“Fort Buffalo” is etched into this plaque. But this is more than just a name. It echoes with the rumble of Civil War cannons. Fort Buffalo was an earthwork fortification. Union soldiers built it in 1861. These soldiers belonged to the 21st New York Infantry. They named the fort after their hometown of Buffalo.
During the Civil War, forts like Fort Buffalo defended Washington. A concentration of these forts stood tall in Falls Church. This was a strategic location. Federal troops under Brig Gen Irvin McDowell first occupied it. This happened during the First Manassas Campaign.
Confederates briefly held Fort Buffalo after the Federal defeat in July 1861. Imagine the shifting tides of war. One moment, Union blue. The next, Confederate gray.
Fort Buffalo had a crucial location. It sat near Falls Church Virginia. Specifically it was located in Fairfax County. You could find it on Sleepy Hollow Road south of Leesburg Pike. That is Virginia Route 7. It was on the left when traveling south. The fort was near the Seven Corners Fire Station. It was just one block from Seven Corners.
Historical records show varying accounts of Fort Buffalo’s location. Some records say Upton Hills. Others point to Taylor’s Hill. Yet, the historical marker near the Sleepy Hollow Fire Station marks at least one location.
The 1st Buffalo regiment constructed Fort Buffalo. They used earthwork fortification methods. This meant building protective embankments of dirt. The regiment moved from Kalorama Heights in Washington D.C. It then moved to Fort Runyon in Arlington. After that, they moved to Fort Cass. Finally they arrived at Upton’s Hill. Here they completed Fort Buffalo in October 1861.
The regiment initially enlisted for three months. When ordered to serve their full two-year term discontent arose. Forty-one members were even imprisoned. They remained there until agreeing to fulfill their service. Union Generals McClellan and McDowell visited Fort Buffalo. Brigadier General Wadsworth also came to the fort.
The regiment engaged in Confederate activity at Annandale. They also fought in the Second Battle of Bull Run. Other battles included Chantilly South Mountain and Antietam. The regiment suffered 71 casualties at Antietam. By the end of their two-year term 75 members died from wounds. Another 42 died from other causes.
Other historical sources pinpoint Fort Buffalo’s location. It was west of Seven Corners bounded by Sleepy Hollow Road and Arlington Boulevard. That is US Route 50. It was also near Seven Corners Center. This is right across from the Fire Station.
Imagine playing on the earthworks as a child. One resident remembers large treeless site. It had large earthen mounds. It was indeed across the street from the fire station. Now an office building stands on that very site.
So remember Fort Buffalo. It was a place where soldiers stood their ground. It was a crucial part of the Civil War defenses of Washington.