Battery Decatur

Battery Decatur (1893-1918) - Battery Decatur was a reinforced concrete Endicott Period gun battery located on Fort Washington (1), Maryland. The Battery was named for Commodore Stephen N. Decatur in 1900, originally called Battery B. Battery construction started 1893, was halted and then resumed in Jun 1897. The Battery was transferred to the Coast Artillery for use 6 Jul 1899 at a total cost of $128,492. Guns were mounted in 1897. Deactivated in 1918. Battery Decatur Panorama 2009 History Part of the Harbor Defense of the Potomac. Battery Decatur was a reinforced concrete Endicott Period gun battery with two, 10" BLR M1888 guns mounted on a M1894 disappearing carriages. Construction probably started in 1892 or 1893 but was halted pending the development of what became the M1894 disappearing carriage. Work resumed in 1896 or 1897 and the Battery was accepted for use 6 Jul 1899. The Battery seems to have been deactivated sometime in 1918. The two guns were removed and sent to Fort Moultrie in March of 1919. The carriages were scrapped in 1920. Battery Decatur Armament (edit list) Empl No Caliber Type Barrel Length Model Serial No Manufacturer Carriage Service Dates Notes 1 10" Rifle 367.25" M1888 20 Watervliet Disappearing, M1894, #1, Kilby 1897-1918 See Note 1 Rounds fired 28 2 10" Rifle 367.25" M1888 9 Watervliet Disappearing, M1894, #28, Watertown 1897-1918 See Note 1 Rounds fired 24 Source: Coast Defense Study Group, RCW Form 1 1 Feb 1919, Berhow, Mark A. ed, American Seacoast Defenses: A Reference Guide, 2nd Edition, CDSG Press, McLean, VA, 2004, ISBN 0-9748167-0-1, pages 74, 209 Note 1: Guns removed 26 Mar 1919 and shipped to Fort Moultrie later scrapped 6 Dec 1942, CDSG Gun Card Collection from NARA. Carriages Shipped Nov 1896 to Fort Washington (1). Carriages scrapped 26 May 1920, CDSG gun carriage card collection from NARA. Current Status On Fort Washington National Park, no period guns or carriages in place. Blog Posts: Battery Decatur at Fort Washington Location: Fort Washington, Maryland. Maps & Images Lat: 38.7131915 Long: -77.0326674 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 139' Sources: Coast Defense Study Group, CDSG Press, CDSG Digital Library Links: Visited: 4 Apr 2009 Battery Decatur Picture Gallery Click on the picture to see a larger version. Contribute additional pictures - the more the better! Battery Decatur Side View Battery Decatur Gallery Battery Decatur Shell Hoist Door Battery Decatur Emplacement #1 Battery Decatur Emplacement #1 Closeup Battery Decatur Emplacement #2 Battery Decatur Emplacement #2 Closeup