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| NPS Photo | | Civil War Reenactors during Civil War Encampment at Fort Scott in April 2006. |
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Staff and volunteers at Fort Scott National Historic Site invite you to come and celebrate the 26th annual Civil War Encampment on Saturday and Sunday, April 12 and 13! The roar of musketry, boom of artillery, and neighing of horses will again be heard as Union troops garrison Fort Scott. A variety of programs offer you the opportunity to learn more about Fort Scott’s role during this turbulent conflict.
The activities begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday and conclude with the last program Sunday at 3 p.m. During the Civil War, Fort Scott served as a major base of supplies and training ground for Union troops. This weekend, Union Cavalry, Infantry, and Artillery units will perform military training common to soldiers of this turbulent conflict including marching, weapons drills, horsemanship, and artillery drills. Talk with the soldiers in camp, visit the Ladies Union Aid Society and U.S. Sanitary Commission Tent, and haggle with the sutlers at their tent.
Saturday’s activities will feature the vital role women played in supporting the war effort of both Union and Confederates. At 12 noon, volunteers Harold Sites and Sandy Wells will discuss the role of Fort Scott’s General Hospital including the medical staff and support provided by the Hospital Aid Society. Understand the heartbreak suffered by military wives as volunteer Michelle Martin presents Civil War Widows and Mourning Customs. Arnold Schofield will discuss the role women played in thwarting the war effort as he presents Petticoat Spies: Trans-Mississippi Women Espionage Agents in the Civil War.
The day’s activities will conclude with a special evening performance, The Greatest Show on Earth, originally presented as a fundraiser for the Fort Scott Presbyterian Church in April 1865. Songs, dancing, and a clown will allow you to enjoy the same entertainment soldiers and civilians enjoyed as the war was coming to a close.
Sunday’s programs will begin with a flag-raising at 9 a.m. Learn the importance of food to the common soldier as volunteer Tim Field presents Salt Pork and Hardtack: Feeding the Trans-Mississippi Army. Listen as volunteer Jim Gallion presents a period Church Service at 11 a.m. The afternoon will be filled with Artillery, Cavalry, and Infantry Drills.
The Civil War Encampment is made possible through the generous support of volunteer members of the Holmes Brigade, 4th Missouri Cavalry, Ladies Union Aid Society, Northwest Arkansas Historical Education Association, U.S. Sanitary Commission, Fort Scott NHS volunteers, Western National Parks Association, and the City of Fort Scott through the Transient Guest Tax.
Plan to come, participate and enjoy this educational weekend. Fort Scott National Historic Site, administered by the National Park Service, is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is an entrance fee of $3.00 for each adult age sixteen and above. Children fifteen and under are admitted free of charge. For more information, call Fort Scott National Historic Site at 620-223-0310.
SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES
SATURDAY, APRIL 12
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9:00 a.m. – Colors Posted
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10:00 a.m. – Cavalry Drill
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11:00 a.m. – Infantry Drill and Weapons Demonstration
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11:30 a.m. – Artillery Drill and Weapons Demonstration
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12:00 a.m. – Medical Program
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1:00 p.m. – Civil War Widows and Mourning Customs
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2:00 p.m. – Military Tactical and Weapons Demonstration
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3:00 p.m. – Petticoat Spies: Trans-Mississippi Women Espionage Agents in the Civil War
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4:00 p.m. – Flag Retreat
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6:30 p.m. – Evening Program: The Greatest Show on Earth
SUNDAY, APRIL 13
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9:00 a.m. – Colors Posted
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10:00 a.m. – Salt Pork and Hardtack: Feeding the Trans-Mississippi Army
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11:00 a.m. – Church Service
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12:00 a.m. – Artillery Drill and Weapons Demonstration
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1:00 p.m. – Cavalry Drill
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2:00 p.m. – Infantry Drill and Weapons Demonstration
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3:00 p.m. – Artillery Drill and Weapons Demonstration
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