Where am I standing and what’s its importance to this major but forgotten battle that some call a “skirmish”?
As a fifth generation Washingtonian, I’ve walked or driven by this nationally important site hundreds of times over the years. I once lived less than a few blocks away from it. But I didn’t know much about the role this site played in the lives of the city’s enslaved residents until I became hooked on learning everything I could about the Civil War years ago.
Everyone knows about Gettysburg and its importance but did you know one of the war’s most important battles was fought right here in D.C.? If lost, this battle that some might call a “skirmish” could’ve left the city wide open. At the time, the northernmost boundary of the city was around what’s now Florida Ave. This battle took place way north of that at a location that has now been restored.
Additional Hints
- A place young people have gathered.
- Near three high schools.
- Located on a major thoroughfare.
- A road is named in its honor.
