Join us on Friday September 5
th at 1pm at
Fort Stevens, located at 13
th St. NW & Quackenbos St. NW. Experts in this Civil War Fort (Gary Thompson of the Alliance for the Civil War Defenses of Washington and NPS Ranger-Historian Bryan Cheeseboro) will provide a tour and summary of the dramatic 1864 Battle of Fort Stevens – the only Civil War battle fought within DC and where President Lincoln was under fire. Time permitting, the tour will conclude at nearby Battleground National Cemetery at Georgia Ave, NW & Van Buren St, NW, where 41 Union dead lay buried.
Bryan Cheeseboro is a historian of the American Civil War. His activities include being a reenactor with Company B, 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. He has been featured on American Battlefield Trust’s
Zoom Goes the History series and
Antietam Live! programs. He has written for the
Emerging Civil War blog. His presentations to the Rock Creek, DC Civil War Round Table include the programs
Outside of Lincoln's White House: Civil War Men and Women of the DC Metro Area;
The Grand Reviews of the Civil War; and
The 1st United States Colored Infantry. He was the subject of the article “
The Hands-On Historian” in the Spring 2021 issue of
Civil War Monitor magazine. In February 2022, he was the guest of John R. Heckman’s (The Tattooed Historian) YouTube channel to discuss his presentation
Volunteers, Substitutes, & Drafted Men: Enlisting in the Civil War. He is a Park Ranger with the National Park Service. His site is the Civil War Defenses of Washington.
Gary Thompson is a co-founder and the current President of the non-profit
Alliance to Preserve the Civil War Defenses of Washington. He is an avid student of the defenses, a dynamic speaker on the topic, and also a reenactor of Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace, “Savior of Washington” from the Battle of Monocacy. Gary has lived in Chevy Chase DC for over 30 years, 8 years on the ANC, and when he doesn’t have his nose in a Civil War history book, either practices law or runs in Rock Creek Park. Gary is also Chair of the DC Board of Elections.
RSVP by clicking the button above, emailing Leslie, or calling the office. This event is open to members of other local villages. If you are a member of another local village, please let us know which one when signing up.
Public Transportation: The C81 bus stop at 14th & Oglethorpe Streets is a 10-15 minute walk from Fort Stevens.
Parking: Street parking.
Attendance: If you have signed up to attend and find you are no longer available, please email or call the office (202-935-6060) to let us know so we can offer your space to another person.
NNV Full Members: If you would like to request a ride, please mention that you need a ride when you register or call the office at (202) 935-6060 to request a ride at least three days in advance.
Accessibility: This tour will be outside with a lot of walking, possible uneven ground, very few places to sit and no bathrooms. Please consider the rigor of the trip before signing up.
Bring bottled water, wear comfortable shoes, and dress for the weather!
