Defending the City of Washington

Defending the City of Washington. . , During the Civil War between 1861 and 1865, the Army of the Potomac had a two-fold mission: to defeat the Confederate Army and to defend the City of Washington against enemy attack. To prepare for the possibility of enemy attack, military fortifications connected by lines of earthworks or batteries were constructed on hastily chosen sites around the perimeter of the City at approximately one half mile intervals. By 1864, the Defenses of Washington consisted of over 150 enclosed forts and batteries., The most westerly fort of the line was Fort Sumner, named for General Erwin Vose Sumner. Corps Commander, Army of the Potomac. Forts Sumner, Mansfield and their connecting batteries, including Battery Bailey, were constructed to guard the receiving reservoir of the Washington Aquaduct and the Potomac River shoreline., By the end of the War, lest History repeat itself, Army engineers recommended that Washington keep some of the defenses in order. Initially some 24 installations, including Fort Sumner, were deemed worthy of retention with the possibility that the list be further shortened in the future. As the list continued to dwindle and properties returned to rightful owners, time and weather worked to diminish the batteries., [Captions:] , Approximate Locations of Civil War Defenses in Montgomery County, Maryland, Surveying the Potomac River: Soldiers on Duty at Battery Alexander, Near Fort Sumner. National Archives