Thing to Do

Survey Fort Stevens

Rock Creek Park

Historical reenactor visiting Fort Stephens.

Rock Creek Park

Cannons at Fort Stevens
Cannons and embrasures at Fort Stevens.

NPS

Located atop the parapet of Fort Stevens is a commemorative stone dedicated to Abraham Lincoln. On July 12, 1864, the President stood atop the parapet to observe the fighting and came under fire from Confederate sharpshooters. It is the only time in American history in which a sitting president came under direct fire from an enemy combatant.

Visitors to Fort Stevens can see the place where Lincoln stood, and walk alongside the earthen walls where cannons once fired.

Civil War Battlefields

Last updated: November 30, 2023