Military
6
The restored Northwest Bastion shows the effectiveness of an earthwork fort. Its walls were 18-22 feet high, 12-14 feet thick, and slanted at 45 degrees. To gain access, an attacker would have to cross the field of fire in front of the fort, penetrate the abatis of felled trees around the ditch, enter the ditch, and scale the walls while defenders remained well protected behind the embankments. These restored walls show how the entire 818-yard perimeter of Fort Ward appeared in late 1864.
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Alexandria, Virginia · United States
