The Defenses of Washington

Fort Runyon was the largest in area of 164 Civil War forts and batteries built in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. The Defenses of Washington formed a 37-mile ring around the capital to protect it from Confederate attack. Fort Runyon initially served as a bridgehead guarding the capital from direct assault via the Long Bridge. Later in the war, many of its armaments were moved to fortifications on higher ground, and it served primarily as a supply depot for Union troops and as a checkpoint for civilians crossing into the capital.

Arlington, Virginia · United States