Fort Lincoln was one of seven temporary earthwork forts part of the Civil War Defenses of Washington, DC during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

built in the Northeast quadrant of the city at the beginning of the

by the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

to protect the city from the

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

. From west to east, the forts were as follow:

Fort Slocum Fort Slocum, New York was a US military post which occupied Davids Island in the western end of Long Island Sound in the city of New Rochelle, New York from 1867 to 1965. The fort was named for Major General Henry W. Slocum, a Union corps comm ...

, Fort Totten,

Fort Slemmer Fort Slemmer sometimes called Battery Slemmer was one of seven temporary earthwork forts part of the Civil War Defenses of Washington, D.C., during the Civil War built in the Northeast quadrant of the city at the beginning of the Civil War by the ...

, Fort Bunker Hill, Fort Saratoga,

Fort Thayer Fort Thayer was one of seven temporary earthwork forts part of the Civil War Defenses of Washington, D.C., during the Civil War built in the Northeast quadrant of the city at the beginning of the Civil War by the Union Army to protect the city fr ...

and Fort Lincoln. Battery Jamson was a large battery east of the fort overlooking the

Anacostia River The Anacostia River is a river in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States. It flows from Prince George's County in Maryland into Washington, D.C., where it joins with the Washington Channel to empty into the Potomac River at Buzzard Point. ...

providing additional support.

Civil War

Fort Lincoln was built starting on August 26, 1861 by the

First Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry The 1st Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment in the Union army during the American Civil War. It was the first regiment to leave Massachusetts for a three-year term (several had previously left for 90-day terms) in ...

The Defenses of Washington during the War - The Evening Star, Thursday, October 9, 1902 - page 21 along the border of the District of Columbia and

Prince George's County, Maryland ) , demonym = Prince Georgian , ZIP codes = 20607–20774 , area codes = 240, 301 , founded date = April 23 , founded year = 1696 , named for = Prince George of Denmark , leader_title = Executive , leader_name = Angela D. Alsobroo ...

it was named in honor of President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

by General Order No. 18, A.G.O., Sept. 30, 1861.The Historical Marker Database - Fort Lincoln - https://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=46714 It was built on the old Baltimore Pike, 2 and 1/2 miles from the city at the time. The fort had a perimeter of and places for 34 guns. The fort was armed with the following guns: * Eight 6-pounder field guns (bronze) * Four 12-pounder field guns * Five 24-pounder James gun (

barbette Barbettes are several types of gun emplacement in terrestrial fortifications or on naval ships. In recent naval usage, a barbette is a protective circular armour support for a heavy gun turret. This evolved from earlier forms of gun protection ...

) * One 24-pounder James gun * Six 32-pounder sea-coast howitzers * Two 24-pounder howitzers * Two 8-inch howitzers * Two Coehorn mortars * One 10-inch mortar M. 1841 * Four 30-pounder Parrotts * One 100-pounder Parrott The following troops were garrisoned at Fort Lincoln: * Old Joe Hooker's brigade composed of the

11th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry The 11th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Organized in Boston in May 1861, the 11th Massachusetts Infantry was made up mostly of men from Boston, but also from Charlestown ...

2nd New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry 2nd New Hampshire Infantry Regiment was the longest-serving volunteer regiment of the State of New Hampshire in the American Civil War. Service The 2nd New Hampshire was organized in early 1861 and mustered on June 4, 1861. The 2nd NH fought fro ...

and

26th Pennsylvania Infantry The 26th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 26th Pennsylvania Infantry was organized in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April 20, 1861 and mustered on M ...

3rd Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Heavy Artillery The 3rd Massachusetts Volunteer Heavy Artillery Regiment was a unit that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was organized from already mustered unattached companies of heavy artillery raised for the defenses of the Massach ...

Battery D, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery Battery D, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery Regiment was an artillery battery that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service Battery D, 1st Rhode Island Light Artillery Regiment was organized in Providence, Rhode Island and ...

