The Library of Congress described the image as "Contours of Union Forts in Virginia." Library of Congress Arlington Line and Defense of AlexandriaThe Defenses South of the Potomac comprised the fortifications guarding the southern approaches to Washington DC in Virginia (Arlington and Alexandria). Federal commanders understood the importance of securing the high ground south of the Potomac River centered on the Arlington Heights. Enemy batteries could shell the Federal capital at will from the heights. As a result, Federal troops crossed the river and occupied the high ground on May 23-24, 1861. General John G. Barnard, Chief Engineer of the Defenses of Washington, described the critical importance of securing the ground in his report of the defenses (1871), writing:That a large portion of the city and nearly all the buildings occupied by the executive branches of the Government could be shelled or reached by direct artillery fire from the heights of Arlington, two miles distant, was, though an imperative, yet a narrow motive compared with the obvious military necessity, if the prestige of the Government was to be sustained and its power over the disloyal States to be asserted, of holding the southern shore of the Potomac and our debouches into Virginia. The nearness of Alexandria to Arlington Heights and the importance of the place as commanding the navigation of the Potomac and from its connec tion with the railroad system of the South, demanded that that point should be included in this occupation. After securing the Arlington Heights, Federal troops marched southeast to occupy Alexandria. The troops erected earthworks and a half dozen forts to secure the army's advanced position in Northern Virginia. These forts became the foundation of the Arlington Line, considered by Federal commanders as the zone of immediate threat, especially after the army's defeat at the Battle of First Manassas (Bull Run) on July 21, 1861. The army designed and constructed an elaborate system of earthworks in Virginia consisting of forts, batteries, earthworks, and blockhouses. 33 major fortifications formed the nucleus of the Virginia defenses. The names of the forts and batteries are listed below, including the defenses of the Potomac River. The sites managed by the National Park Service (NPS) and other organizations are identified below. The Civil War Defenses of Washington is program comprised of the three national parks (Rock Creek Park, National Capital Parks-East, and George Washington Memorial Parkway) containing Civil War earthworks in the National Capital Area (Region 1). Virginia DefensesArlington Line (North to South)
Defenses of the Potomac River
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Last updated: August 27, 2020