Video
Elizabeth Proctor Thomas -- Aunt Betty and Fort Stevens - Alliance to Preserve the Civil War Defenses of Washington
Description
The Civil War wrought destruction and disruption to millions of Americans. The Union Army constructed an elaborate system of fortifications to protect the nation’s capital. The soldiers occupied civilian property as “military necessity,” and in the process, denuded the landscape of trees and buildings. In Brightwood, a small community on the outskirts of Washington, Federal soldiers constructed Fort Stevens to protect the Seventh Street Road (Georgia Avenue), a critical north-south passageway into the capital. A small community of free African Americans resided in the neighborhood, including Elizabeth Proctor Thomas. Her family property, including the home, barn, and orchard, were destroyed when the fort was expanded in 1862. According to Thomas, President Abraham Lincoln visited and stated that she shall reap a great reward for her sacrifice to the Union war effort. In the decades after the war, Thomas became the local heroine of Fort Stevens, and was often visited by reporters and veterans of the battle. She was part of the dedication of the stone boulder at Fort Stevens in 1911. The National Park Service and the Alliance to Preserve the Civil War Defenses of Washington honor the sacrifice and legacy of Elizabeth Proctor Thomas.
Duration
9 minutes, 28 seconds
Credit
L. Macklin
Date Created
07/09/2020
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