"Cannon Firing" by National Park Service , public domain
Civil War Defenses of Washington
undefined - DC,MD,VA
The Civil War Defenses of Washington were a group of Union Army fortifications that protected the federal capital city, Washington, D.C., from invasion by the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. The sites of some of these fortifications are within a collection of National Park Service (NPS) properties that the National Register of Historic Places identifies as the Fort Circle. The sites of other such fortifications in the area have become parts of state, county or city parks or are located on privately owned properties.
Parts of the earthworks of some such fortifications still exist. Other such fortifications have been completely demolished.
Official Visitor Map of George Washington Memorial Parkway (MEMPKWY) in Virginia and District of Columbia. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).
Detail Map of the Georgetown to Swains Lock section of Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park (NHP) in Washington D.C., Maryland and West Virginia. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).
Official Visitor Map of Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park (NHP) in Washington D.C., Maryland and West Virginia. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).
Official Brochure of the Civil War Defenses of Washington in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).
Hiking and Biking at the Civil War Defenses of Washington in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).
Hiking from Fort Reno to Fort Totten at the Civil War Defenses of Washington in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).
Hiking from Fort Totten to Fort Mahan at the Civil War Defenses of Washington in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).
Hiking from Fort Mahan to Fort Stanton at the Civil War Defenses of Washington in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Published by the National Park Service (NPS).
https://www.nps.gov/cwdw/index.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_War_Defenses_of_Washington
The Civil War Defenses of Washington were a group of Union Army fortifications that protected the federal capital city, Washington, D.C., from invasion by the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. The sites of some of these fortifications are within a collection of National Park Service (NPS) properties that the National Register of Historic Places identifies as the Fort Circle. The sites of other such fortifications in the area have become parts of state, county or city parks or are located on privately owned properties.
Parts of the earthworks of some such fortifications still exist. Other such fortifications have been completely demolished.
On forested hills surrounding the nation's capital are the remnants of a complex system of Civil War fortifications. These strategic buttresses transformed the young capital into one of the world's most fortified cities. By 1865, 68 forts and 93 batteries armed with over 800 cannons encircled Washington, DC. Today, you can visit 18 of the original sites now managed by the National Park Service.
Directions vary based on your preference of site.
Civil War Defenses of Washington
No camping.
Civil War Defenses Of Washington
Historic Fort Davis
Fort Davis (Fall Day)
Battleground National Cemetery
Luminaries light a cemetery with a monument and homes in the background.
Battleground National Cemetery Luminary
History at Sunset
Park Ranger delivering a program to visitors.
History at Sunset at Fort Stevens Park, 2021.
Washington DC at War
NPS Park Sign for Fort Stevens
Fort Stevens Park in Washington DC
The Civil War Defenses Then & Now
Historic image of Fort Totten on layered on modern image.
Fort Totten Then & Now
Pawpaw: Small Tree, Big Impact
Pawpaw are small trees that don't grow past 100 feet. Yet they have a big influence-- they're the most commonly observed sapling in our National Capital Region forests. Pawpaw trees are virtually immune to deer browse and also produce the largest edible fruit native to North America!
A hand holds a lumpy green pawpaw fruit
National Parks and National Cemeteries
Currently, the National Park Service manages 14 national cemeteries. These cemeteries represent a continuum of use dating to a period before the establishment of the historical parks of which they are an integral part and are administered to preserve the historic character, uniqueness, and solemn nature of both the cemeteries and the historical parks of which they are a part.
