Washington, D.C. was a garrison city during the Civil War with Confederate armies menacing the capital from every direction.

Top Places in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Watergate Steps

Decades before the scandal, this staircase on the river was a literal "water gate."

38.8893, -77.0526

Added by Molly McBride Jacobson

Washington, D.C.

Riggs Bank: 'The Bank of Presidents'

The bank that helped fund the Mexican-American War and the purchase of Alaska met its downfall after helping Augusto Pinochet launder money.

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Added by Elliot Carter

Washington, D.C.

Capital Transit Co. Streetcar Barn

Before Metro, Washington had a robust streetcar network—and you see the remains of this infrastructure if you know where to look.

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Added by Elliot Carter

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Early on in the war, the Union Army ringed the city with a series of earthen defense forts. Most of these forts have disappeared, leaving nothing but their names across the region (Fort Totten Metro, Fort Dupont Park, Battery Kemble), but two of them still stand. Fort Stevens, the target of Confederate assault in July 1864, is preserved as a memorial, complete with cannon and parapet, but more mysterious, and magical, is Fort DeRussy, which has been almost completely swallowed by forest. Located near the busy intersection of Military Road and Oregon Avenue, Fort DeRussy is accessible via a small, modestly marked dirt path into the woods of Rock Creek Park. Several hundred yards in, an even smaller path branches off to the left. and there, overgrown by trees and bushes, is a six foot dirt moat which butts up against dirt walls a dozen feet high. The walls form a ring, enclosing an area about the size of a basketball court.

Fort DeRussy’s shining moment came when confederates attacked Fort Stevens a mile to the east. During the battle Fort DeRussy’s 100-pound guns fired more than 100 rounds into the enemy lines, proving integral in stopping the attack. While its military career is long since over, today Fort DeRussy is still perfect for running maneuvers as it may be the best spot in Washington for a game of capture the flag.