Existing comment:
Defense of Washington: 1815-1860. Fort Warburton's replacement was begun immediately and completed in 1824. During the 1840s, the landslide wall was strengthened and the first 30 cannon mounted. A peacetime garrison of 40 to 50 men was normal, but a reduction in Army strength in the early 1850s forced the fort into a caretaker status. For the remainder of the decade, the sole occupant of the fort was the post ordnance sergeant, Joseph Cameron. |