, May 11, 1869, and George W. Berry, Preacher in Charge, Emory Church, to Henry Bayne, October 27, 1868, relating to the church's claims for use and damages at Fort Stevens during the Civil War. Record Group 77, Correspondence Relating to Fortifications, Entry 36, Letters Received ("A" File), November 1867-November 1870, A2298.

Appendix O: Papers in the claims case of Ellen J. King for land use and damages for Battery Parrott. Record Group 92, Claims Branch, 1861 - 1889, Document File, Quartermaster Stores, Rent, Services, and Miscellaneous Claims, F-1240.

Appendix P: "The Present Condition of the Defenses of Washington, Built during the Civil War, 1861 - 1865," in Frank L. Averill, Guide to the National Capital and Maps of Vicinity including the Fortifications (Washington, DC: Published by The Engineering Platoon of the Engineer Corps, D.C.N.G. , 1892), 14-24.

Appendix Q: "The Fort Drive," In U.S., Congress, Senate. The Improvement of the Park System of the District of Columbia; 57th Congress, 1st Session, Senate Report No. 166. Edited by Charles Moore. Washington, DC: The Government Printing Office, 1902, 111 - 12.

Appendix R: Authorization to purchase land for Forts Davis and Dupont parks through condemnation, 1912. United States Statutes at Large, Containing the Laws and Concurrent Resolutions. . . and Reorganization Plans, Amendments to the Constitution and Proclamations, 1789-. Washington, D.C.: The Government Printing Office, 1918, Volume 37, Part 1, 1911-13, pages 178-79.

Appendix S: Colonel W.W. Hart to Brigadier General William M. Black, Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army, June 12, 1917, discussing the proposed route of Fort Drive. Record Group 328, General Records, Planning Files, 1924-57, 545-100 Fort Drive, Fort Drive #1.

Appendix T: Colonel Clarence S. Ridley, Officer in Charge of the Office of Public Buildings and Grounds, to the Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army, July 30, 1919, Record Group 77, Entry 103, General Correspondence, 1894-1923, #124636.

Appendix U: October 1919 listing of forts, Record Group 42, Office of Public Buildings and Grounds, General Correspondence, 307, Public Grounds: Extension of Park System, Civil War Forts Parkway.

Appendix V: Judge C.D. Bundy hands in a copy of report prepared by the Secretary of the Board of Trade D.C. and himself as chairman of Committee on Parks of the Board of Trade, suggesting the acquisition for park purposes of the dismantled forts around the outskirts of the City of Washington, January 1920. Record Group 42, General Correspondence, 1907-21, 307 Public Grounds: Extension of Park System: Civil War Forts Parkway.

Appendix W: Memorandum from J.C.L. (J.C. Langdon?) to Major Ridley, October 2, 1920, Subject: New Park areas to be acquired. Record Group 42, General Correspondence, 1907-21, 307 Public Grounds: Extension of Park System: Civil War Forts Parkway.

Appendix X: House of Representatives Bill, H.R. 8792, October 21, 1921, relating to a survey and "a plan of a proposed parkway to connect the old Civil War forts in the District of Columbia."

Appendix Y: Senate Bill, S. 1340, December 17, 1923, relating to a survey and "a plan of a proposed parkway to connect the old Civil War forts in the District of Columbia" which passed in the Senate on December 30, 1924.

Appendix Z: Memorandum from Major J.F. Bell to Major Holcombe, February 21, 1924, requesting a recommendation from the Traffic Board relative to Fort Boulevard so that the Board of Commissioners, District of Columbia, can give it official status. Archives of the District of Columbia, Records of the District of Columbia, Central Classified Files: Engineer Department, Engineer Department (ED), Case Files, 1897-1955, #155186-6.

Appendix AA: Parkway Connecting Civil War Forts, Calendar No. 627, Senate Report No. 585, 68th Congress, 1st Session, Serial 8221, May 20, 1924, May 20 (calendar day, May 22), 1924.

Appendix BB: Memorandum from Captain J.E. Wood to the Engineer Commissioner, District of Columbia, February 20, 1924, extolling the merits of Fort Drive. Archives of the District of Columbia, Records of the District of Columbia, Central Classified Files: Engineer Department, Engineer Department (ED), Case Files, 1897-1955, #155186-6.

Appendix CC: Capt. J.E. Wood, Assistant to Engineer Commissioner, District of Columbia, to Lt. Col. C.O. Sherrill, Engineer Commissioner, District of Columbia, March 10, 1924, Record Group 328, General Records, Planning Files, 1924-67, 545-100, Fort Drive, #1.

Appendix DD: J.C. Langdon to Major Brown, July 31, 1925, Subject: Fort Stevens, Fort Slocum and the Fort Drive from 16th Street to North Capitol Street. Record Group 328, General Records, Planning Files, 1924-57, 545-100 Fort Drive, Fort Drive #1.

Appendix EE: J.C. Langdon to Major Brown, August 3, 1925, Subject: Fort Slocum and the fort drive from Sixteenth Street to North Capitol Street. Record Group 328, General Records, Planning Files, 1924-57, 545-100 Fort Drive, Fort Drive #1.

