Information panel about Fort Slocum

See the Park Map web page for an interactive fort location map.

LOCATION

The National Park Service information panel for Fort Slocum is located on Kansas Avenue between Madison Street and Nicholson Street in Fort Slocum Park. Like many parks were the Civil War Defenses of Washington forts are situated, there is no parking area. Street parking is available on Madison Street.

WHAT TO SEE

The National Park Service information sign states that no remnants of Fort Slocum exist, though another website claims that overgrown rifle pits can be found. I walked along the edge of the forest where the fort was supposedly located and could see a good distance into the trees, but the terrain was very flat and gave me no indication that any fort ever existed. What is typically seen at these fort sites are slight hills and gullies—former walls and dry moats—but none existed that I could see. Because I had on shorts, there was no way I was going to walk around in the forest given the possibility of ticks and poison ivy. However, the vegetation is not so dense as to prohibit exploration by those who are properly dressed.

Forest at Fort Slocum Park

HISTORY

Fort Slocum was named after Colonel John Slocum of the 2nd Rhode Island Infantry, which actually built the fort. Slocum was killed on July 21, 1861, during the first Battle of Manassas. The fort was one of the few Washington, D. C., forts to see action during the war, as it was close enough to Fort Stevens to fire artillery rounds at the Confederates during the Battle of Fort Stevens on July 11-12, 1864.

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