Gettysburg. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was 1963. The Centennial Anniversary of the battle of gettysburg. I remember being a child, standing there, not fully understanding with the civil war was about. What the gettysburg address was about. What had really happened gettysburg. But knowing, in my heart, as i stood there, feeling the summer stones if you have been there, they are unforgettable i knew something extraordinary had happened. This was a sacred place. I took home from the visit in 1963 a small wooden revolver, a souvenir, with the dates of the bowel stamped on the barrel battle stamped on the barrel. I keep it as a reminder of what history really means. Morei set out to write than 25 years ago, hard to believe, but when i set out, i wanted to maintain a sense of childlike wonder about history. I could not understand people saying, history is so dull. So boring. All these days and battles and speeches. History is anything but that. It is the story of real people and
150th anniversary of the battle of fort stevens. The battle took place july 11th and 12th in 1864 when Confederate Forces probed washington, d. C. s defenses before turning back. Speakers discuss the battles significance and contributions by africanamerican troops. This is just over an hour. Good morning, and welcome to fort stevens. My name is kim elder and im the Program Manager for the National Park service for the civil war defenses of washington. Id like to welcome and thank each of you all for joining us this morning for the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the battle of fort stevens. Ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the presentation of colors and the singing of the National Anthem by anita frasier. O say, can you see by the dawns early light what so proudly we hailed at the twilights last gleaming . Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight oer the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming . And the rockets red glare the bombs bursting
Fort stephens. The first time in 150 years a canon will be fired in a d. C. Fort. Youve got to come out and share with that. As i mentioned on sunday, well have the Memorial Program at the Battleground National Cemetery where we will pay respect to the 38 soldiers who are buried there and the others who have given their sacrifice for this country. We didnt have a lot of time but i do encourage you all to tell your friends about it. Visit us on our website at www dot nps. Gov. Again, thank you all so very much. [ applause ] i think we have time for just one or two questions. If people would like to come to either of the microphones if folks have questions. We will go ahead and take them in turn. Hi, david, thank you for all three of you for your presentations. Id like to ask a little bit more about the legislation. You alluded to it but i wonder if you could get into it a little bit deeper and maybe focus on how local owned virginia forts will be incorporated into that plan. Thanks is t
You can read faster than i can talk so i wont read the slides. I want you to see beautiful places i love. They are history and parks and recreation and National Resources and frankly the lungs of the city are largely these forts and the parks. So there we start. As frank said the city was unprotected down below. This is Fort Washington. If you havent been there, you should go. Its quite different from the forts that were built during the civil war. After bull run, lincoln knew the city was vulnerable. Thats when he ordered director Major General john g. Barnard to design forts around the city to protect it. Here they are. These are the ones available there. It was quite an amazing feat to build all those. It was just tremendous. Here they are there. Ive circled them here on this old map, the ones that are under government ownership today. The park service owns all the ones in washington, d. C. And one in maryland and one in virginia. The ones in virginia are owned by local governments.
Im 75 years of age folks. I remember things differently than when i was fighting or Something Like that at 20, 18, or what have you so the veterans may have been mistaken but they wanted to mark that spot and they got the stone out of the water reed area Cameron Creek and put that bar relief and thats their monument to the remembrance of lincoln on enemy fire. We dont know that the Justice Supreme Court really uttered one of those immortal words, get that damn fool down. The records suggest there are six or five other people, veterans who also shouted get that fool down of the get that man down including horatio down because he told him i cant protect you. Finally lincoln condesendedly getting down. Still washington forts are yet another of washingtons many monuments that have transitioned you purpose. They want recognition from all of us, appreciation. For commemoration for with a they did there an probably both sides lost thousands of people on both sides. So just what they have beco