Capital Defense

Capital Defense. George Washington Memorial Parkway. , During the 19th century, the greatest threat to Washington, DC was by water. This narrow section on the Potomac River was an ideal location for a coastal defense. Fort Warburton was built on the Maryland side in 1808 as tensions escalated between the United States and England. During the War of 18 12, as British troops marched overland into Washington, the fort was destroyed by its own garrison to prevent capture. This embarrassing incident led to the court martial of the fort's commander, Captain Samuel Dyson, and the construction of a more substantial fort in 1824, the one you see across the river today, known as Fort Washington., In 1861, Fort Washington was the only fortification defending the capital at the outset of the Civil War. To defend the federal city, 68 additional earthen forts were quickly constructed around the city. While no river attack occurred during the Civil War, this area continued to be a place for coastal defense. Just prior to the Spanish-American War (1898), this side of the Virginia shore began to be fortified with cannons to compliment the cannons at Fort Washington. This area was named Fort Hunt and the military accelerated construction and rehabilitation of both forts with modern artillery and a submerged minefield between the forts. By the 1930s, the forts were deemed obsolete, closed and given to the National Park Service. However, during World War II, Fort Hunt was reactivated as a top secret military intelligence camp and POW interrogation center. Today, both forts stand as silent reminders of the nation's military history., (caption) , Fort Washington as it appeared at the time of the American Civil War. National Park Service Image