Setting sun lights up graves and decorations
African Americans and the Civil War Forts of DC
The 28th Regiment of U.S. Colored Troops was one of the troops attached to the Defenses of Washington. This regiment of infantry was established on November 30, 1863 by Indiana Governor Oliver P. Morton. Reverend Willis Revels of the African American Episcopal Church was the chief recruiting officer. The recruits trained for three months and on April 25 1863, six companies of the 28th left Indianapolis for Washington, D.C. where they were attached to the capital’s defenses.
african american civil war soldiers stand in front of white building
Native Peoples of Washington, DC
The village of Nacotchtank (from which the name Anacostia is derived) was the largest of the three American Indian villages located in the Washington area and is believed to have been a major trading center.
three native americans seated, black and white photo
Elizabeth Proctor Thomas
Elizabeth Proctor Thomas grew up in the early 1880s in a small community of free African-Americans in northwest Washington, D.C. During the Civil War, Union troops took possession of her land for construction of a fort. After the war, Elizabeth continued to reside near Fort Stevens. She sold some of her property to an influential Washingtonian who planned to preserve the remaining earthworks and establish a park.
A woman with a long, dark dress stands beside a door in a wooden structure
The Civilian Conservation Corps and the Civil War Defenses of Washington
The National Park Service established two camps in October 1933, one at Fort Hunt in Virginia and the other at Fort Dupont in the District of Columbia. Learn a little more about their work and contributions.
The Marvel of Big Guns at Fort Foote
The sheer immensity of the two Rodman guns at Fort Foote made them objects of curiosity. Visitors frequently come to see them.
Close-up view of a Rodman Cannon at Fort Foote
The United States Colored Troops and the Defenses of Washington
Coming from free states, or straight off of the plantations, freemen or former slaves, thousands of African Americans fought to destroy slavery once and for all with the United States Colored Troops. Despite the skepticism or outright hostility of some whites, these troops played a major role in both defending the Union capital and taking the Confederate one.
Flag of the 22nd United States Colored Troops
Hispanics and the Civil War
The Civil War was an American epic and an American tragedy. The bloodiest war in United States history claimed the lives of more than 620,000 Americans. Hispanics were very much a part of this conflict. They knew hardship, fear, death, and destruction. They experienced victory and defeat. Some performed acts of spectacular gallantry. Others provided steady service that attracted little comment or notice.
Painting of the Battle of Glorieta Pass
Living Contraband - Former Slaves in the Nation's Capital During the Civil War
For thousands of African Americans during the Civil War, Washington, D.C. was a beacon of freedom - and a place where they could work to assist the war effort. There they found themselves digging fortifications, driving wagons, or cooking, but as free men and women selling their services, many for the first time in their lives.
Photo of three African American boys in a Union army camp
Third System of Coastal Forts
How should a country protect its borders? The United States had to consider this question when the War of 1812 ended in 1815. One year later, the federal government believed it had an answer. The nation created a broad national defense strategy that included a new generation of waterfront defenses called the Third System of Coastal Fortifications.
The setting sun lights a stone fort wall where a US flag flies high.
Tina Short: Listening to the Community
Tina Short was one of the first African American women to serve as a Park Ranger in the National Capital Region. A native of Washington, D.C., Ms. Short spent her career at Fort Dupont Park, the very place she had attended as a day camper and became a Junior Ranger. Short became a well-known figure in the neighborhood, building programs that are still popular to this day.
Woman park ranger in uniform
Seacoast Ordnance
Cannon manufactured for use in Third System forts are called seacoast ordnance. These were some of the largest and heaviest cannon available at the time. Cannon at forts Pickens, McRee, Barrancas, Massachusetts, and Advanced Redoubt fell into three categories: guns, howitzers, and mortars. Each had a specific purpose.
The Civilian Experience in the Civil War
After being mere spectators at the war's early battles, civilians both near and far from the battlefields became unwilling participants and victims of the war as its toll of blood and treasure grew year after year. In response to the hardships imposed upon their fellow citizens by the war, civilians on both sides mobilized to provide comfort, encouragement, and material, and began to expect that their government should do the same.
Painting of civilians under fire during the Siege of Vicksburg
Memorials for the Future
Memorials for the Future, is a competition that aims to rethink the way we develop and experience memorials in Washington, D.C.
