Arlington in Arlington County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Fort C.F. Smith

Protecting the Capital

February 2, 2008

1. Fort C.F. Smith Civil War Trails Marker

Inscription. The ramps in front of you, now covered with grass, led to wooden platforms on which the various cannons were placed. When built in 1863, Fort C.F. Smith had platforms for twenty-two artillery pieces and four siege mortars. However, only sixteen cannons and four mortars were actually placed in the fort. The list of armaments for Fort C.F. Smith included two 6-pounder brass guns, six 4.5 inch guns, four 24-pounder cannons, three 12-pounder howitzers, one 8-inch seacoast howitzer and four 8-inch siege mortars.

Erected by Virginia Civil War Trails.

Marker series. This marker is included in the Defenses of Washington, and the Virginia Civil War Trails marker series.

Location. 38° 54.057′ N, 77° 5.472′ W. Marker is in Arlington, Virginia, in Arlington County. Marker can be reached from 24th Street North. Touch for map. This marker is in Fort C.F. Smith Park. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2411 24th Street North, Arlington VA 22207, United States of America.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. A different marker also named Fort C.F. Smith (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Fort C.F. Smith (within shouting distance of this marker); a different

Fort C.F. Smith image. Click for full size.

February 2, 2008

2. Fort C.F. Smith

Design sketch of Fort C.F. Smith including cross sections of bomp-proof (A - B) and powder magazine (C - D).

marker also named Fort C.F. Smith (about 800 feet away, measured in a direct line); Maywood (approx. 0.3 miles away); Fort Strong (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Dawson-Bailey House (approx. half a mile away); The Dawson-Bailey Spring Site (approx. half a mile away); The Bay-Eva Castle Site (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Arlington.

More about this marker. On the upper right of the marker is a photo captioned, "Company I of 2nd NY Heavy Artillery, view to the south showing powder magazine and south flank - Courtesy Library of Congress." On the lower left is a photo captioned, "Company L of 2nd NY Heavy Artillery, view to the west showing gun platforms 8, 9, and 10 and field of fire - Courtesy Library of Congress."

Categories. • Forts, Castles • War, US Civil •

Fort C.F. Smith Marker image. Click for full size.

November 11, 2006

3. Fort C.F. Smith Marker

Cannon Ramps and Platforms are in front of Marker - North Magazine is to the right in this photo.

Ditch and Glacis image. Click for full size.

February 2, 2008

4. Ditch and Glacis

Earthworks around the northwest face of the fort.

Interior view of Fort C. F. Smith image. Click for full size.

Library of Congress

5. Interior view of Fort C. F. Smith

Reproduced on the upper right of the marker, this photo shows gun crews of Company L, 2d New York Artillery in the fort. The crew is working one of the field howitzers assigned to the fort. Note to the front of the gun crew is one of the 8-inch mortars used in the fort. In the background on the right are 24-pdr siege guns on the platforms. An 8-in siege howitzer can be seen on the right on another platform. Between the field howitzer and the platforms is a bombproof.
(Civil War photographs, 1861-1865 / compiled by Hirst D. Milhollen and Donald H. Mugridge, Washington, D.C. : Library of Congress, 1977. No. 0765)

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. This page originally submitted on February 2, 2008. This page has been viewed 1,553 times since then and 4 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 2, 2008. 5. submitted on February 3, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.