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From YouTube: Here/now Foundations: Civil War Earthworks
Description
A segment of AVN's monthly magazine show, "Here/now", "Foundations" explores Arlington's heritage. In this episode, we explore the last remnants of the Civil War earthworks that once ran for miles through Arlington and all of Northern Virginia.
A
B
C
B
Right,
it
doesn't
look
like
much
right
now
and
you
can't
imagine
that
this
could
ever
have
been
used
as
a
fortification.
But
what
we
need
to
remember
is
that
during
the
Civil
War
all
these
trees
weren't
here
that
the
landscape
was
basically
completely
denuded
of
trees
and
vegetation
to
allow
soldiers,
clear
lines
of
sight
between
forts.
They
could
signal
from
towers,
they
could
see
each
other
and
they
could
see
the
nation's
capital
very
clearly
from
here.
So.
B
In
the
northern
part
of
arlington
county
here,
arlington
county
had
22
forts,
all
together
out
of
the
68.
Fourth,
that
encircled
washington,
DC
and
the
northern
part
of
arlington.
Arlington
sports
was
known
as
the
chain
bridge
sector,
because
I
kind
of
protected
the
chain
bridge
and
of
the
potomac
river
crossings,
and
so
this
trench
is
thought
to
connect
a
fourth
back
toward
lee
highway,
where
we
started
called
port
strong,
which
no
longer
exists.
Anna
for
in
that
direction
called
port
CF
smith,
which
does
still
exist
as
protected
as
a
historic
site.
C
Yes,
this
was
just
after
the
start
of
the
Civil
War
and
President
Lincoln
deployed
federal
troops
over
here,
because
he
realized
that
the
Potomac
River,
which
is
right
down
here
below
us,
constituted
the
northernmost
boundary
of
the
Confederate
States
right
course.
Right
across
the
river
was
where
the
northern
states
started.
C
So
Lincoln's
idea
was
that
you
felt
it
was
important
to
have
a
group
of
defense
perimeter
forts
built
around
to
protect
the
federal
City,
the
nation's
capital,
in
the
process,
the
river,
so
troops
were
sent
over
into
what
was
Confederate
territory,
the
state
of
Virginia
at
the
time,
and
they
pretty
much
took
over
all
this
area.
It's
currently
arlington,
as
you
mentioned,
cut
down
all
the
trees
here,
took
everything
down
to
bare
ground
and
then
started
building
a
series
of
22
forts
that
string
through
arlington
as
a
part
of
this
defense
perimeter.
I.
B
Think
what's
interesting
about
these
sports
is
that
they
were
built
pretty
quickly.
I
mean
they
knew
they
needed
those
defenses
up
pretty
fast,
so
I
know
construction
started
not
long
after
the
first
shots
were
fired
at
Fort,
Sumter
and
I.
Think
my
understanding
is
that
most
of
the
forts
were
pretty
much
complete
by
mid,
worn,
maybe
by
1862,
1863
and
I,
can't
imagine
that
life
was
easy
to
be
garrison,
that
a
fort
here
on
these
barren
Hills
in
Arlington,
County
I,
think
it.
C
Was
probably
better
than
being
on
the
front
lines
yeah
they
weren't
being
actively
shot
at,
but
yet
this
was
pretty
primitive
soldiers
would
normally
patrol
back
and
forth
help
along
these
earthworks.
Their
idea
was
to
keep
an
eye
on
what
was
going
on
here
further
to
the
west
and
the
south
right.
There
were
actually
Confederate
troops
in
the
Fairfax
County
around
fairfax
courthouse
area,
and
so
their
idea
was
to
just
basically
keep
an
eye
and
make
sure
that
there
were
no
incursions
of
Confederate
troops
coming
for
us.
C
There
were
occasional
contacts
and
occasional
skirmishes
and
things
like
that
in
this
area,
but
it
wasn't
really
a
frontline
battle
now,
so
the
soldiers
that
were
deployed
here
probably
had
it
fairly
good
kimmy,
as
we
walk
along
here.
Anyone
who
came
by
this
place
would
probably
ask
for
what's
so
significant
about
this.
