Fort Ward 1861-1865 (Historical Marker)

Here follows the inscription written on this trailside historical marker:

Fort Ward
1861-1865

On May 24, 1861, when Virginia's secession from the Union became effective, Federal forces immediately occupied Northern Virginia to protect the City of Washington, D.C. After the Confederate victory at the Battle of First Bull Run (First Manassas) in July 1861, the Federal government began construction of a defense system to guard the Union capital. By the end of the war in 1865, the Defenses of Washington consisted of 162 forts and batteries, with emplacements for 1,421 guns.

The initial construction of Fort Ward was completed in September 1861. The fort was built to protect the approaches to Union-occupied Alexandria via the Leesburg Turnpike (King Street) and Little River Turnpike (Duke Street).

By late 1864, the perimeter of the earthwork fort had been enlarged from 540 yards and 24 gun positions to 818 yards and 36 guns. Fort Ward was the fifth largest stronghold in the Defenses of Washington and was considered a model of 19th-century military design and engineering. The fort was named for Commander James Harmon Ward, the first Union naval officer to die in the Civil War. It was dismantled by December 1865.

Defenses of Washington
The only battle fought in the Defenses of Washington occurred in July 1864, when General Jubal A. Early's Confederate forces attacked Fort Stevens, located approximately seven miles north of the White House.

At the end of the Civil War, the forts and batteries were dismantled and the materials sold at auction. Fort Foote, the last remaining earthwork fort in the Defenses, was deactivated in 1878.

Today, extant remains of many of these fortifications can still be found. The above map shows the 37-mile network of Union forts that protected the Federal Capital. The Defenses of Washington was the most extensive fortification system constructed in the Western Hemisphere.

Erected by City of Alexandria.


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More about this marker:
On the left below the title is an engineering diagram of the main part of Fort Ward. On the right above the Defenses of Washington section is a map showing the fortification chain around Washington, D.C. A small caption in the center states, Please help preserve Fort Ward for future generations by walking only on designated pathways. Climbing upon the fragile earthen walls of the fort is very destructive to the site.

Park Headquarters and Museum:
The building is patterned after the military headquarters building, but is of modern construction.


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Here follows an excerpt from the Clio Foundation website as written by Angelica Garcia, Julie Hoover, and Sasha Frizzell:

Introduction
Fort Ward, the best preserved fort from the system of Union forts and batteries, was built to protect Washington, D.C. during the American Civil War. It was the fifth largest fort built to defend the capitol. The Fort Ward Museum interprets the site's history and offers exhibits on Civil War topics, education and interpretive programs, tours, lecture and video series, bus tours, and living history activities throughout the year. The Museum and Historic Site also cover the topic of Alexandria, Virginia as an occupied city, the city's role as a vital Union Army crossroads, life within the Defenses of Washington, and the everyday life of Civil War soldiers and civilians.

Backstory and Context
Following the Battle of Bull Run, Major General George B. McClellan assumed command of the military district of Washington. Upon his arrival, he noted the inadequate condition of the city's defenses. Consequently, McClellan issued the order to expand the defensive capabilities of the city via the construction of forts and entrenchments.

Fort Ward, named for the first naval Union officer to die in the Civil War (James Harmon Ward), originally had a perimeter of 540 yards. It also included platforms for 24 guns and, later, a 100 lb Parrott gun. Owing to the vulnerability of the fort, the result of such large artillery, the perimeter was expanded to 818 yards and more guns added. General John Newton supervised the construction, and liberated slaves, "contrabands," helped build the defenses. The fort never saw any attacks and was dismantled in 1865.

Fort Ward provides visitors and tourists with an understanding of Civil War era military engineering. Approximately 90-95% of the fort's original walls are preserved, although erosion continues to affect the site. The Northwest Bastion has been restored return it to its 1864 condition.

Part of a 45 acre historic area, the Fort Ward Museum and Historic Site includes a museum, an Officer’s Hut, a Ceremonial Gate, and the reconstructed northwest bastion. The Museum displays information about the battles that took place in the area and the technology that was employed during those battles.

Fort Ward also preserves the history of individual soldiers and families from the area. Special exhibits include information on the quality of life for African Americans before and after Civil War. Many of the artifacts are from on archaeological evidence found on battle sites and plantations throughout the area. The Museum also offers living history reenactments that give a broader understanding of battle during the period. There are many special events and exhibitions held at Fort Ward, which help tell the story of Alexandria's Civil War involvement.

The museum houses both rotating and permanent exhibits. Its permanent exhibits include "The Common Solider," "The Art of the Artilleryman," and "Medical Care for the Civil War Soldier." Self-guided tours for the fort itself begin at reconstructed Fort Ward entrance gate, and details about the Bastion's guns are available from informative signage.


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Here follows an excerpt from the Atlas Obscura website:

Fort Ward Park
Alexandria, Virginia
Built to defend Washington D.C. during the Civil War, this fort became a post-war nucleus for a thriving Black community.

From the waterfront in downtown Alexandria, Virginia, a drive north on King Street roughly follows the route of the southwestern border of the original District of Columbia. About three and a half miles north, near a shopping center, you can find one of the best-preserved perimeter forts built to protect Washington, D.C., during the U.S. Civil War.

Fort Ward, along with scores of temporary forts encircling Washington during the Civil War, sprang up after several southern states seceded from the Union in April 1861. Virginia seceded in late May 1861, triggering an immediate, four-year occupation by Federal troops. Fort Ward was established in May 1861 in, what was then, the rural western reaches of Alexandria near the intersection of two strategic roads, Leesburg Pike and Braddock Road. As with most of the 140-plus defenses of Washington, Fort Ward never saw any combat and was used mostly as a garrison and staging area for Federal troops.

The fort’s military role ceased at the end of the Civil War, but over the next century it became a focal point for an evolving community of formerly enslaved people purchasing land around the old fortification and establishing a community known as “The Fort.” Through the first half of the 20th century, the Fort was a vibrant African American community with homesteads, houses of worship, cemeteries, and distinct culture. But that community faded in the 1950s, as the City of Alexandria bought out residents and condemned the land in advance of archeological study and preservation of the old Fort Ward grounds. Ironically, the end of the Fort led to its cultural interpretation, along with the military history of the Fort Ward site.

Fort Ward sits on 45 acres in western Alexandria and opened in 1964. There is an extensive interpretive center describing the perimeter defenses of Washington during the Civil War and typical garrison life in the fortifications. The restored entry gate, officer’s hut, and the northwest cannon bastion are accessible and complement the interpretive and archeological work done over the years. Picnic areas are available by reservation. Archeological and culturally sensitive areas are marked and restricted.

Today the Fort Ward site is nestled in a northern Virginia suburb, surrounded by shopping, schools, businesses, churches, and car dealerships. The urban landscape is a far cry from the rural farms and pastures of 1861, and its narrative tells the little-known story of a nation securing a suddenly hostile border, and the aftermath of an emerging multi-cultural community of the early 20th-century.

Know Before You Go
From the intersection of King and Union streets in Old Town Alexandria go north on King Street 3.1 miles where it intersects with Braddock Rd. Go left (west) on Braddock Rd. for approximately ¾ of a mile, and the entrance is on the right. Ft. Ward park is owned and managed by the City of Alexandria, and is accessible daily, 9:00 AM to sunset during the week and closed on Sundays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.