The Washington, DC Area Military

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An aerial view from a 1st Helicopter Squadron UH-1N Huey helicopter of the Capitol building, Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Aug. 3, 2016.
An aerial view from a 1st Helicopter Squadron UH-1N Huey helicopter of the Capitol building, Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Aug. 3, 2016. The 1st HS conducts high-priority airlift missions in the National Capital Region and maintains the capability to provide defense support to civilian authorities in the event of a disaster. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Philip Bryant)

 

As capital of the United States, the federal district of Washington, D.C., became a significant civilian leadership, military headquarters, and logistics center during the American Civil War. Defending the capital became a major priority of the War Department, and often dictated military strategy.

In many ways, the war transformed Washington from a rather modest semi-rural city into the urban center of American federalism.