Appendix FF: U.S. Grant, III, Executive and Disbursing Officer, National Capital Park and Planning Commission, to D.W. O=Donohue, July 31, 1926, relating to the route of Fort Drive. Record Group 328, General Records, Planning Files, 1924-57, 545-100 Fort Drive, Fort Drive #1.

Appendix GG: C.W. Eliot, II, City Planner, "Fort Drive" Plan, April 1927. Record Group 328, General Records, Planning Files, 1924-57, 545-100 Fort Drive, Fort Drive #1.

Appendix HH: Carey H. Brown, Engineer, to The Newspaper Information Service, 1322 New York Avenue, Washington, DC, May 4, 1927, RG328, General Records, Planning Files, 1924-67, 545-100, Fort Drive, Fort Drive #1.

Appendix II: House of Representatives Bill, H.R. 10556, February 6, 1928, to acquire Fort Stevens.

Appendix JJ: C.W Eliot, City Planner, National Capital Park and Planning commission, to Major Brown, May 10, 1929, offering three schemes for the location of Fort Drive south of Fort Reno. Record Group 328, General Records, Planning Files, 1924-57, 545-100 Fort Drive, Fort Drive #1.

Appendix KK: Capper-Cramton Act, Public Law No. 284, 71st Congress, Approved May 29, 1930, Statutes at Large, Volume 46, page 482.

Appendix LL: T.C. Jeffers to Captain Chisolm, Relating to Fort Drive, March 13, 1931, establishes Fort Drive sections for convenience in dividing the plan. Record Group 328, General Records, Planning Files, 1924-67, 545-100 Fort Drive, Fort Drive #1.

Appendix MM: Charles W. Eliot, 2d, Director of Planning, to L.F. Schmeckebier, The Brookings Institution, January 26, 1933, Record Group 328, General Records, Planning Files, 1924-67, 545-100, Fort Drive, #1.

Appendix NN: National Capital Park and Planning Commission Emergency Public Works Program, Brief Justification for Fort Drive Projects, August 31, 1933, arranged and discussed by sections. Record Group 328, General Records, Planning Files, 1924-57, 545-100 Fort Drive, Fort Drive #1.

Appendix OO: Documents pertaining to and those submitted with the application for loan or grant for PWA funds to begin construction of Fort Drive, including a copy of the application and A General Specifications—Fort Drive Project, 1938. Archives of the District of Columbia, Records of the District of Columbia, Central Classified Files: Engineer Department, Engineer Department (ED), Case Files, 1897-1955, #248515.

Appendix PP: Chauncey P. Carter, Lawyer, on behalf of the owner of lot 3 to 7 inclusive in Square 1608, to Melvin C. Hazen, President, Board of Commissioners, District of Columbia, September 3, 1938, pertaining to the latest plan for Fort Drive. Record Group 66, Entry 17, Project Files, 1910-52, Fort Drive.

Appendix QQ: A Statement Regarding Fort to Fort Dive, Washington, D. C., March 17, 1939, Record Group 328, General Records, Planning Files, 1924-67, 545-100 Fort Drive, Fort Drive #1.

Appendix RR: T.S. Settle, Secretary, Memorandum to Mr. Gillen, March 5, 1940, SUBJ: Fort Drive; U.S., Office of National Capital Parks, RG328, General Records, Planning Files, 1924-67, 545-100, Fort Drive, Fort Drive #1.

Appendix SS: "Fort Drive," The Washington Evening Star, Saturday, November 16, 1940.

Appendix TT: Memorandum from A.E. Demaray, Associate Director, National Park Service to the Secretary of the Interior, August 12, 1944, informing him that "The District Commissioners have advised the Planning Commission that they will undertake at this time with available planning funds, supplemented by an allocation from the public Roads Administration, the preparation of plans and specifications for two sections of the Fort Drive . . ." Record Group 328, General Records, Planning Files, 1924-57, 545-100 Fort Drive, Committee on.

Appendix UU: "Memorandum of Agreement of October 24, 1944 Between the National Park Service and the District of Columbia Relating to Development of Two Sections of Fort Drive." Historical Collections, Rock Creek Park, National Park Service.

Appendix VV: Paul P. Cret to Gilmore Clarke, May 22, 1945, and Gilmore Clarke to Paul P. Cret, May 25, 1945, pertaining to the Committee on Transportation of the Washington Chapter, A.I.A. report suggesting a double ring road system, either by elevated or subway road and its relationship to Fort Drive. Record Group 66, Entry 17, Project Files, 1910-52, Fort Drive.

Appendix WW: Budget Officer and Assessor, District of Columbia, "Acquisition of Land," January 21, 1947, Record Group 328, General Records, Planning Files, 1924-67, 545-100, Fort Drive, Fort Drive #2.

Appendix XX: Appendix B, January 23-24, 1947, relating to the action of the National Capital Park and Planning commission regarding the proposals made by the Budget Officer and the Assessor of the District of Columbia that the Fort Drive Project be abandoned. Record Group 66, Entry 17, Project Files, 1910-52, Fort Drive.

