Fort DeRussy (Rock Creek Park, District of Columbia)
Rock Creek Park · District of Columbia · Civil War
History & Significance
Fort DeRussy was built in 1861 by the 4th New York Heavy Artillery to command the Rock Creek valley as part of the Union's integrated defensive ring around the federal capital. The fort was a trapezoidal earthwork with a perimeter of 190 yards and places for 13 guns, with supporting rifle pits and abatis in the Rock Creek streambed.
The fort coordinated its fire with Fort Stevens on the east and Fort Kearny on the west. During most of the war, the fort saw routine garrison duty.
Its moment of decisive action came on July 11–12, 1864, during the nearby Battle of Fort Stevens, when Union General Ulysses S. Grant had begun pulling troops from the defensive forts around Washington to serve on the front lines, and General Robert E. Lee ordered General Jubal Early to take advantage of the depleted Union defenses; Early launched an attack on Fort Stevens on July 11, 1864. Fort DeRussy had 11 guns and mortars which fired a total of 109 rounds to aid in the defense of Fort Stevens, with the fort's 100-pounder Parrott rifle being particularly effective, getting off 32 rounds.
Fort DeRussy is one of the best preserved of all forts in the Civil War Defenses of Washington because Rock Creek became a park only twenty-five years after the Civil War, so none of the land was ever developed. Today, the grounds of the fort are administered by the U.S. National Park Service as part of Rock Creek Park.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Civil War earthwork fortification with visible parapet and dry moat
- Infantry trenches and gun placements from 1861 defensive ring
- Site of active fighting during 1864 Battle of Fort Stevens
- Integrated within Rock Creek Park's natural setting
- Interpretive access managed by National Park Service
Sources
- https://www.nps.gov/places/fort-derussy.htm
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_DeRussy_(Washington,_D.C.)
- https://npplan.com/parks-by-state/washington-d-c-national-parks/civil-war-defenses-of-washington-park-at-a-glance/civil-war-defenses-of-washington-fort-derussy/
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=20823
- https://www.battlefields.org/visit/heritage-sites/civil-war-defenses-washington
Other Forts in District of Columbia
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