Fort Myer

Fort Myer (1861-Present) - From the original 1,100 acres of the Custis-Lee Estate, it was first established as a Union defense in 1861 during the U.S. Civil War when Fort Cass (2), Virginia, a lunette which was constructed by the 9th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment in June 1861, the name of the fortification was later changed to honor Colonel Thomas Cass, the regiment’s first commander who was killed in 1862 and later included an additional fortification Fort Whipple (1). Named after Major General Amiel W. Whipple (Cullum 1063), who died 7 May 1863 of wounds suffered at the Battle of Chancellorsville. Fort Whipple (1) was renamed Fort Myer on 4 Feb 1881 for Brigadier General Albert J. Myer, first U.S. Army Chief Signal Officer. Active military installation. Now a component of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall. Fort Myer Historic Guardhouse Repurposed. Fort Myer Historic Officer's Club. Fort Myer Parade. Fort Myer History Fort Myer Historic Officer Duplex Quarters. Fort Myer Historic NCO Duplex Quarters. Fort Myer Historic Enlisted Barracks. Established as Fort Whipple during the U.S. Civil War and became one of the circle of Union defenses around Washington DC. Fort Whipple was built in 1862 on property then known as the Arlington Estate of Confederate General Robert E. Lee which overlooked the Potomac River and Washington DC. The post was situated on high ground northeast of present day Arlington Boulevard and Pershing Drive. It was a bastioned earthwork with a perimeter of 640 yards and emplacements for 47 guns. This fort was one of the few earthworks fortifications around Washington retained after the end of the U.S. Civil War. The post was upgraded with permanent type buildings beginning in 1872 and became Fort Myer on 4 Feb 1881. The post was divided by the Arlington National Cemetery into two separate areas. Fort Myer became the US Army's cavalry showplace starting in 1887 at the direction of General Philip H. Sheridan, then the Army's commanding general. As many as 1,500 horses were stabled at the fort from 1887 to 1949, and Army horsemanship in the form of exhibitions, trials and polo matches became an important part of Washington's official and social life. Construction continued at the post and most of the buildings at the north end of Fort Myer were built in the period between 1895 and 1908. Many of those remaining structures are designated historic landmarks. Quarters One was completed in 1899 as the post commander's house. Since 1908, Quarters One has been the home of the Army chief of staff. Generals George C. Marshall, Omar N. Bradley, Douglas MacArthur and Dwight D. Eisenhower have lived in Quarters One.. The Fort Myer parade was the site of the first military test flight of an aircraft on 9 Sep 1908 by Orville Wright. Wright's second test flight ended in tragedy when the aircraft crashed and his passenger, Lt. Thomas Selfridge, became the first powered aviation fatality. During World War II, Fort Myer served as a processing center for soldiers and as a garrison for troops stationed in Washington DC area. After the war the Army's oldest infantry unit, the 3rd U.S. Infantry (The Old Guard) was reactivated in 1948 and assigned to Fort Myer and Fort Lesley J. McNair as the Army's official ceremonial unit and security force in the Washington metropolitan area. Fort Myer Partial Commanders List (edit list) Assumed Relieved Rank Name Cullum Notes 1886-12-20 1887-04-15 ‘2d Lt. Ostheim, Louis 2987 1898-07-14 1899-02-01  Capt. Pitcher, John 2634 1899-03 1899-06  Maj. Morgan, George Horace 2858 1900-02-12 1900-04  Maj. Kingsbury, Henry P. 2387 1903-02 1903-12-20 –Col. Edgerly, Winfield S. 2361 1904-11-20 1905-05-20 –Col. Morton, Charles 2297 1918-09 1919-06-15 –Col. Lockett, James 2798 1926-08 1927-03-19 –Col. Glasgow, William J. 3414 1918-09 1919-06-15 –Col. Lockett, James 2798 Dates are formatted in yyyy-mm-dd to sort correctly. The Cullum Number is the graduation order from the United States Military Academy by year and class rank and links to a page for the officer on the website version of the Cullum Register. Listings without a Cullum Number indicate that the person was not a graduate of the United States Military Academy. Current Status Guarding the Tomb of the Unknowns. The Old Guard's Caisson Platoon. An active military installation, a part of the U.S. Army Military District of Washington and Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall. Units stationed at the fort provide protection for the President and the Capitol, they guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier 24/7, and they furnish military units for ceremonies held within the adjacent Arlington National Cemetery and the Capitol complex. The Old Guard (3rd U.S. Infantry) stationed at Fort Myer since 1948 s the Army's official ceremonial unit and escort to the president, and it also provides security for Washington, DC in time of national emergency. The units of the 3rd U.S. Infantry stationed at Fort Myer provide details for standard and full honors funerals in Arlington National Cemetery and for dignified transfers at Dover Air Force Base. The Old Guard's ceremonial tasks include full honor arrivals for visiting dignitaries, wreath ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknowns, and full honor reviews in support of senior army leaders and retiring soldiers. They provide 24/7 Tomb Guards at the Tomb of the Unknowns and special ceremonial units including three Colonial Marching Platoons, the Old Guard Fife & Drum Corps, the Continental Color Guard, the United States Army Drill Team, the Presidential Salute Battery and the US Army Caisson Platoon. Fort Myer Caisson Stables. {"selectable":false,"width":"500"} Location: Fort Myer, Arlington County, Virginia. Maps & Images Lat: 38.8718621 Long: -77.0775355 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 187' See Also: Arlington National Cemetery Washington DC Fort Ring Washington DC Defense System - U.S. Civil War U.S. Army Military District of Washington U.S. Civil War Sources: 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 818 John Michael, Images of America - Fort Myer Historic Fort Myer: Images of America - Fort Myer by John Michael Links: North American Forts - Fort Myer Historic Fort Myer Official Site Visited: 21 May 2013