NPS Photo

Daryl Zimmerman will be here with his horses on Saturday

On July 4, Fort Scott National Historic Site will commemorate a traditional 1840s military holiday with a cannon firing, historic games, patriotic speeches and a 30-gun salute. Costumed interpreters will help bring the site to life with the sights, sounds, and smells of an 1840s military fort.

Civil War life will be highlighted on July 5. During the day, cavalry and infantry soldiers will bring the site to life with a mounted demonstration and an artillery presentation. A Civil War surgeon will tend to the sick and wounded, while other soldiers will be making bread, demonstrating camp life, and serving time as prisoners in the guardhouse. Ladies of the town will also be onsite discussing some of the experiences that women had at Fort Scott during the Civil War.

The highlight of the day’s programming will be an evening of baseball and dancing, both popular pastimes among the soldiers and civilians at Fort Scott during the Civil War. For the baseball game, which will be played according to Civil War rules and with period clothing and equipment, the site is recruiting area youth aged 12-17 to play in Bushwhackers vs. Jayhawkers game. We are still recruiting players for both teams, so call 620-223-0310, if you wish to play.

The ball game, which will be played at 5:30 pm, will be followed by a Civil War Calico Ball at 7 pm. A calico ball was an informal ball that did not call for participants to dress up. Music will be provided by Don and Mim Carlson, Ralph Carlson, and James “Red” Stradley. The caller will be Jerome Grisanti, who has called several dances in the Kansas City area, but will be visiting Fort Scott for the first time. He will be assisted by one of our own, site VIP Sandy Wells. All in attendance are invited and encouraged to join in the dancing. Visitors are invited to bring a picnic dinner. Free ice cream will be served at the evening program.

Finally, on July 6, the site will offer a series of programs known as Highlights in History, which interpret Fort Scott’s role in some of the most pivotal events in American history. The Intimidator is a program that explains how the Mountain Howitzer was used by the U.S. Army in enforcing the country’s Indian policy. Letters from the Frontier will demonstrate how officer’s wives brought Eastern sophistication to the frontier through flower pressing and letter writing. Red Armed and Lily White will demonstrate the importance of the laundresses, a vital cog of the 1840s U.S. Army. Flash Flood examines Fort Scott’s role in the opening of the West and events that brought about a flood of westward expansion in the 1840s. Guarding the Frontier focuses on the critical role of guard duty on the 1840s frontier.

A final item to note is that Friday and Saturday, the site will be field testing some activities that are proposed for a new Junior Ranger Booklet that will be developed this summer. Children are invited to try these new activities; all who participate will receive a Junior Ranger Badge. The site currently has a Junior Ranger Program in place; however, this new booklet will have a wider variety of activities appealing to a more diverse group of youth.

Fort Scott National Historic Site is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is an entrance fee of $3.00 for each adult age 16 and over. Children 15 and under are admitted free of charge. For more information, call Fort Scott National Historic Site at 620-223-0310.

The complete schedule for the weekend’s activities is listed below.

Friday, July 4

• 9:00 a.m. - “Red Armed and Lily White” – Post Laundress Talk
• 10:00 a.m. – “Fueling the Frontier” Quartermaster Talk
• 11:00 a.m. – “Bang for your Buck” – Artillery Demonstration
• 12:00 a.m. – “Let the Games Begin” – Historic Children’s Games
• 1:00 p.m. – Guided Tour
• 2:00 p.m. – “Glorious 4th” – 30 Gun Salute
• 3:00 p.m. – “Bread, Sweat, and Tears” – Bake House Talk
• 4:00 p.m. – Flag Retreat

Saturday, July 5

• 11:00 a.m. – “Down the Barrel” – Civil War Weapons demonstration
• 12:00 a.m. – “Bleeding and Purging” – Civil War Surgeon talk
• 1:00 p.m. – Guided Tour
• 2:00 p.m. – “Hoof prints on the Border”-Civil War Cavalry program
• 3:00 p.m. – “Sounds of Thunder”-Civil War Artillery demonstration
• 5:30 p.m. - Jayhawkers vs. Bushwhackers-Civil War Baseball
• 7:00 p.m. - Civil War Calico Ball

Sunday, July 6

• 11:00 a.m. - Letters from the Frontier
• 12:00 a.m. -Flash Flood
• 1:00 p.m. -Guided Tour
• 2:00 p.m. -Red Armed and Lily White
• 3:00 p.m. -The Intimidator
• 4: 00 p.m. -Guarding the Frontier
• 4:15 p.m. - Flag Retreat