Capital Guardian
The First Fort
Troubles with Britain caused Congress in 1807 to authorize an improved system of forts along the Atlantic Coast to guard harbors, rivers, and seaports.
The first fort, Fort Warburton, was completed in 1809. Located near the river in front of the present fort, it was a small structure mounting 13 guns.
Destruction of the First Fort
During the War of 1812, the British, determined to retaliate for the American invasion of Canada and the destruction of York, planned to attack Washington, D.C. in August 1814. A British force landed from the Patuxent River and bypassed Fort Warburton on their march to the Capital. Defeating a small American force at Bladensburg, they captured Washington, D.C. on August 24. Meanwhile, six British warships moved up the Potomac and arrived off Fort Warburton on August 27, three days after the burning of Washington. The American commander, Capt. Samuel Dyson, abandoned and destroyed the fort on their approach, allowing the British to proceed upriver and capture Alexandria.
Marker can be reached from Fort Washington Road, on the right when traveling south.
Courtesy hmdb.org
