Event
Rock Creek Civil War Round Table: "Capital Crisis: The Civil War Defenses of Washington, July-August 1862."
Fee:
Free. Free and open to the publicLocation: LAT/LONG: 38.959940, -77.051690
The lecture will take place at the Rock Creek Park Nature Center and Planetarium auditorium. Address: 5200 Glover Rd NW, Washington, DC 20015
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National Park Service historian Steve T. Phan will present a lecture on the evolution of the Defenses of Washington in response to the military situation pressing the Federal high command, War Department, and the Lincoln Administration during summer 1862.
The Confederate army launched an audacious offensive in July, bringing the war into Northern Virginia, Maryland, and the outskirts of Washington D.C. As a battered Federal army retreated to the capital following the Battle of Second Manassas, the focus turned to the Defenses of Washington. Designed to protect the city and Federal government from enemy attacks, Union commanders and engineers feared they earthworks were not strong enough to hold back an enemy attack.
Confederate General Robert E. Lee maneuvered his army around the Washington and advanced north into Maryland. In the capital, disorganization and panic ensued. This chaotic atmosphere inspired a major evolution of the Defenses of Washington—one that made Washington one of the most heavily fortified cities in the world.
How did the defenses evolve? Find out at the presentation!
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