fbpx
Wikipedia

Fort Totten Park

January 01, 1970

For other places with the same name, see Fort Totten.

Fort Totten Park is an American Civil War memorial on the site of a Union fort in Washington, DC. It is under the management of the National Park Service.

Fort Totten
Part of the Civil War defenses of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Fort Totten during the Civil War
Fort Totten
Coordinates38°56′49″N 77°00′15″W / 38.947056°N 77.004139°W / 38.947056; -77.004139
TypeEarthwork fort
Site information
Controlled byUnion Army
ConditionResidential Area
Site history
Battles/warsAmerican Civil War

History edit

Fort Totten was a Union Army defensive earthwork, built during the Civil War and named for Joseph Totten. It was built up during the fall of 1861, as part of the defense of Washington, D.C., during the Civil War, also known as the Fort Circle. Construction on the fort began in August 1861 and was completed in 1863.[1][2]

Fort Totten was one of seven temporary earthwork forts built in the Northeast quadrant of the city by the Union Army to protect the city from the Confederate Army. 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. Today, it has become a park administered by the National Park Service in the neighborhood of Fort Totten.

Structure edit

Fort Totten was a medium-sized fort, a seven-sided polygon with a perimeter of 272 yards (249 m). It was located atop a ridge along the main road from Washington to Silver Spring, Maryland, about three miles (5 km) north of the Capitol, and a half-mile from the Military Asylum or Soldiers' Home, where President Abraham Lincoln spent his summers while president.[2] The fort was of typical design for its time, with earth walls some 15 feet (4.6 m) thick and 8 feet (2.4 m) high. Outside the walls (or "ramparts") was a large ditch or dry moat over seven feet deep and twelve feet wide, and outside that was a broad cleared area surrounding a barrier of tree branches, brambles and general debris (or abatis). Along the inner surface of the wall were gun platforms for several types of cannon, some firing over the parapet, others firing through openings in it, and a banquette, a kind of shelf on which soldiers could stand to fire over the wall.

The fort had the following armement:

Wartime garrisons were manned by:

The fort saw action during the Battle of Fort Stevens on July 11 and 12, 1864 when Confederate General Jubal A. Early attacked the fort.[4]

  •  
    Men and gun of 3d Massachusetts Heavy Artillery at the Fort Totten ornamental gate in 1865
  •  
    Officers of Companies
    A and B
    3d Massachusetts Heavy Artillery and crew of 100-pdr Parrott gun on iron barbette carriage
    at Fort Totten
  •  
    Sergeants of 3rd Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, with gun and caisson at Fort Totten
  •  
    Officers of 3rd Regiment Massachusetts Heavy Artillery
  •  
    Interior view of Fort Totten
  •  
    Interior of Fort Totten
  •  
    Officers of Companies A and B, 3d Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, before quarters at Fort Totten
  •  
    Washington, District of Columbia. James rifles in Fort Totten

Post Civil War edit

With the end of the war in 1865, the fort was deactivated. Today, it is maintained by the National Park Service but is in poor state.[5]

A Washington Metro station, Fort Totten station, is named after the fort. The city street hugging the line to the rear of the fort is called Fort Totten Drive.

See also edit

References edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fort Totten (Washington, D.C.).
  1. ^ Fort Totten - Civil War Defenses of Washington (U.S. National Park Service)
  2. ^ a b c Cooling III, Benjamin Franklin; Owen II, Walton H. (6 October 2009). Mr. Lincoln's Forts: A Guide to the Civil War Defenses of Washington. Scarecrow Press. pp. 187–192. ISBN 978-0-8108-6307-1.
  3. ^ a b The Defenses of Washington During the War - The Evening Star - October 9, 1902 - page 21
  4. ^ a b FortWiki - fort Totten - http://www.fortwiki.com/Fort_Totten_(2)
  5. ^ FortWiki - Fort Totten - http://www.fortwiki.com/Fort_Totten_(2)

External links edit

  • National Park Service Fort Totten
  • National Park Service: Civil War Defenses of Washington
  • Amazing Civil War Photos of Fort Totten - Ghosts of DC blog

