BGuthrie Photos: MD -- Fort Foote Park

MD -- Fort Foote Park:

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. FTFOOT_121223_007.JPG: Why was the fort built here? Most of the forts that were built encircling Washington, D.C., during the early days of the Civil War, were earth and log structures, designed to be temporary field fortifications. Their purpose was to resist the attack of ground forces, such as infantry, cavalry, and artillery. But Fort Foote was built to protect Washington from a naval attack. Fort Washington, on the Potomac 16 miles south of Washington, was considered too far away to be adequately supported. So this site, just 6 miles south of Washington on Rozier's Bluff, 100 feet above the river, was considered an ideal location. When did historic things happen here? The fort was completed in the fall of 1863. It was named for Rear Admiral Andrew H. Foote, who died on June 26, 1863, after distinguishing himself in the actions against Confederate, forts on the Mississippi River. The fort saw no action during the Civil War, but President Lincoln and Secretary of State William Seward did visit the fort on August 20, 1863. Soldiers were stationed at Fort Foote even after the Civil War until 1878. Then the post was used for military training. After World War II, Fort Foote was transferred to the Department of the Interior. Today the park is a National Park service unit administered by National Capital Parks-East.
2. FTFOOT_121223_011.JPG: Welcome to Fort Foote Park! Fort Foote was one of more than 60 forts that were built to protect the nation's capital during the Civil War. Today the site is maintained by the National Park Service. What was the fort like during the Civil War? The front of the fort was over 500 feet long and the earth walls were 20 feet thick, and lined with wood. A central traverse ran the length of the fort and contained bombproof magazines and storage areas. Twelve cannons were placed on the walls of the fort: two 15-inch Rodman guns, four 200-pounder Parrott rifles, and six 30 pounder Parrott rifles. The garrison lived in frame buildings outside the fort. Typhoid and malaria were a constant threat. A 40-foot hospital was located at the post, and it came in handy, since sometimes half the garrison were on sick list at one time! What can we see here today? Today the area is a quiet place to enjoy nature. Take a hike and enjoy the view from the bluff. Explore what is left of the fort, and imagine what it was like when hundreds of soldiers lived and worked here. Examine the 15-inch Rodman guns on display. These were the largest cannons used during the Civil War. Each cost $9000. The gun barrel of a 15-inch Rodman weighs 50,000 pounds and is more than 15 feet long.
3. FTFOOT_121223_013.JPG: The front of the fort was over 500 feet long and the earth walls were 20 feet thick, and lined with wood. A central traverse ran the length of the fort and contained bombproof magazines and storage areas. To insure that Fort Foote resisted moisture, the interior walls of the fort were lined almost completely with cedar post.
4. FTFOOT_121223_015.JPG: Our government purchased 322 of the model 1861 15-inch Columbiads, known as the Rodman Gun, between 1861 and 1871. These mammoth, 25 ton pieces were the primary weapons of our coast defenses system for over thirty years.
5. FTFOOT_121223_017.JPG: It was found that 130 pounds of black-powder created 25,000 pounds of pressure in the chamber and at 20 degrees elevation the gun could send a 440-pound shell over 3-1/2 miles. At 1,000 yards the round-ball projectile could pierce 10 inches of iron. No warship, regardless of how well armored, could afford to trade shots with a 15-inch Rodman at close range.
6. FTFOOT_121223_021.JPG: Andrew Hull Foote (September 12, 1806 - June 26, 1863) an American naval officer who was noted for his service in the American Civil War and also for his contributions to several naval reforms in the years prior to the war. Three ships were named USS Foote for him. Fort Foote was also named for him.
7. FTFOOT_121223_023.JPG: Lt. Col. William H. Seward, Jr., the son of the secretary of State, commanded the post during the Civil War.
8. FTFOOT_121223_031.JPG: Fort Foote: Follow this path to the earthworks of Fort Foote. Civil War Defenses of Washington 1861-1865 Fort Foote from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers drawing. Fort Foote was named after Flag Officer Andrew Hull Foote, a Union naval hero mortally wounded at Fort Donelson, Tennessee, on February 14, 1862.
9. FTFOOT_121223_034.JPG: Fort Foote Protecting the Nation's Capital High on a bluff, a hundred feet above the Potomac River, twelve heavy guns commanded the approach to the city. Smaller cannon were placed to protect Fort Foote from landward attack. Numerous buildings were constructed to house and support the large garrison of troops that built the fort and manned the big guns. Construction of this Civil War earthworks began in 1863. It was the largest and southernmost bastion in a ring of 68 forts that were hurriedly laid out, armed and manned. Fort Foote continued as a defensive post after the Civil War and remained a garrison for artillery units of the Regular Army until 1878. The fort was named in honor of Rear Adm. Andrew Hull Foote, who distinguished himself while commanding gunboat operations on the Mississippi River. He died as a result of wounds received during the river campaigns.
10. FTFOOT_121223_056.JPG: King's Depression Carriage Capt. Rufus King, Jr. devised a counterweight system and front-pintle mount that would allow the 49,000 pdr. Rodman Gun to depress during loading. Except for the brief periods of exposure to enemy fire during the aiming and firing of the gun, the crew could remain protected behind the high parapets of the fort.
11. FTFOOT_121223_077.JPG: Northwest Bastion Protecting the fort against land attack: Armed with smaller field and siege guns, the landward bastions could deliver a sustained cannonade of 12- and 30-pounder shells. The long central traverse provided protection and contained magazines and bombproofs.
12. FTFOOT_121223_096.JPG: The Defenses of Washington At the start of the Civil War, Washington was protected by only one fort, Fort Washington guarding the Potomac River approach. The capital city was uncomfortably close to Confederate forces operating in Northern Virginia. by 1864, a system of earthen fortifications had been completed. The forts were well garrisoned and armed with large numbers of guns of diverse sizes and calibers. The war ended in the spring of 1865, and a year later all but a few forts were abandoned and their brief service ended.
13. FTFOOT_121223_142.JPG: 15-inch Rodman Smoothbore Among the largest cannon used in the Civil War: Monumental in size, these two immense guns remain as sentinels ready to repel an attack on the Nation's capital. With their extended range and commanding location above the river, they were the key defensive feature of the fort. Perhaps because of their formidable weight, the guns (original armament of the fort) have not been moved since their installation in 1864. Immobile as these huge guns may appear, a well drilled crew of 12 men could charge a gun with 40 pounds of black powder, load a 434-pound iron ball, 15 inches in diameter, and aim and fire once every 4 minutes. Innovative technology in iron gun-casting made it possible to produce these 49,000 pdr. guns. They were named after Brig. Gen. Thomas J. Rodman, who perfected this new technology shortly before the Civil War. These smoothbores were not noted for pinpoint accuracy. The three-mile range for such a large explosive projectile, however, was an impressive new defensive capability for the Civil War forts protecting Washington.
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Wikipedia Description: Fort Foote
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fort Foote was an American Civil War-era wood and earthwork fort that composed a portion of the wartime defenses of Washington, D.C. by helping defend the Potomac River approach to the city. It operated from 1863 to 1878, when the post was abandoned and used only briefly during the First and Second World Wars. Today, the fort is a park maintained by the U.S. National Park Service as part of the National Capital Parks-East system.