Memorials for the Future Logo
President Lincoln Under Fire at Fort Stevens
On July 12, 1864, President Lincoln stood atop the parapet of the fort to witness the battle and came under direct fire of Confederate sharpshooters. It is the only time in American history in which a sitting president came under direct fire from an enemy combatant.
A demonstration of the battle at Fort Stevens
Defeat at Manassas Leads to the Fortification of Washington
After a humiliating defeat at Manassas, the Union army realized that the war would be a long struggle and that the fortification of the nation's capital needed to be extended and expedited. The massive construction thus began, establishing a defensive ring around the city that would make Washington, D.C. one of the most fortified cities in the world.
The Defenses as a Symbol of the Union Cause
Americans were acutely aware that control of the capital city could define a nation. Washington, D.C., therefore, played a significant part in the Union strategy and became a political symbol of the Union during these turbulent years.
Tina Short and Kym Elder: "The Story of People that Look Like Me"
For Tina Short and Kym Elder, African American history is personal. The mother and daughter have expanded the stories the NPS tells while serving their home community. This article was developed from oral history interviews in which they discuss their careers in DC area parks. The interviews contribute to "Telling Our Untold Stories: Civil Rights in the National Park Service Oral History Project" and "Women’s Voices: Women in the National Park Service Oral History Project."
Two NPS park rangers in uniform, both African American women, stand in front of a double door
DC's Civil War Earthworks
Civil War fortifications were based on the European model of the 17th and 18th centuries. Professor Dennis Hart Mahan of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, was the leading authority of fortification engineering.
Sea Level Rise in the DC Area
Learn about current and projected rates of sea level rise in the greater DC area, based on local water level data collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
A tall white cylinder attached to a wooden pier with Hains Point in the background.
Causes of Deafness During the Civil War
Civil War soldiers faced death on a daily basis. However, they also faced going home with various disabilities. One such disability was partial or complete deafness. Many soldiers were accustomed to temporary deafness from the constant artillery fire in the field. However, illness, the environment, and even the medicine the doctors used on patients could cause a much more permanent hearing loss.
102 Cases of Deafness.Prepared 4 Consideration of senate & house of reps. by Wallace E. Foster.
Beech Trees in the National Capital Area
American beech (Fagus grandifolia), the most common tree species in National Capital Area parks, is currently facing the emerging threat of Beech Leaf Disease (BLD).
A forest with healthy green leafed beech trees
Fort Reno Park- A Brief History of Reno City
Summary of the Historic Resources Study for Reno City. Full report can be found at https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2291435
Property map of Reno City
St. Phillips Hill (the Palisades), NW DC
The African American community of St. Phillips Hill, in what is now the Palisades area of Washington DC, was established during the Reconstruction Era along Chain Bridge Road and the C&O Canal. While the historic community no longer exists, St. Phillips Hill was the home to over 100 African American families during its prime. Learn more about community of St. Phillips Hill and the legacy they left behind.
Sepia photo of Chain Bridge - early 1860s. Long metal bridge over 2 lengths of water and land patch.
Native Grapes
Seven species of grapes are native to the National Capital Region. Learn how to tell them apart, where they grow, and how they benefit birds, bugs, and beasts alike.
Multiple clusters of grapes hang off of a leafy vine.
Series: African American Communities Along the C&O Canal
Learn more about five historic African American communities that greatly influenced areas along the C&O Canal and their imprints still visible on the landscape today. These communities formed during the Reconstruction Era as families began building new lives for themselves post-emancipation. While many of these communities no longer exist, their stories illustrate the impact of African American history along the canal.
Sepia photo. 3 African Americans getting in boats on C&O Canal. Rocky shore, water, & buildings seen
Civil War Defenses of Washington
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Maryland
Virginia
Washington, D.C.
