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.
Generals men. The president of the railroad is telling him its a real threat and grant is going to move rather slowly. As the confederates will now move toward isolating the union troops, which evacuated Harpers Ferry on Maryland Heights and close in on frederick, maryland. On frederick, maryland, they have occupied it on the 8th day of july. A union army has been assembled there on the banks of the river and on the 9th day of july at the battle, who would write the most popular novel written in the 19th century by american author ben purr. When evacuates and leaves the battlefield he falls back on baltimore leaving washington uncovered. Many of the thousands of men who had been manning the washington forts, the 87 forts and batteries had been called to fill the vacant ranks as we talked about in those wonderful songs we were led in as they are father abrahams call. And they are going to become instant infantrymen. Many of them we have just heard from our lecturer, many by the black me
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