Fort Thayer was one of seven temporary earthwork forts part of the Civil War Defenses of Washington, D.C., 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 and Fort Lincoln. Unlike other forts, today nothing remains of the structure.

Civil War

Fort Thayer was an earthwork fort set up by the

in 1861 as part of the Civil War Defenses of Washington, DC. It was located between Fort Saratoga and Fort Lincoln. As Fort Saratoga, it was a minor work forming connecting links between Fort Bunker Hill and Fort Lincoln. It was a lunette with faces of 100 feet and stockaded gorges. It was designed to primarily defend the open ravine on the west as it could have offered enough cover and convenient approach to the enemy. It was recommended that "a platform for a siege gun should be made on the pan-coupe and platforms for field guns on the flanks, and merlons raised on faces nd thata ditch should be made along the stockade of the gorge". It was named after Colonel

Sylvanus Thayer Colonel and Brevet Brigadier General Sylvanus Thayer (June 9, 1785 – September 7, 1872) also known as "the Father of West Point" was an early superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point and an early advocate of engineerin ...

known as the "Father of

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

" who was at the time the chief engineer for the

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

area in the Army corps of engineers. It was built on privately owned land managed by Charles B. Calvert. The fort was equipped with: * Two 8-inch siege howitzers * One 24-pounder James gun * Four 24-pounder seacoast guns * One 24-pounder Coehorn mortarThe Evening Star - Thursday, October 9, 1902 - page 21 The following troops were garrisoned at one point in Fort Thayer: * 16th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry * 1st New Hampshire Heavy Artillery Volunteer Regiment * 150th Ohio National Guard

Post Civil War

In 1865, the fort was abandoned with the end of the Civil War. In 1906, 34 residents and businesses championed a bill to preserve the fort as a public park with the support of the Washington Park Commission. It was noted that there were no parks in the area at the time and that development was under way in the vicinity. The owners at the time, Henry Vieth and Glenn E. Husted wrote in a letter that they would be more than happy to sell to the city it for a reasonable price of 10 cents per square foot if done quickly. Otherwise, they would grade it and sell it for building lots. Congress failed to act and the Commission resubmitted a bill in 1908 with the price going up to 12 cents. The Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds returned an adverse report and the fort was removed shortly after.The Washington Times - ''Save Old Fort Thayer from being Wiped Out'' - sunday, February 3, 1907 Today, no building or marker remains.

References

{{authority control Bunker Hill, Fort Bunker Hill, Fort Bunker Hill

Bunker A bunker is a defensive military fortification designed to protect people and valued materials from falling bombs, artillery, or other attacks. Bunkers are almost always underground, in contrast to blockhouses which are mostly above ground. ...

American Civil War on the National Register of Historic Places Parks in Washington, D.C. Demolished buildings and structures in Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., in the American Civil War 1861 establishments in Washington, D.C.

Civil War

Post Civil War

See also

References