28th Annual Civil War Encampment scheduled for Saturday and Sunday

The Union Army's occupation of Fort Scott is part of the town's history that will be reenacted this weekend at the Fort Scott National Historic Site.

Guests will be able to enjoy a weekend of Civil War history during the 28th Annual Civil War Encampment on Saturday and Sunday at FSNHS. Visitors will get the chance to meet and talk with more than 100 park volunteers and re-enactors portraying army personnel and civilians in Fort Scott during the mid-1800s, when Fort Scott served as a major supply base and training ground for Union troops.

The event will feature an educational program, living history demonstrations, dramatic portrayals of the Civil War, and reenactments of military training exercises used during the time period.

Weekend events will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday with a flag raising and artillery firing. Troops will greet an arriving general and salute the morning colors. Various other programs throughout the weekend will include small arms and artillery demonstrations, tactical demonstrations, cavalry drills, and a guest speaker.

The public is also encouraged to bring a blanket and basket of food to join the re-enactors in a picnic on the parade grounds, weather permitting, starting at 11:30 a.m.

At 2:30 p.m. Saturday, guests can listen to Brian Craig Miller, an assistant professor of history at Emporia State University, who will give a presentation titled "Kansas and the Civil War in American History and Memory." This program is presented through the support of the Kansas Humanities Council. A retreat and artillery firing is scheduled to take place at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Questions about the war and the soldiers who survived, the friendships and bonds that were forged in battle, and how those soldiers were able to talk to people about their experiences and the terror and brutality of the war, will be answered during an evening program about the Grand Army of the Republic, a nationwide Union veteran organization formed shortly after the war. The program will start at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and will conclude the day's events.

Sunday activities will include a flag raising at 9 a.m., church services at 11 a.m., a cavalry drill at noon, infantry drills and weapons demonstrations at 2 p.m., and an artillery drill to end the day's events at 3 p.m.

FSNHS, a unit of the National Park Service, is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is an entrance fee of $3 for each person 16 years of age and older. Children who are 15 years of age and younger are admitted free of charge.

The site consists of 20 historic structures, a parade ground and five acres of restored tallgrass prairie, all of which help tell the story of Fort Scott from 1842 to 1873.

For more information, call the site at (620) 223-0310, or visit www.nps.gov/fosc.