January 01, 1970
fort, totten, park, other, places, with, same, name, fort, totten, american, civil, memorial, site, union, fort, washington, under, management, national, park, service, fort, tottenpart, civil, defenses, washington, washington, fort, totten, during, civil, war. For other places with the same name see Fort Totten Fort Totten Park is an American Civil War memorial on the site of a Union fort in Washington DC It is under the management of the National Park Service Fort TottenPart of the Civil War defenses of Washington D C Washington D C Fort Totten during the Civil WarFort TottenCoordinates38 56 49 N 77 00 15 W 38 947056 N 77 004139 W 38 947056 77 004139TypeEarthwork fortSite informationControlled byUnion ArmyConditionResidential AreaSite historyBattles warsAmerican Civil War Contents 1 History 2 Structure 3 Post Civil War 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksHistory editFort Totten was a Union Army defensive earthwork built during the Civil War and named for Joseph Totten It was built up during the fall of 1861 as part of the defense of Washington D C during the Civil War also known as the Fort Circle Construction on the fort began in August 1861 and was completed in 1863 1 2 Fort Totten was one of seven temporary earthwork forts built in the Northeast quadrant of the city by the Union Army to protect the city from the Confederate Army 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 Today it has become a park administered by the National Park Service in the neighborhood of Fort Totten Structure editFort Totten was a medium sized fort a seven sided polygon with a perimeter of 272 yards 249 m It was located atop a ridge along the main road from Washington to Silver Spring Maryland about three miles 5 km north of the Capitol and a half mile from the Military Asylum or Soldiers Home where President Abraham Lincoln spent his summers while president 2 The fort was of typical design for its time with earth walls some 15 feet 4 6 m thick and 8 feet 2 4 m high Outside the walls or ramparts was a large ditch or dry moat over seven feet deep and twelve feet wide and outside that was a broad cleared area surrounding a barrier of tree branches brambles and general debris or abatis Along the inner surface of the wall were gun platforms for several types of cannon some firing over the parapet others firing through openings in it and a banquette a kind of shelf on which soldiers could stand to fire over the wall The fort had the following armement Four 6 pounder field guns bronze Eight 32 pounder Parrotts Two 8 inch siege howitzers One Coehorn mortar One 10 inch mortar M 1841 Three 30 pounder Parrotts One 100 pounder Parrott 3 2 4 Wartime garrisons were manned by 76th New York Infantry Headquarters in February 1862 2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery Regiment 136th Pennsylvania Infantry 137th Pennsylvania Infantry 3 The fort saw action during the Battle of Fort Stevens on July 11 and 12 1864 when Confederate General Jubal A Early attacked the fort 4 nbsp Men and gun of 3d Massachusetts Heavy Artillery at the Fort Totten ornamental gate in 1865 nbsp Officers of Companies A and B3d Massachusetts Heavy Artillery and crew of 100 pdr Parrott gun on iron barbette carriage at Fort Totten nbsp Sergeants of 3rd Massachusetts Heavy Artillery with gun and caisson at Fort Totten nbsp Officers of 3rd Regiment Massachusetts Heavy Artillery nbsp Interior view of Fort Totten nbsp Interior of Fort Totten nbsp Officers of Companies A and B 3d Massachusetts Heavy Artillery before quarters at Fort Totten nbsp Washington District of Columbia James rifles in Fort TottenPost Civil War editWith the end of the war in 1865 the fort was deactivated Today it is maintained by the National Park Service but is in poor state 5 A Washington Metro station Fort Totten station is named after the fort The city street hugging the line to the rear of the fort is called Fort Totten Drive See also edit nbsp American Civil War portal Civil War Defenses of Washington Washington D C in the American Civil War Fort Slocum Fort Slemmer Fort Bunker Hill Fort Saratoga Fort Thayer Fort Lincoln Battle of Fort StevensReferences edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fort Totten Washington D C Fort Totten Civil War Defenses of Washington U S National Park Service a b c Cooling III Benjamin Franklin Owen II Walton H 6 October 2009 Mr Lincoln s Forts A Guide to the Civil War Defenses of Washington Scarecrow Press pp 187 192 ISBN 978 0 8108 6307 1 a b The Defenses of Washington During the War The Evening Star October 9 1902 page 21 a b FortWiki fort Totten http www fortwiki com Fort Totten 2 FortWiki Fort Totten http www fortwiki com Fort Totten 2 External links editNational Park Service Fort Totten National Park Service Civil War Defenses of Washington Dekeworld Fort Totten History and Images Amazing Civil War Photos of Fort Totten Ghosts of DC blog Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Fort Totten Park amp oldid 1086355526, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.