A 15-inch Rodman Cannon overlooking
the Potomac River at Fort Foote
NPS / RON HILTON
Civil War Forts, Present-Day Parks
By latest accounts
the enemy is
moving on
Most of the fortifications were dismantled or abandoned by 1866.
High ground around Washington played a vital role in protecting the
Washington. . . .
Decades later, a plan to connect the historic sites with a scenic autonation’s capital during the Civil War. In 1860 slave states sympathetic
Let us be
mobile route paved the way for their preservation. Although some
to the Confederacy surrounded the District of Columbia, which was
elements of the Civil War Defenses of Washington eventually surprotected only by the brittle brick bastions of Fort Washington, 16
vigilant, but keep
rendered to time and urbanization, many fortifications and associated
miles south on the Potomac. As the prospect for war grew, tensions
escalated, and Washington, D.C., lay vulnerable to attack. The Lincoln lands remain protected within the National Park System. Today parks cool.
Forested heights and inviting parklands—a rare backdrop to most
urban settings—wrap a mantle of contrast around Washington, D.C.
Even more uncommon are the exceptional natural elements and remnants of history located among the hills encircling the city.
out in 1861, Union forces quickly built a ring of earthen fortifications
around the nation’s capital and moved massive cannons into place.
Hospitals and settlements sprang up nearby, providing shelter and
work for many, including African American “contrabands” of war.
Administration realized the city urgently needed a stronger shield of
defense, prompting the Federal government to seize strategic lands
with views of essential roads, bridges, and waterways. As war broke
and woodlands occupy the heights where heavy guns once scanned
the horizon—and people stroll, hike, and bike where courageous
soldiers once stood guard over the nation’s capital.
— President Abraham Lincoln
Washington, D.C., July 10, 1864
PORTRAIT / LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
The Defenses of Washington
Fortifying the nation’s capital became
the Union’s greatest concern after the
defeat at Manassas in the summer of
1861. Major General John G. Barnard
(left), a West Point graduate and
respected expert on coastal fort
construction, accepted the massive task. Armed with engineers,
soldiers, former slaves, and other
laborers, Barnard developed a
connected system of fortifications occupying every prominent
point around Washington. Rifle
trenches linked each strategic
site and doubled as communication lines. By the end of the Civil
War, the “Father of the Defenses
of Washington” had directed the
construction of 68 forts, 93 gun batteries, 20 miles of rifle pits, and 32
miles of military roads around the capital. As a result, Washington, D.C., became
one of the most fortified cities in the world.
PORTRAIT / LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Earthen Fortifications
Fort Foote
Military earthworks are fortifications constructed from dirt. Inexpensive and readily available, dirt produced very strong
structures that could absorb the impact
of projectiles better than brick or stone
masonry. Soldiers and laborers worked
NPS
with shovels and picks to build ramparts
(walls), parapets (slopes), and bombproofs
(shelters) following a standard procedure
for construction. A dry moat (trench) and
barricade of dead trees called an “abatis”
surrounded each fort.
Company F, Third Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, in Fort Stevens, 1865
The Battle of Fort Stevens
By the end of 1863 heavily armed fortifications provided a perimeter of protection around the nation’s capital. With
23,000 troops positioned in this ring of
defenses, Washington officials felt the city
was well prepared for Confederate attack.
Company E, Fourth Colored U.S. Infantry at Fort Lincoln, 1863–1866
The following summer, thousands of
troops stationed around Washington,
D.C., were sent to reinforce General
Ulysses S. Grant at Richmond and
Petersburg, Virginia. Only 9,000 poorly
trained reserves remained to protect
the city. Confederate leaders, including
General Robert E. Lee, knew the time was
right to strike Washington, D.C. By the
afternoon of July 11, 1864, Confederate
Lieutenant General Jubal A. Early and
Encampment near Fort Slocum, 1861
Union troops on guard duty, Chain Bridge, 1865
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
During the 1930s the Civilian Conservation
Corps (CCC) provided jobs while enhancing park facilities. Reconstruction of a parapet at Fort Stevens and construction of
Fort Davis Drive are only two of the CCC’s
most visible contributions throughout the
circle of parks. More than a century later,
historic locations within the Civil War
Defenses of Washington remain linked by
a ribbon of recreational opportunities and
significant natural and cultural resources.
