Fort C.F. Smith (Arlington, Virginia)

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For the United States Army installation in the Montana Territory during Red Cloud's War, see Fort C. F. Smith.

Fort C. F. Smith was a small fort constructed by the Union Army as part of the defense of Washington, D.C. during the American Civil War.

The new post was constructed by Union troops in early 1863 and named for Charles Ferguson Smith. The fortification extended the line of Arlington forts to the Potomac River. Along with Forts Strong, Morton, and Woodbury, it functioned as part of the outer perimeter of defenses that protected the Aqueduct Bridge of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.

The fort consisted of lunettes facing south and west and two bastions to the north to protect it from attack up the ravines from the Potomac. The fort was entered from the east by a road that crossed Spout Run and proceeded up the hill to Fort Strong. To provide clear lines of fire for Fort C.F. Smith and adjacent forts, all of the trees for miles around were cut down. Many of the trees were used in construction of the forts and support structures.

v • d • e 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 • 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