Specialty Tour: Veterans Day at Fort Ward

Specialty Tour: Veterans Day at Fort Ward

1864 Plan of Fort Ward

Tour Fort Ward this Veterans Day weekend and learn about the Defenses of Washington and one veteran's efforts to preserve its story. This specialty tour will take place on November 9, at 10 a.m. and includes a walking tour of Fort Ward and its new exhibit, "Lewis Cass White: Preserving the Legacy of Fort Stevens." Visit alexandriava.gov/shop to purchase your tour tickets for $15, or $12 for Historic Alexandria members and volunteers.

The exhibit, which explores the efforts of a Civil War veteran to preserve and recognize the site of Fort Stevens in the Defenses of Washington, is being held in recognition of the 160th anniversary of the Battle of Fort Stevens.

Lewis Cass White was a veteran of the 102nd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry who participated in the Battle of Fort Stevens on July 11-12, 1864. Also known as "The Battle that Saved Washington," the conflict was the only time that Confederate forces tested the Federal capital's defense system, and is notable for President Abraham Lincoln coming under fire as he viewed the battle from the fort's ramparts. After the war, White made it his mission to collect eyewitness accounts of the battle from his fellow comrades, and worked with other veterans to preserve the remains of Fort Stevens and memorialize the events that took place there in 1864. White was instrumental in having a monument installed that marked the spot where Lincoln stood during the battle, and helped bring recognition to the nearby Battleground National Cemetery, where Union casualties of the conflict were buried.

The exhibit features personal accounts, documents, and memorabilia from Fort Ward Museum's Lewis Cass White Collection, as well as photographs and other items on loan from family descendants. A related theme of the exhibit is the Grand Army of the Republic, the largest and most effective Union veterans' organization, which was a huge part of White's postwar life.

Fort Ward is the best preserved of the remaining Union forts that comprised the Civil War Defenses of Washington. The Museum features exhibits and programs throughout the year. Fort Ward is located at 4301 West Braddock Road in Alexandria, Virginia. For more information on the exhibit, please call 703.746.4848 or visit alexandriava.gov/FortWard.

For reasonable disability accommodation, contact Nicole Quinn at [email protected] or call 703.746.4554, Virginia Relay 711.

If you prefer communication in another language, free interpretation and translation services are available to you, please email [email protected] or call 703-746-3960.

About the Office of Historic Alexandria:

The Office of Historic Alexandria preserves and shares the history of the City of Alexandria with eight museums, historic sites, archives, archaeology, tours, exhibits and public programs. Through powerful storytelling and confronting the City's past, Historic Alexandria enriches the present and inspires the future. We enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors and serves as a partner in the City's equity and inclusion initiatives. For more information, visit Alexandriava.gov/historic.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.