It's
just
kind
of
a
little
trench.
It's
almost
unnoticeable
filled
with
the
leaves.
What's
what's?
What
would
you
say
is
really
important
about
this?
Well.
B
It's
true
I
mean
it's
been
heavily
altered
since
the
Civil
War
appearance,
but
the
significance
of
all
the
forts
and
trenches
and
military
roads.
Where
was
the
interconnectedness
of
them?
They
work
together
in
concert
and
not
just
an
Arlington,
but
in
Alexandria
and
all
the
way
around
the
capital
city.
So
without
these
pieces,
none
of
the
disparate
forts
could
have
functioned
all
that
well
and
served
as
effective
defenses,
which
they
did.
B
There
was
no
serious
attack
on
Washington
DC
during
the
war,
because
these
forts
and
trenches
work
so
closely
together
and
one
of
our
concerns-
and
one
of
the
reasons
to
consider
this
trench
endangered
is
that
we
don't
know
how
many
civil
war
trenches
still
exist
in
Arlington
County.
They
aren't
very
well
protected.
Obviously
they
aren't
very
well
interpreted
Kim.
B
B
Is
I
mean
this
could
be
one
of
the
few
trenches
we
have
remaining
left
in
Arlington
and
we
don't
know
how
many
other
trenches
have
been
paved
over
over
the
years.
We
actually
are
adjacent
to
a
residential
development
right
here.
We
can
actually
look
almost
into
someone's
backyard
right
next
to
this
1860s
historic
resource.
There.
C
C
But
Kim
here
we
are
now
at
Fort,
Richardson
and
off
here
to
our
side,
we're
looking
at
one
of
the
most
prominent
features
here
of
what
once
was
part
of
a
larger
Fort
Richardson
complex
this.
This
earth
work
here.
This
berm,
as
you
can
see
pretty
much
was
hand
dog
by
Union
soldiers
who
were
part
of
that
deployment.
That
came
out
here
just
after
the
Civil
War
started
and
where
we're
located
here.
As
on
a
particularly
high
point
in
Arlington,
this
was
a
real
natural
feature.
C
That
was
a
great
advantage
to
the
Union
soldiers,
because
you
had
a
clear
shot
down
here.
Once
all
the
trees
were
taken
out
clear,
shot
all
the
way
down
to
the
Potomac
River
here,
so
Union
soldiers
could
see
any
kind
of
approach
or
advancement
being
made
by
Confederate
troops
coming
up
the
river
and
then
looking
in
this
direction,
you
had
a
clear
shot,
all
the
way
down
to
the
heart
of
Washington
DC,
one.
B
Of
the
interesting
things,
tom
is
that
we're
at
this
fort
in
south
arlington
and
during
the
Civil
War
soldiers
could
have
walked
back
to
those
forts
and
trenches
in
North
Arlington,
where
we
just
rotor
and
now,
of
course,
that's
impossible,
because
it's
all
interstate
and
development,
it's
a
highly
urbanized
County.
So
one
of
the
things
that
concerns
us
is
that
these
remaining
Civil,
War,
trenches
and
earthworks
are
endangered
because
of
all
the
development
in
the
area.
Until
we
learn
more
about
them
and
think
of
ways
to
preserve
them,
they
might
all
be
gone.
This.
C
This
area
is
one
of
a
few
left
in
Arlington.
That
it'sit's
has
a
very
important
part
of
our
history
here
in
this
area.
As
these
things
disappear,
we
start
to
lose
our
past
and
we
start
to
really
have
that
connection
with
where
we
came
from.
This
is
a
an
actual
remnant
or
artifact
left
over
from
the
Civil
War.
When
troops
and
soldiers
were
really
here
and
really
fighting
and
been
trying
to
protect
and
defend
the
Union.
A
The
Arlington
heritage
alliance
has
named
the
Civil
War
earthworks,
one
of
the
most
endangered
sites
in
Arlington,
and
it's
easy
to
see
why
to
find
out
more
about
these
berms
and
other
wonderful
pieces
of
Arlington
history
visit
Arlington
heritage.
Org,
don't
go
away!
It's
another
trip
through
time
when
here
now
continues.