Shells and Grenades: Civil War Projectiles at Fort Ward

Learn more about Civil War artillery projectiles March 16 at Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site in West End Alexandria.

Museum technician Brian Briones will conduct brief “spotlight” talks on the subject throughout the day. From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., and from 2 to 4 p.m., the museum will offer 30-minute presentations on a variety of Civil War projectiles.

The program is free and open to general audiences.

Visitors can learn about a wide variety of ammunition of the time period, from a 100-pounder Parrott shell to a Ketchum hand grenade. Examples from museum exhibits and teaching collection will be featured. Visitors can follow the museum presentation with a self-guided tour of the historic Union fort, where they can see examples of the types of cannons that were installed at Fort Ward in the authentically reconstructed Northwest bastion.

Fort Ward is the best preserved of the defenses of Washington, an extensive system of Union forts built to protect the federal capital during the Civil War. The museum features a variety of exhibits and programs throughout the year.

Fort Ward is located at 4301 West Braddock Road. For more information, call the museum at 703-746-4848 or visit www.fortward.org.

Read Patch's recent story about historian Glenn Eugster and his work around Fort Ward Museum here: Citizen Activist Delves Into History at Fort Ward.