Marker Logo HMdb.org THE HISTORICAL
MARKER DATABASE
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Navy Yard in Southeast Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
 

The Leg of Colonel Ulric Dahlgren

 
 
The Leg of Colonel Ulric Dahlgren Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Craig Swain, April 10, 2010
1. The Leg of Colonel Ulric Dahlgren Marker
Inscription.
The plaque below marks the spot where the leg of U.S. Army Colonel Ulric Dahlgren, son of Admiral John Dahlgren, "father of American naval ordnance," was interred following his wounding after the battle of Gettysburg in 1863.

The leg was enclosed in a lead and wooden box and placed in the cornerstone of Admiral Dahlgren's new foundry, building 26 which was then under construction on this site.

Colonel Dahlgren was killed in March 1864 during a failed Union cavalry raid on Richmond. Documents said to have been found on his body directed the capture or killing of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his cabinet. Public outrage in the South over "the Dahlgren papers" set the stage for conspirators led by John Wilkes Booth to plan the kidnapping and eventually the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

In 1915, Building 28 was demolished and replaced by a metal fabrication shop, and the plaque remained in the original wall. The building was again demolished in 1942, removing the remaining surface remnants of the 1863 foundry. The plaque was reinstalled at a higher location in the new wall. Mysteriously, Ulric Dahlgren's leg was not found.

In 1998, the plaque was recovered when the building was again demolished to construct the NavSea parking garage. The plaque now rests in its approximate original location
Paid Advertisement
Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.
Click or scan to see
this page online
marking the southwest corner of Admiral Dahlgren's foundry.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1864.
 
Location. 38° 52.45′ N, 76° 59.86′ W. Marker is in Southeast Washington in Washington, District of Columbia. It is in Navy Yard. Marker is on Isaac Hull Avenue south of Tingey Street Southeast, on the left when traveling south. Located on the side of a parking garage on the Washington Navy Yard. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 108 1st Street Southeast, Washington Navy Yard DC 20374, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. 16-inch Projectiles (within shouting distance of this marker); "4-in. 40 caliber rifles" (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Frank W. Crilley Building (about 500 feet away); USS Balao (SS-285) (about 500 feet away); Washington Navy Yard Chapel (about 600 feet away); Willard Park (about 700 feet away); a different marker also named Willard Park (about 700 feet away); National Museum of the U.S. Navy (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Southeast Washington.
 
More about this marker. At the top of the marker is a photo of the Dahlgren Foundry from 1866, looking from the northwest. At the bottom is a portrait of Colonel Ulric Dahlgren as he appeared before he lost
Marker and Plaque (below) on Parking Garage image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Craig Swain, April 10, 2010
2. Marker and Plaque (below) on Parking Garage
his leg in the Gettysburg Campaign.

 
Also see . . .  Kilpatrick-Dahlgren Raid. Encyclopedia Virginia website entry (Submitted on March 18, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.) 
 
Plaque image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Craig Swain, April 10, 2010
3. Plaque
Within this wall
is deposited the leg of
Col. Ulric Dahlgren U.S.V.
wounded July 6th 1863
while skirmishing in the
streets of Hagerstown
with the rebels
after the battle of
Gettysburg.
The Dahlgren Foundry<br>1866, Brady & Co. View from Northwest image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, May 9, 2012
4. The Dahlgren Foundry
1866, Brady & Co. View from Northwest
Close-up of photo on marker
Dahlgren Foundry image. Click for full size.
Library of Congress
5. Dahlgren Foundry
West end of old foundry erected in 1863. Building demolished to make way for new construction. Condition of building March 15, 1942. Plate at south west corner of building near fire plug bears the following inscription: “Within this wall is deposited the leg of Col. Ulric Dahlgren, U.S.V. wounded July 6, 1863 While skirmishing in the Streets of Hagerstown with rebels after the battle of Gettysburg.” N. G. F.Neg. No. 2575
Ulric Dahlgren image. Click for full size.
Internet Archive
6. Ulric Dahlgren
from Memoir of Ulric Dahlgren, by John Adolphus Bernard Dalgren, 1872.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 4, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,776 times since then and 45 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3. submitted on July 4, 2010, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.   4, 5, 6. submitted on March 21, 2019, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland.

Share this page.  
Share on Tumblr
m=32629

CeraNet Cloud Computing sponsors the Historical Marker Database.
This website earns income from purchases you make after using our links to Amazon.com. We appreciate your support.
Paid Advertisements
Mar. 19, 2024