Fort Slocum (Washington, D.C.)
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Fort Slocum was one of seven temporary earthwork forts, part of the Civil War Defenses of Washington, D.C., during the
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
, built in the Northeast quadrant of the city after the beginning of the war by the Union Army to protect the city from the
Confederate Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fi ...
. From west to east, the forts were as follow: Fort Slocum, Fort Totten, Fort Slemmer, Fort Bunker Hill, Fort Saratoga, Fort Thayer and Fort Lincoln.


Civil War

The fort was built by the 2nd Rhode Island Infantry. It was named after Colonel John Slocum of the 2nd Rhode Island Infantry, killed in action on July 21, 1861, at the
First Battle of Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run, called the Battle of First Manassas
. by Confederate States ...
(also known as the First Battle of Manassas).National Park Service - Fort Slocum - https://www.nps.gov/places/fort-slocum.htm The fort perimeter measured and covered the Rock Creek Church Road (today Blair Road) and
New Hampshire Avenue New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995 * "New" (Daya song), 2017 * "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...
.The Historical Marker Database - Fort Slocum - https://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=110283 The fort contained the following equipment: * One 8-inch siege howitzer * Two 24-pounder
siege gun Siege artillery (also siege guns or siege cannons) are heavy guns designed to bombard fortifications, cities, and other fixed targets. They are distinct from field artillery and are a class of siege weapon capable of firing heavy cannonballs o ...
s * Two 24-pounder seacoast guns * Four 24-pounder howitzers * Seven 4.5-inch siege rifle * Six 10-pounder rifled Parrott rifles * One 10-inch siege mortar M. 1841 * Two 24-pounder Coehorn mortars The batteries were never completed on the east and west of the fort. If they had, an extra ten more guns could have been added. The following elements garrisoned at the fort at some point during the war: * 76th New York Volunteer Infantry * 1st New Hampshire Heavy Artillery Volunteer Regiment * 150th Ohio National Guard * 14th Independent Battery Michigan Light Artillery * Pennsylvania Independent Light Artillery Battery E known as "Knapp's Battery" It provided support to Fort Stevens west of Fort Slocum. When the
Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...
attacked Fort Stevens on July 11 and July 12, 1864, Fort Slocum fired its long-range guns. During the battle, 1,500 employees of the Army Quartermaster office led by General Montgomery Meigs assisted the garrison along with 2,800 hospitalized soldiers from the nearby hospitals under the command of Colonel Francis Price.


Post Civil War & park

Today, no visible evidence remains of Fort Slocum. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the fort and its surroundings were demolished when
victory garden Victory gardens, also called war gardens or food gardens for defense, were vegetable, fruit, and herb gardens planted at private residences and public parks in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Germany during World War I a ...
s were planted to support the war effort. Presently the park is administered as part of
Rock Creek Park Rock Creek Park is a large urban park that bisects the Northwest, Washington, D.C., Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. Created by Act of Congress in 1890, the park comprises 1,754 acres (2.74 mi2, 7.10 km2), generally along Rock Cr ...
, and has forested trails and picnic areas.


See also

*
Civil War Defenses of Washington The Civil War Defenses of Washington were a group of Union Army fortifications that protected the federal capital city, Washington, D.C., from invasion by the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Some of these fortifications ar ...
*
Washington, D.C., in the American Civil War During the American Civil War (1861–1865), Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States, was the center of the Union (American Civil War), Union war effort, which rapidly turned it from a small city into a major capital with full civi ...
* Fort Totten * Fort Slemmer * Fort Bunker Hill * Fort Saratoga * Fort Thayer * Fort Lincoln *
Battle of Fort Stevens The Battle of Fort Stevens was an American Civil War battle fought July 11–12, 1864, in Washington County, D.C. in present-day Northwest Washington, D.C., during the Valley campaigns of 1864 between forces under Confederate Lieutenant Ge ...
*
Siege artillery in the American Civil War Siege artillery is heavy artillery primarily used in military attacks on fortified positions. At the time of the American Civil War, the U.S. Army classified its artillery into three types, depending on the gun's weight and intended use. Fiel ...


References


External links


National Park Service Fort Slocum page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Slocum Washington, D.C., Fort 1861 establishments in Washington, D.C. American Civil War forts American Civil War on the National Register of Historic Places Civil War defenses of Washington, D.C. Demolished buildings and structures in Washington, D.C. Forts in the District of Columbia Parks in Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., in the American Civil War