Planning:

In the opening days of the American Civil War, the defenses of Washington D.C. were primarily concerned with an overland attack on the capital city of the United States. In 1861, the Arlington Line was constructed to help defend the city from attack via the direct, Virginia approach. Additional forts were constructed on the city's northern approaches to defend against any attacks from Maryland. At sea, however, only Fort Washington, a fort originally built to defend the city in the War of 1812 blocked the approach along the Potomac River.

Fort Washington's vulnerability was highlighted in the 1862 clash of the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia, two wholly ironclad ships. Although the battle left the Virginia unable to continue fighting, Washingtonians were concerned that an ironclad similar to the Virginia might be able to slip past the isolated guns of Fort Washington and begin a bombardment of the city. They were also concerned with the potential intervention of European nations on the side of the Confederacy, possibly adding a major naval threat to the city. A commission appointed by Secretary of War Edwin Stanton to examine the defenses of Washington came to the conclusion that although sufficient defensive works had been constructed in order to defend the city from land attack, the city was still vulnerable to attack from the water.

"The commission furthers their opinion that the Defense of Washington cannot be considered complete without the defense of the r ...More...
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Directly Related Pages: Other pages with content (MD -- Fort Foote Park) directly related to this one: [Display ALL photos on one page]:
- 2005_MD_Ft_Foote: MD -- Fort Foote Park (12 photos from 2005)
Same Subject: Click on this link to see coverage of items having the same subject: [Civil War] [Park (National Park Service)]
2012 photos: Equipment this year: My mainstays were the Fuji S100fs, Nikon D7000, and the new Fuji X-S1. I also used an underwater Fuji XP50 and a Nikon D600. The first three cameras all broke this year and had to be repaired. Trips this year: three Civil War Trust conferences (Shepherdstown, WV, Richmond, VA, and Williamsburg, VA), a week-long family reunion cruise of the Caribbean, another week-long family reunion in the Wisconsin Dells (with lots of in-transit time in Ohio and Indiana), and my 7th consecutive San Diego Comic-Con trip (including side trips to Zion, Bryce, the Grand Canyon, etc). Ego strokes: I had a picture of Miss DC, Ashley Boalch, published in the Washington Post. I had a photograph of the George Segal San Francisco Holocaust memorial used as the cover of Quebec Francais (issue 165). Not being able to read French, I'm not entirely sure what the article is about but, hey! And I guess what could be considered to be a positive thing, my site is now established enough that spammers have noticed it and I had to block 17,000 file description postings for Viagra and whatever else.. Number of photos taken this year: just below 410,000.
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