Southwest Bastion
The Southwest Bastion was the most heavily fortified area of the fort with emplacements for seven guns, as well as a magazine and a filling room. The largest gun in Fort Ward, a 100-pounder Parrott Rifle, was located in the Southwest Bastion. This weapon was mounted on a center pintle (circular) carriage and could fire a 100-pound projectile a distance of about five miles. The Parrott Rifle was important because of its capability of defending both the Leesburg Turnpike and the Little River Turnpike, two major roads into Alexandria.
The viewing platform to the right of this marker spans an opening (outlet) in the fort wall that enabled troops to move through the ditch to an outlying rifle trench without being exposed to enemy fire.
Marker can be reached from West Braddock Road, on the right when traveling east.
Courtesy hmdb.org
