Profile of Fort (Historical Marker)
GPS Coordinates: 38.8310872, -77.1023010
Here follows the inscription written on this trailside historical marker:
Profile of Fort
This exterior view of the restored Northwest Bastion illustrates the effectiveness of an earthwork fort. The fort walls were 18-22 feet high, 12-14 feet thick, and slanted at 45 degrees.
To gain access to the fort an attacker would have to cross the field of fire (the open area to the front of the fort), penetrate the abatis (the line of felled trees that surrounded the ditch), enter the ditch, and scale the walls while the defenders were well protected behind the embankments.
These restored walls illustrate how the entire 818-yard perimeter of Fort Ward appeared in late 1864.
Erected by City of Alexandria.
More about this marker:
Above the text is a profile of the fort indicating the parapet, scarp (wall), ditch, and abatis. In the upper left is an engineering plan of the fort with the wall described in the text indicated in blue. A center caption reads Help preserve this historic site by entering the fort only via the bridge to the left. Please do not enter the ditch or climb upon the walls during your tour of Fort Ward.
Attacker's Perspective of the Fort's Defenses:
Looking down the bore of a reproduction 6-pdr James rifle.
Defender's Point of View:
From one of the reproduction 4.5in Rifles. At the time of the war, the ground in front of the fort was much more open, without the modern buildings and trees. The surrounding area was mostly pasture, orchards, and farms in 1861-1865.