* Company A, Main Coast Guards * Detachments of the New Hampshire Heavy Artillery * 150th Ohio National Guards A cavalry outpost was located close by with the

7th Michigan Volunteer Cavalry Regiment The 7th Michigan Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was a part of the famed Michigan Brigade, commanded for a time by Brigadier General George Armstrong Custer. Service The 7th ...

composed of about 500 men under the command of Major Darling. During the

Battle of Fort Stevens The Battle of Fort Stevens was an American Civil War battle fought July 11–12, 1864, in what is now Northwest Washington, D.C., as part of the Valley Campaigns of 1864 between forces under Confederate Lieutenant General Jubal Early and Un ...

On the afternoon of July 12, 1864, had a brush with the enemy's cavalry beyond

Bladensburg, Maryland Bladensburg is a town in Prince George's County, Maryland. The population was 9,657 at the 2020 census. Areas in Bladensburg are located within ZIP code 20710. Bladensburg is from central Washington. History Originally called Garrison's Landi ...

. Captain T.S. Paddock was in command of the fort at the time. To the East, was located Battery Jameson. It was established in 1862 as an outer works of the fort on a bluff in

under the direction of Brigadier General

John G. Barnard John Gross Barnard (May 19, 1815 – May 14, 1882) was a career engineer officer in the United States Army, U.S. Army, serving in the Mexican–American War, as the superintendent of the United States Military Academy and as a general in the Unio ...

and named after Major General

Charles D. Jameson Charles Davis Jameson (February 24, 1827 – November 6, 1862) was an American Civil War general and Democratic Party candidate for Governor of Maine. He contracted "camp fever" (typhoid) at the Battle of Fair Oaks, returned to his native s ...

, who died of typhoid fever on November 6, 1862. It was at the end of the line and overlooked he Eastern Branch of the Potomac River (now the

with several other smaller unnamed batteries around. File:Fort Lincoln - Washington, District of Columbia.png, Fort Lincoln in 1863 with the batteries File:District of Columbia. Company E, 4th U.S. Colored Infantry, at Fort Lincoln LOC cwpb.04294.tif, District of Columbia. Company E, 4th U.S. Colored Infantry, at Fort Lincoln File:Brigade headquarters at Fort Lincoln01355v.jpg, Brigade headquarters at Fort Lincoln in 1861 File:District of Columbia. Gun crews of Company H, 3d Massachusetts Heavy Artillery, at Fort Lincoln LOC cwpb.04286.tif, Gun crews of Company H, 3rd Massachusetts Heavy Artillery at Fort Lincoln

Post-Civil War

Today, the majority of the remaining fort is within Fort Lincoln Cemetery in

and can be visited.Maryland Historical Trust, Inventory Form for State Historic Sites Inventory - Battery Jameson (PG-68-15a)
/ref> A marker has been placed to commemorate the fort.Historical Marker Project - Fort Lincoln - https://www.historicalmarkerproject.com/markers/HMVG5_fort-lincoln_Brentwood-MD.html File:Fort Lincoln Cemetery, Brentwood, Maryland 006.JPG, Historical Marker in Fort Lincoln Cemetery, Brentwood, Maryland File:Fort Lincoln Cemetery, Brentwood, Maryland 016.JPG, All that remains of Fort Lincoln is the flag, earthenworks, and three cannons at Fort Lincoln Cemetery, Brentwood, Maryland. The Old Spring House is off to the left. File:Fort Lincoln Cemetery, Brentwood, Maryland 007.JPG, The last earthworks for Fort Lincoln at Fort Lincoln Cemetery, Brentwood, Maryland.

References

{{Authority control Civil War defenses of Washington, D.C. Parks in Washington, D.C. Forts on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C. American Civil War on the National Register of Historic Places Northeast (Washington, D.C.)

Civil War

Post-Civil War

See also

References