Fort C.F. Smith, Arlington

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. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.