One of the nation’s earliest urban planning e
A Hiker’s Guide
to the Civil War Defenses
of Washington
Fort Reno to Fort Totten
Self-Guided Tour
Third Edition June 2014
Library of Congress
Civil War Defenses of Washington
National Park Service
US Department of the Interior
2
Dear Hiker,
Welcome to the Civil War Defenses of Washington, D.C. Built on the topographic high points surrounding the capital
by Union troops between 1861 and 1864, these feats of engineering transformed the vulnerable capital into one of the
world’s most fortifed cities. Today, the surviving sites–some with preserved or reconstructed earthworks–are green
spaces in the midst of a densely populated urban area, and are knit into the history of their local communities.
Kym Elder, Program Manager
Civil War Defenses of Washington
Gregory A. Miller, Ph.D. , President
American Hiking Society
Donald E. Briggs, Superintendent
Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail
Designers:
Renee LaGue (2014)
Jessica L. Heinz (2013)
Welcome
The National Park Service and the American Hiking Society are pleased to present this hiker’s guide, produced with
the support of the National Park Service Connect Trails to Parks Program and Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail
Ofce. This guide contributes to the vision of a continuous trail system linking the Civil War Defenses of Washington;
proposed in 1902 as a vehicular parkway, this idea has been reimagined as a pedestrian and bicycle greenway system
within District neighborhoods. With a diverse network of parks, open spaces, trails, and extraordinary cultural
resources, the city is poised to become one of our Nation’s prominent trail towns. Happy hiking!
3
Trail Information
Planning Your Visit
For information on trail closures and alerts,
visit the web site for the Civil War Defenses
of Washington at http://www.nps.gov/cwdw
or call Rock Creek Park at (202) 895-6070.
Public restrooms are available at the Rock
Creek Nature Center in Rock Creek Park.
Restaurants, gas stations, and convenience
stores can be found along Connecticut
Avenue NW and Georgia Avenue NW.
You can help protect the defenses! You
play an important role in history when you
visit the Civil War Defenses of Washington.
For your safety and the preservation of
the forts, do not climb on the earthworks–
some are unstable and healthy vegetation
helps to prevent erosion. All natural and
cultural objects are protected by law. Stay
on established trails and keep dogs on a
leash. Leave rocks, animals, and wildfowers
in place. Learn to identify and avoid poison
ivy. Dial 911 for emergencies.
Rock
Creek
Nature
Center
Rock
Creek
Nature
Center
4
0
Route Overview: Fort Reno – Totten (9.3 miles)
500 1,000
2,000
Feet
Takoma Metro
Station
N
D.
C.
Fort DeRussy
Fort Stevens
Fort Slocum
sou
sA
ve.
. NE
s Rd
Rigg
NW
Av
e.
w
Ha
m
psh
ire
NW
Ne
NW
Fort Totten
Metro Station
nsa
Ka
.
Ave
Van Ness-UDC
Metro Station
ri A
ve.
NW
NW
Rock Creek
Park
16th St. NW
icut
ect
Tenleytown
Metro Station
Mis
.
Georgia Ave
nn
n
Con
Fort Reno
Fu
ed ture Route)
(Pla
Ne
bra
ska
Av
e
.N
W
Military Rd. NW
Fort Totten
Planning Your Visit
D
TO
N
G
LA
IN
RY
SH
A
A
M
W
Battleground
National Cemetery
5
M
AR
TO
D
NG
AN
HI
YL
AS
N
D.
C.
'
OT E
Courtesy of Library of Congress
Background Information
Fort Sites Highlighted in Blue
W
-
...
