Story + Photography by Jeremiah “JD” Davis

Fort Ward’s soldier-led tours feature guided walkthroughs of one of the best-preserved systems of Union forts built to protect Washington, D.C., during the American Civil War. Guests were led by a Civil War-era history expert, dressed in the traditional fashion of the Union (Northern) soldiers during the 1860s. The tour covered the grounds and a tour of the museum, complete with factoids and Civil War-era knowledge by the tour guide. Ninety percent of the fort’s earthwork walls are preserved and the Northwest Bastion has been restored, allowing guests to experience a near-perfect representation of the Union soldiers’ environment of the times.