Fort Williams (Virginia)

This article is about the Civil War-era fort that defended Washington, D.C.. For other locations, see Fort Williams (disambiguation).

Fort Williams
Part of the Civil War defenses of Washington, D.C.
Alexandria, Virginia
Coordinates	38°48′42″N 77°05′24″W / 38.81180°N 77.09000°W / 38.81180; -77.09000Coordinates: 38°48′42″N 77°05′24″W / 38.81180°N 77.09000°W / 38.81180; -77.09000
Type	Earthwork fort
Site information
Controlled by	Union Army
Condition	Dismantled
Site history
Built	1861
Built by	U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
In use	1861–1865
Materials	Earth, timber
Demolished	1865
Battles/wars	American Civil War

Fort Williams was a timber and earthwork fortification constructed in Alexandria, Virginia as part of the defenses of Washington, D.C. during the American Civil War.

History

It was named for Thomas Williams, killed at Baton Rouge, on August 5, 1862.

Built in the weeks following the Union defeat at Bull Run, Fort Williams was situated on north of Hunting Creek, and Cameron Run, (which feeds into it), near Vaucluse (plantation). From its position on Quaker Lane, one of the points west of Alexandria, the fort overlooked the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, the Little River Turnpike, and the western approaches to the city of Alexandria, the largest settlement in Union-occupied Northern Virginia.

It was built by the 2nd Connecticut Heavy Artillery Regiment. It had a perimeter of 250 yards, and space for 13 guns. ^[1]

The Fort is now a 7.80 acres (31,600 m²) Alexandria, Virginia city park, at 501 Fort Williams Parkway.^[2]

References

↑ Cooling III, Benjamin Franklin; Owen II, Walton H. (6 October 2009). Mr. Lincoln's Forts: A Guide to the Civil War Defenses of Washington. Scarecrow Press. pp. 64–70. ISBN 978-0-8108-6307-1.
↑ Parks E-H | Recreation | City of Alexandria, VA

External links

U.S. National Park Service Historic Resource Study of the Civil War defenses of Washington, D.C.
Fort Williams Park - City of Alexandria

American Civil War Defenses of Washington, D.C.

Departments	Department of the East Department of Washington, D.C. Department of the Potomac Military District of Washington Department of the Rappahanock Defenses of Washington, D.C. Department of Washington

Union Army Forces	Army of the Potomac XXII Corps

Potomac Approaches	Fort Washington Fort Foote Battery Rodgers

Arlington Line	Fort Willard Fort O'Rourke Fort Weed Fort Farnsworth Fort Lyon Fort Ellsworth Fort Williams Fort Worth Fort Ward Battery Garesche Fort Reynolds Fort Barnard Fort Berry Fort Richardson Fort Albany Fort Scott Fort Runyon Fort Jackson Fort Craig Fort McPherson Fort Tillinghast Fort Cass Fort Whipple Fort Woodbury Fort Morton Fort Corcoran Fort Haggerty Fort Bennett Fort Strong Fort C. F. Smith Fort Munson Fort Ramsey Fort Buffalo Fort Taylor Fort Ethan Allen Fort Marcy

Northwest Quadrant	Battery Kemble Battery Vermont Battery Alexander Fort Sumner (MD) Fort Sumner (VA) Fort Mansfield Fort Gaines Fort Simmons Fort Bayard Fort Reno Fort Kearny Fort DeRussy Fort Stevens

Northeast Quadrant	Fort Slocum Fort Totten Fort Slemmer Fort Bunker Hill Fort Saratoga Fort Thayer Fort Lincoln Fort Mahan

Eastern Branch	Fort Chaplin Fort Meigs Fort Dupont Fort Saratoga Fort Davis Fort Baker Fort Wagner Fort Ricketts Fort Stanton Fort Snyder Fort Carroll Fort Greble

National Park Service (Web) Map of defenses in 1865

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