Washington, D.C. 1865 Map
6
Engineering For War
By 1864, Washington had become one of the most
fortifed cities in the world, with an encircling
array of forts, batteries, and military roads. At the
war’s end, Barnard reported that the defenses of
Washington included 68 enclosed forts and batteries,
emplacements for 1,120 guns (with 807 guns and 98
mortars actually mounted), 93 unarmed batteries with
401 emplacements for feld-guns, twenty miles of rife
trenches, three blockhouses, and thirty-two miles of
military roads linking the defenses.
Library of Congress
Library of Congress
Library of Congress
Background Information
Minnesota Historical Society
At the outset of the Civil War, the Federal capital of
Washington, D.C. was not well-prepared to defend
itself against potential Confederate siege or invasion.
Reeling from the unexpected Confederate victory
at First Manassas (Bull Run) in July 1861, the task of
fortifying the capital fell to Major John G. Barnard
(top right), the US Army’s chief engineer. Relying on
the blueprints outlined by his West Point professor
of engineering, Dennis Hart Mahan, in his Complete
Treatise on Field Fortifcation (1836), Barnard
marshaled Union troops, civilians, and escaped slaves
to transform a largely rural area into a landscape of
war.
7
Getting There
Tenleytown Metro Station to Fort Reno
Rd
.N
W
e)
ut
br
Ne
d. NW
Fessenden St. NW
Fort Dr. NW
You have arrived at Fort Reno. See following
pages for information
Davenport St. NW
.
Ave
40th St. NW
t
ticu
W
Ave N
NW
Tenleytown
Metro Station
500
nec
sin
Chesapeake St. NW
Albemarle St. NW
0
161 ft
0.2 mi
331 ft
0.1 mi
A Hiker’s Guide
to the Civil War Defenses
of Washington
Fort Totten to Fort Mahan
Self-Guided Tour
First Edition March 2018
Library of Congress
Civil War Defenses of Washington
National Park Service
US Department of the Interior
2
Dear Hiker,
of Columbia (1902)
This guide complements two similar hiking guides and a hiking and biking brochure (see
“Resources”). Together, the opportunity to explore the Civil War Defenses of Washington on foot
could become one of the most unique experiences in the region. The overall route—exceptional
in the National Trails System--is recognized as a segment of the Potomac Heritage National
Scenic Trail (PHT), a developing network between the mouth of the Potomac River and the
Allegheny Highlands.
We hope you enjoy the walk.
Donald E. Briggs, Superintendent
Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail
David N. Myers, Ph.D., ASLA, Associate Professor
University of Maryland
Designers:
Beverly Hernandez and Sarah Whiteley (2018)
Renee LaGue (2014)
Jessica L. Heinz (2013)
The PHT network in the region
includes the C & O Canal Towpath;
Mount Vernon Trail & PHT within
George Washington Memorial
Parkway; and Southern Maryland
PHT bicycling route.
Welcome
The Civil War Defenses of Washington, built by Union troops between 1861 and 1864, are an
engineering feat that transformed the vulnerable capital into one of the most fortified cities in
the world. The 1902 “MacMillan Plan” proposed a vehicular parkway connecting the Civil War
fortifications, many located on the topographic high points. Today the surviving sites–some with
preserved or reconstructed earthworks–are green spaces woven into the past and present of
neighborhoods in the midst of a densely populated city, and the connections between and among
them reimagined as a “greenway” and a continuous route for pedestrian travel.
“With the Anacostia and the
Potomac below and the city of
Washington spread out beyond
and the hills of Virginia in the
distance, these are the most
beautiful of the broad views to be
had in the District.”
- MacMillan Commission Plan for the District
3
Trail Information
Planning Your Visit
For information on trail closures and alerts
for Fort Totten and Fort Bunker Hill, visit
Civil War Defenses of Washington at Rock
Creek Park website (www.nps.gov/rocr)
or call (202) 895-6070. For Fort Mahan
information, visit the National Capital
Parks-East website (www.nps.gov/nace) or
call (202) 829-4650.
