The following morning, the troops mustered at Prince and Washington streets where a monument to the Confederate soldier stands today. The troops marched west on Duke Street to meet their destiny at Manassas Junction. That same day Union forces took Alexandria, which remained occupied throughout the war. Forts were constructed to protect the capital from Confederate attack, including Fort Ward, which is open to visitors today. Homes, warehouses and churches were commandeered for Federal use becoming barracks, hospitals and prisons.
Visitors can experience the sites and sounds of the Civil War with a self-guided walking tour.
A special brochure is available at The Visitors Center on King Street. Alexandria's role as the only city to be included in its entirety in the Virginia Civil War trails program On the Trail of Robert E. Lee - Long before the Civil War, the Lee family had distinguished roots in Virginia soil. Lighthorse Harry Lee was a Revolutionary war hero born at Leesylvania, a Potomac plantation that is now a state park. His son Robert E. Lee spent his boyhood days at the family's home on Oronoco Street in what is now called Old Town Alexandria. This home offers rich insight into General Lee's early years.