Fort Bayard (Washington, D.C.) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort Bayard |
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| Part of the Civil War defenses of Washington, D.C. | |
| District of Columbia | |
Map of the fort
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| Coordinates | 38°57′23″N 77°05′28″W / 38.95639°N 77.09111°W |
| Type | Earthwork fort |
| Site information | |
| Owner | U.S. National Park Service |
| Controlled by | Union Army |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Condition | Public park |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1861 |
| Built by | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers |
| In use | 1861–1865 |
| Materials | Earth, timber |
| Demolished | 1865 |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
Fort Bayard was a special kind of fort built from earth and wood. It was constructed in 1861 in Washington, D.C. during the American Civil War. Its main job was to help protect the capital city from attacks.
Luckily, Fort Bayard never saw a big battle. It was taken apart after the war ended in 1865. The fort was named after Brigadier General George Dashiell Bayard. He was a brave soldier who died in a battle called the Battle of Fredericksburg.
Today, you can find the spot where Fort Bayard once stood in Boundary Park. This park is in Washington, D.C., and is looked after by the National Park Service. There are no parts of the old fort left, but a special marker tells visitors about its history.
Contents
Life Before the Fort
Before the Civil War began, much of Washington, D.C. was open countryside. The city of Washington itself was smaller back then. Most of the land was called Washington County. This area had many farms and large estates.
Fort Bayard was built on land owned by a farmer named Philip J. Buckey. He lived in a farmhouse nearby with his family. The army paid him rent to use his land for the fort during the war.
Another family, the Shoemakers, owned a lot of land nearby. Several other forts were built on their property. The Shoemaker family also ran a store. They sold supplies to the soldiers at Fort Bayard.
Building Washington's Defenses
When the state of Virginia left the United States and joined the Confederacy, soldiers from Washington moved into northern Virginia. This was to stop the Confederate army from attacking the capital.
At first, forts were built along the Potomac River. They also guarded the main bridges connecting Virginia to Washington. But soon, leaders realized they needed more protection. They planned a huge ring of forts to defend the city from all directions.
This work was paused when the First Battle of Bull Run happened. After the Union army lost this battle, everyone worried about an attack on Washington. People quickly built temporary defenses.
On July 26, 1861, Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan took charge of Washington's defenses. He was very concerned about how unprotected the city was. He said there was "nothing to prevent the enemy shelling the city."
McClellan quickly ordered many more forts and trenches to be built. These new defenses would slow down any attack. This would give time for more soldiers to arrive and help protect the city. Brigadier General John G. Barnard was the main engineer for this huge project.
River Road was an important path for trade coming into Washington from western Maryland. It was also a likely route for an enemy army to use. This was proven later during the Battle of Fort Stevens.
To protect River Road, army engineers built Fort Bayard. It was a small, round fort with six guns. It was located where River Road entered Washington, D.C. Fort Bayard was positioned in front of Fort Reno, which was the largest fort in the area.
In April 1863, the fort was officially named Fort Bayard. It honored Brigadier General George Dashiell Bayard, who had died in battle. The fort was mostly finished by then. It was round and surrounded by trenches and obstacles made of sharpened logs. Its guns pointed north, watching over River Road.
Fort Bayard During the War
Forts like Bayard were meant to have a certain number of soldiers. Fort Bayard was considered a "rear-line" fort. This meant it needed one soldier for every yard of its perimeter. If there was a big attack, more soldiers from Washington's reserve force would be sent to help.
However, the war often changed these plans. As battles continued, commanders sometimes took trained artillerymen and infantry from Washington's forts. They needed these soldiers for fighting on the front lines. By 1864, Washington had fewer soldiers than planned.
A report in May 1864 checked on Fort Bayard. It found only one company of soldiers there. These 137 men operated two small cannons and four larger ones. The fort's ammunition storage was in good condition. But the report said the soldiers' training was "ordinary" and "needs improving."
Over time, soldiers from different states served at Fort Bayard. These included troops from New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York. After the critical report, the soldiers from New York were replaced by a company from Ohio.
The Battle of Fort Stevens
Fort Bayard was only attacked once during the war. This happened during the Battle of Fort Stevens in July 1864. Confederate General Jubal Early led a large force into Maryland. He hoped to attack Washington, D.C. This would force Union General Ulysses S. Grant to send some of his troops away from other battles.
On July 11, Confederate cavalry and infantry advanced towards Washington. They wanted to capture Fort Reno. They pushed back the Union soldiers in front of Fort Bayard. But then, Fort Bayard and its nearby forts fired their cannons. The Confederates were met with heavy gunfire. They decided not to attack further and moved to join the main Confederate force.
More Union soldiers arrived at Fort Bayard that day. But no more Confederate attacks happened. For the rest of the war, Fort Bayard did not fire its guns in battle again.
After the War
After the Civil War ended in April 1865, Washington no longer needed so many forts. Engineers decided to sort the forts into three groups. Some would stay active, some would be kept in reserve, and some would be completely abandoned.
Fort Bayard was small and located north of the Potomac River. It was placed in the "abandoned" group. It was taken apart a few months after the war ended.
Fort Bayard Park Today
The land where Fort Bayard once stood slowly fell into disrepair. In 1919, people in Washington, D.C., wanted to turn the old fort sites into a "Fort Circle" system of parks. They imagined a green ring of parks around the growing city. These parks would be connected by a special road.
It took many years, but a similar plan passed in 1925. The National Capital Parks Commission was created. They would buy the land and build the parks. By the time the Fort Bayard site was bought in 1926, the fort's remains were gone. Homes were already being built there.
The plan for a "Fort Circle Drive" was delayed many times. Eventually, it was dropped. Washington city had grown so much that it went past the old ring of forts. City roads already connected the parks.
Today, Fort Bayard Park is a public park. It has a softball field and a soccer field. The National Park Service takes care of it all year. In 1999, local residents formed a group called Friends of Fort Bayard Park, Inc.. They help the National Park Service keep the park nice. They organize cleanups and raise money for improvements.
