Fort Reno (1)
Fort Reno (1) (1861-1866) - originally constructed in 1861 as Fort Pennsylvania by the 119th Pennsylvania Regiment as one of a string of forts circling Washington DC to defend it during the U.S. Civil War. It was renamed in 1863 in memory of Maj. General Jesse Lee Reno who was killed at the Battle of South Mountain in 1862.
History of Fort Reno (1)
The fort with its reinforced earthworks along the 39th Street side had three Parrott siege guns, nine 27-pounder barbette guns and contingent of 3,000 men. It was the largest fort of those surrounding Washington.
Fort Reno saw action on July 10-12, 1864, when Robert E. Lee sent 22,000 Confederates led by General Jubal A. Early against the 9,000 Union troops defending Washington (Ulysses S. Grant had depleted the Union defenses for his siege of Petersburg). The Confederates ironically attacked from the north in Maryland. The initial warnings came from Fort Reno lookouts spying movement by Rockville. The attack itself was directed about 4 miles to the east across Rock Creek at Fort Stevens (2). The battle is known as "Fort Stevens."
The battle for the most part was fought just across the District line in Maryland. Fort Reno's guns were used sparingly for fear of dropping shells on the Union side. However, one 100 pound shell from Reno is reported to have killed 4 Confederates near the present Bethesda Naval Hospital almost due north of the peak.
Abraham Lincoln watched the battle on July 12 from Fort Stevens -- the only time in the Civil War in which he was actually at an ongoing battle. Union troops were able to regroup from other skirmishes in Maryland and repelled the attack.
Current Status
No visible remains, several markers located in Fort Reno Park in Washington DC.
USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) Database Entry: 531620
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Location: 39th and Fessenden, Washington, DC Maps & Images Lat: 38.954003 Long: -77.077653 |
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Visited: 26 May 2013
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