Appendix YY: Gilmore D. Clarke, Chairman, The Commission on Fine Arts, to Honorable John Russell Young, President, Board of Commissioners, District of Columbia, March 6, 1947, Record Group 66, Entry 17, Project Files, 1910-52, Fort Drive.

Appendix ZZ: Gilmore D. Clarke, Chairman, Commission of Fine Arts, to Commissioner John Russell Young, President, Board of commissioners, District of Columbia, March 21, 1947, and Commissioner John Russell Young, President, Board of commissioners, District of Columbia, to Gilmore D. Clarke, Chairman, Commission of Fine Arts, April 4, 1947, relating to the fate of Fort Drive. Record Group 66, Entry 17, Project Files, 1910-52, Fort Drive.

Appendix AAA: Stanley McClure, Assistant Chief, National Memorials and Historic Sites Section, National Capital Parks, NPS, to Messers. Kelly, Thompson, Gartside, Jett and Sager, May 24, 1954, SUBJ: Preservation of the Civil War Forts, 1952-54, Record Group 328, General Records, Planning Files, 1924-67, 543-36, Civil War Forts, Preservation of.

Appendix BBB: President, Board of Commissioners, District of Columbia, to U.S. Grant, III, June 11, 1958, concerning the construction of the Fort Drive. Record Group 351, Entry 21, General files, 1924-68, 7-092, Box 329.

Appendix CCC: John F. Kennedy Letter to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House on the Transportation Needs of the Washington Area, May 27, 1963, which endorses Fort Drive. Kennedy, John F. Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: John F. Kennedy, Containing the Public Messages, Speeches, Statements of the President, January 1 to November 22, 1963. Washington, D.C. : The Government Office, 1964, 428-31.

Appendix DDD: T.C. Jeffers, "A Brief Story of Some of the Civil War Forts and Their Relation to the Proposed Fort Drive and George Washington Memorial Parkway," November 8, 1935, Rock Creek Park Historical Files, Fort Marcy."

Appendix EEE: T.C. Jeffers, "The Fort Drive: Chronological History of the More Important Actions and Events Relating Thereto," February 7, 1947, Record Group 328, General Records, Planning Files, 1924-67, 545-100, Fort Drive, #2.

Appendix FFF: T.C. Jeffers, "A Brief History of The Fort Drive — Evolution of its Concept and Function," March 17, 1947, Record Group 328, General Records, Planning Files, 1924-67, Fort Drive, #2.

Appendix GGG: "The Story of the Fort Memorial Freeway 1894 - 1953," Civil War Round Table of the District of Columbia, "Washington Needs The Fort Memorial Freeway," Pamphlet, (1953?).

Appendix HHH: "History of Fort Drive," In National Capital Planning Commission, Fort Park System: A Re-evaluation Study of Fort Drive, Washington, D.C. April 1965 By Fred W. Tuemmler and Associates, College Park, Maryland (Washington, DC: National Capital Planning Commission, 1965), 2-9.

Appendix III: "Justification: The Fort Drive - Washington, D.C., Syllabus, Character of the Project," (1938), Washington, D.C. Archives, D.C. Records, Central Classified Files: Engineer Department (ED), Engineer Department Case Files, 1897-1955, #248515.

Appendix JJJ: T.S. Settle, "Legal Authority for Acquisition of Land and Construction of the Fort to Fort Drive, in the District of Columbia," November 14-15, 1940, Record Group 328, General Records, Planning Files, 1924-67, 545-100, Fort Drive, #2.

Appendix KKK: "Fort Drive: Acquisition of Land," Area, Cost and Date of Acquisition, February 1, 1947, Record Group 328, General Records, Planning Files, 1924-67, 545-100, Fort Drive, #2.

Appendix LLL: Approximate Acreage Purchased Under Capper-Cramton Act including those lands acquired for Fort Drive and the fort parks. In National Capital Region offices, compiled by Margaret Stratton.

Appendix MMM: John Nolen, Jr., Director of Planning, Memorandum to Mr. Wirth, SUBJ: Fort Dupont Park, June 5, 1937, Record Group 328, General Records, Planning Files, 1924-67, 535, Parks and Reservations, Fort Dupont Park.

Appendix NNN: Map submitted with Capt. J.E. Wood, Assistant to Engineer Commissioner, District of Columbia, to Lt. Col. C.O. Sherrill, Engineer Commissioner, District of Columbia, March 10, 1924, Record Group 328, General Records, Planning Files, 1924-67, 545-100, Fort Drive, #1.

Appendix OOO: "Fort Drive Map," In Christine Sadler, A One More Mile and the District Will Have a Driveway Linking Forts, Road to Pass Fortifications of Civil War, Will Run Along Rims of Hills That Make Saucer of City, Expected to Be One of Nation's Most Scenic and Historic, The Washington Post, Sunday, October 10, 1937.

Appendix PPP: "Map of Fort Drive," In H. Paul Caemmerer, A Manual on the Origin and Development of Washington; Senate Document No. 178 (75th Congress, 3d Session) (Washington, DC: The Government Printing Office, 1939), 112.