Arlington Line facts for kids
The Arlington Line was a group of forts and defenses built by the Union Army during the American Civil War. These forts were located in Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States. Their main job was to protect Washington D.C. from attacks by the Confederate forces.
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Why Was the Arlington Line Built?
When the Civil War started in 1861, Virginia joined the Confederacy. This meant that Confederate land was very close to Washington D.C. The Union Army quickly realized they needed strong defenses. In May 1861, Union troops took control of parts of Virginia near the capital. They immediately started building forts to keep Washington D.C. safe.
Building the Defenses
After the Union Army lost the First Battle of Bull Run in July 1861, the need for stronger defenses became even clearer. The Union Army began building more forts and earthworks. These included breastworks (low walls of earth) and lunettes (small, crescent-shaped forts). These new defenses, along with the earlier forts, became known as the Arlington Line.
Some of these defenses later became part of Fort Myer. For example, a lunette called Fort Cass and a fort named Fort Whipple were included. Fort Myer is now known as Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall.
Who Designed the Arlington Line?
Major Daniel Phineas Woodbury was the Union engineer in charge of designing and building the Arlington Line. He played a key role in creating these important defenses. One of the forts, Fort Woodbury, was named after him. This fort once stood in what is now the Courthouse neighborhood of Arlington.
Was the Arlington Line Attacked?
Even after another Union defeat at the Second Battle of Bull Run in August 1863, the Arlington Line was never directly attacked. This shows that the forts and defenses did their job well. They successfully protected Washington D.C. throughout the war.