Restaurants, gas stations, and convenience
stores can be found around Fort Totten,
along Eastern Avenue, and Benning Road.
You can help protect the defenses! You
play an important role in history when you
visit the Civil War Defenses of Washington.
For your safety and the preservation of
the forts, do not climb on the earthworks–
some are unstable and healthy vegetation
helps to prevent erosion. All natural and
cultural objects are protected by law. Stay
on established trails and keep dogs on a
leash. Leave rocks, animals, and wildflowers
in place. Learn to identify and avoid poison
ivy. Dial 911 for emergencies.
Rock Rock
Creek Creek
NatureNature
Center Center
4
Fort Totten Metro Station
1
Miles
Metro and Capital Bikeshare Stations
shown within 1/2 mile of
Civil War Defenses of Washington Trail
Fort Totten
er
st
Ea
Planning Your Visit
n
e
nu
e
Av
NE
Fort Bunker Hill
Brookland CUA
Metro Station
Ro
N
Ave
rg
il
ns
bu
de
Rho
Colmar Manor
Fort
Community Park
Lincoln
Cemetery
ad
E
nd
Isla
de
¯
0.5
Bla
0
Route Overview: Fort Totten to Fort Mahan (11.4 miles)
a
ti
os
ac
An
Kenilworth Park
& Aquatic Gardens
National
Arboretum
ra
rT
ve
Ri
g
la
in
ry
sh
a
a
M
W
n
d
to
n
d.
ad
Minnesota Ave
Metro Station
Fort Mahan
C.
Benning Ro
5
Washington, D.C. 1865 Map
Courtesy of Library of Congress
Background Information
Fort Sites Highlighted in Blue
6
Engineering For War
Library of Congress
By 1864, Washington had become one of the most
fortified cities in the world, with an encircling
array of forts, batteries, and military roads. At the
war’s end, Barnard reported that the defenses of
Washington included 68 enclosed forts and batteries,
emplacements for 1,120 guns (with 807 guns and 98
mortars actually mounted), 93 unarmed batteries with
401 emplacements for field-guns, twenty miles of rifle
trenches, three blockhouses, and thirty-two miles of
military roads linking the defenses.
Library of Congress
Library of Congress
Background Information
Minnesota Historical Society
At the outset of the Civil War, the Federal capital of
Washington, D.C. was not well-prepared to defend
itself against potential Confederate siege or invasion.
Reeling from the unexpected Confederate victory
at First Manassas (Bull Run) in July 1861, the task of
fortifying the capital fell to Major John G. Barnard
(top right), the US Army’s chief engineer. Relying on
the blueprints outlined by his West Point professor
of engineering, Dennis Hart Mahan, in his Complete
Treatise on Field Fortificatio
A Hiker’s Guide
to the Civil War Defenses
of Washington
Fort Mahan to Fort Stanton
Self-Guided Tour
First Edition March 2018
Library of Congress
Civil War Defenses of Washington
National Park Service
US Department of the Interior
2
Dear Hiker,
of Columbia (1902)
This guide complements two similar hiking guides and a hiking and biking brochure (see
“Resources”). Together, the opportunity to explore the Civil War Defenses of Washington on foot
could become one of the most unique experiences in the region. The overall route—exceptional
in the National Trails System--is recognized as a segment of the Potomac Heritage National
Scenic Trail (PHT), a developing network between the mouth of the Potomac River and the
Allegheny Highlands.
We hope you enjoy the walk.
Donald E. Briggs, Superintendent
Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail
David N. Myers, Ph.D., ASLA, Associate Professor
University of Maryland
Designers:
Beverly Hernandez and Sarah Whiteley (2018)
Renee LaGue (2014)
Jessica L. Heinz (2013)
The PHT network in the region
includes the C & O Canal Towpath;
Mount Vernon Trail & PHT within
George Washington Memorial
Parkway; and Southern Maryland
PHT bicycling route.
