Safeguarding the Union:
The Early Days of the Civil War Defenses of Washington, from Fort Sumter to 1^st Bull Run, April to July 1861 

Many people are aware of the Civil War Defenses of Washington (CWDW) and that it was composed of 68 forts and 93 batteries.  But this was the strength of the defenses by the end of the war.  How did the CWDW begin?  Where was the first fort built and when was it completed?  How many forts were built in the first few months of the war?  And was a Confederate attack on the city, like the British had done in the War of 1812, ever possible?  Park Ranger Bryan Cheeseboro of the National Park Service will present on this topic and look at answers to these questions.

Bryan Cheeseboro is a historian of the American Civil War and has been a frequent speaker to the Rock Creek Civil War Round Table.  He is a Park Ranger with the National Park Service.  His site is the Civil War Defenses of Washington, DC.  He is a former employee of the National Archives. 

*Please note this program is accessible via Zoom only.