Battery Rodgers

Battery Rodgers was a Civil War fortification positioned on a 28-foot cliff overlooking Battery Cove along the Potomac River. The structure occupied a substantial footprint with sides of varying lengths, designed to control access along the waterway.

The fortification was constructed in 1863 as a defensive position to protect Washington D.C. from attacks via the Potomac River. It was equipped with heavy artillery and formed part of the defensive strategy for the capital during the war.

The fort was named after George W. Rodgers, a Union Navy captain who died during operations at Fort Wagner. This naming reflects the memory of a significant naval figure from the war.

The site is marked by a memorial plaque at the intersection of South Lee Street and Green Street in Alexandria. You can visit this location to see where the fortification once stood and get a sense of the landscape it occupied.

The garrison housed over 250 soldiers who maintained not just the guns but also powder magazines, a hospital, and prison facilities on the grounds. This reveals how complex and self-contained the defensive operation was.

Location: Alexandria

Inception: 1863

Part of: Civil War defenses of Washington, D.C.

GPS coordinates: 38.79520,-77.04330

Latest update: December 13, 2025 12:24