Welcome
The Civil War Defenses of Washington, built by Union troops between 1861 and 1864, are an
engineering feat that transformed the vulnerable capital into one of the most fortified cities in
the world. The 1902 “MacMillan Plan” proposed a vehicular parkway connecting the Civil War
fortifications, many located on the topographic high points. Today the surviving sites–some with
preserved or reconstructed earthworks–are green spaces woven into the past and present of
neighborhoods in the midst of a densely populated city, and the connections between and among
them reimagined as a “greenway” and a continuous route for pedestrian travel.
“With the Anacostia and the
Potomac below and the city of
Washington spread out beyond
and the hills of Virginia in the
distance, these are the most
beautiful of the broad views to be
had in the District.”
- MacMillan Commission Plan for the District
3
Trail Information
Planning Your Visit
For information on trail closures and alerts
for Fort Totten and Fort Bunker Hill, visit
Civil War Defenses of Washington at Rock
Creek Park website (www.nps.gov/rocr)
or call (202) 895-6070. For Fort Mahan
information, visit the National Capital
Parks-East website (www.nps.gov/nace) or
call (202) 829-4650.
Restaurants, gas stations, and convenience
stores can be found around Fort Totten,
along Eastern Avenue, and Benning Road.
You can help protect the defenses! You
play an important role in history when you
visit the Civil War Defenses of Washington.
For your safety and the preservation of
the forts, do not climb on the earthworks–
some are unstable and healthy vegetation
helps to prevent erosion. All natural and
cultural objects are protected by law. Stay
on established trails and keep dogs on a
leash. Leave rocks, animals, and wildflowers
in place. Learn to identify and avoid poison
ivy. Dial 911 for emergencies.
Rock Rock
Creek Creek
NatureNature
Center Center
4
1
Miles
Minnesota Avenue
Metro Station
Benning Bridge
Metro and Capital Bikeshare Stations
shown within 1/2 mile of
Civil War Defenses of Washington Trail
Fort Mahan
Stadium Armory
Metro Station
d
Benning Road
Metro Station
Ki
ng
m
an
Isl
an
Fort Chaplin
rT
ra
il
Potomac Avenue
Metro Station
ac
os
tia
Ri
ve
Fort Dupont Park
Navy Yard
a
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tia
s
co
er
Riv
e
nu
in
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M
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Pen
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Fort Dupont
Av
en
ue
Fort Davis
Anacostia Park
Buzzard
Point
Anacostia
Metro
Station
W
Fort Ricketts
Fort
Stanton
as
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Planning Your Visit
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Route Overview: Fort Mahan to Fort Stanton (about 6.0 miles)
5
Washington, D.C. 1865 Map
Courtesy of Library of Congress
Background Information
Fort Sites Highlighted in Blue
6
Engineering For War
Library of Congress
By 1864, Washington had become one of the most
fortified cities in the world, with an encircling
array of forts, batteries, and military roads. At the
war’s end, Barnard reported that the defenses of
Washington included 68 enclosed forts and batteries,
emplacements for 1,120 guns (with 807 guns and 98
mortars actually mounted), 93 unarmed batteries with
401 emplacements for field-guns, twenty miles of rifle
trenches, three blockhouses, and thirty-two miles of
military roads linking the defenses.
Library of Congress
Library of Congress
Background Information
Minnesota Historical Society
At the outset of the Civil War, the Federal capital of
Washington, D.C. was not well-prepared to defend
itself against potential Confederate siege or invasion.
Reeling from the unexpected Confederate victory
at First Manassas (Bull Run) in July 1861, the task of
fortifying the capital fell to Major John G. Barnard
(top right), the US Army’s chief engineer. Relying on
the blueprints outlined by his West Point profe