Fort Craig (3)

Fort Craig (3) (1861-1865) - A Union U.S. Civil War Fort first established in 1861 in present day Arlington County, Virginia. Named Fort Craig in G.O. 18, 30 Sep 1861, after Presley O. Craig, 2nd U.S. Artillery, who was killed at Bull Run on 21 Jul 1861. The fort was abandoned in 1865 at the end of the war. Fort Craig Officers, 50th Pennsylvania Infantry, July 1865 note the Gun Platform Construction History of Fort Craig One of the ring of Union fortifications surrounding Washington DC during the U.S. Civil War, see Washington DC Fort Ring. Fort Craig was also one of 33 forts on the Virginia side of the Potomac River that made up an outer defense line for Washington DC known as the Arlington Line. Established in August 1861 as a semi-circular stockaded lunette with a perimeter of 324 yards and emplacements for 11 guns. Armament included four 24 pounder cannons, one 24 pounder howitzer, five 30 pounder Parrott rifles, one 10" mortar and one 24 pounder Coehorn mortar. The lunette enclosed the 11 gun platforms, two magazines and a bombproof. A 17 May 1864 report from the Union Inspector of Artillery noted the following: "Fort Craig, Major Holt commanding.–Garrison, two companies First Massachusetts Heavy Artillery–15 commissioned officers, 1 ordnance-sergeant, 280 men. Armament, one 24- pounder field howitzer, four 24-pounder siege, five 30-pounder Parrotts, one Coehorn mortar, one 10-inch mortar. Magazines, two; dry and in good condition. Ammunition, full supply and in good condition. Implements, complete and in good order. Drill in artillery, fair. Drill in infantry, fair. Discipline, fair. Garrison of sufficient strength. " The fort was abandoned in 1865 at the end of the war. Current Status No remains, marker only in Arlington County, Virginia. Location: South Court House Road and 4th Street South in Arlington County, Virginia. Map point is the marker location. Maps & Images Lat: 38.87041 Long: -77.08165 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: .....' See Also: Arlington Line - U.S. Civil War Washington DC Fort Ring Washington DC Defense System - U.S. Civil War Sources: Cooling, Benjamin F. III and Owen, Valton H. II, Mr. Lincoln's Forts: A Guide to the Civil War Defenses of Washington, Scarecrow Press, 2009, ISBN 0810863073, ISBN 9780810863071, 334 pages, page 98-99. Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 807. Links: North American Forts - Fort Craig Wikipedia - Fort Craig HMDB - Fort Craig Visited: No