Fort to honor soldiers during Memorial Day weekend

ers in the 1840s, Bleeding Kansas and the Civil War will be the theme of this year's events at Fort Scott National Historic Site during Memorial Day weekend.

Soldiers at Fort Scott during the 1840s will be honored during Saturday's programs. The roar of the cannon will be heard as the site presents two artillery demonstrations at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. During an 11 a.m. program on how soldiers fought fires in the 1840s, youth of all ages can participate in a bucket brigade as they pass buckets up and down the line.

Officers at Fort Scott who gave their lives in the line of duty will be honored in a program at 3:30 p.m.

Finally, a highlight of the day will be the "Timeline of the American Soldier," presented at noon and 3 p.m. In this program, military reenactors dress as and interpret the stories of U.S. soldiers from the American Revolution to the war in Afghanistan.

Sunday's programs will focus on the issues of Bleeding Kansas and the role that soldiers took in restoring order in Fort Scott at various times throughout the late 1850s. In the program, "I Can Fire a Pistol," volunteer Susan Anderson will present a first person living history program as Sene Campbell, a woman whose fianceé was killed in a raid on the town of Fort Scott in 1858.

The program "Montgomery's Raids" will examine the motivation of James Montgomery, who led not only the raid that resulted in the death of Miss Campbell's fiancée, but other assaults on the town as well. In "Military Posse," weapons used by soldiers in the 1850s will be demonstrated and in "An Army Soon to Be Divided," three scenes will be staged highlighting periods of military intervention at Fort Scott during the 1850s. Scenes to be staged include the death of Alvin Satterwaite, a U.S. soldier killed in an incident near Fort Scott in 1858.

On Memorial Day, the site will continue its commemoration of the Civil War Sesquicentennial. While General Lee surrendered in April 1965, fighting west of the Mississippi continued until June. The role of the howitzer in the Civil War will be discussed during two Memorial Day artillery demonstrations at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. "A Most Diverse Army" will feature the story of the First Kansas Colored Infantry, which mustered into federal service at Fort Scott. The unit was the first African-American regiment to defeat the Confederates in combat during the war.

In "Spirituous Liquors," a Civil War hospital steward will discuss the problems of alcohol in the Union Army. Soldiers from Kansas who died in the Civil War will be honored in a special Memorial Day program at 2:30 p.m., followed by participation in the National Moment of Silence at 3 p.m.

Guided tours will be offered daily throughout the weekend and volunteers dressed in period costume will be stationed at various places throughout the site all three days.

The FSNHS, a unit of the National Park System, is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Entrance to the site is free of charge. For more information, call (620) 223-0310 or visit www.nps.gov/fosc. The historic site also has a Facebook page.

The following is the complete schedule of weekend activities:

Saturday

10 a.m. - Thunder Wagon: Artillery Demonstration

11 a.m. - Bucket Brigade - Soldiers as Firefighters

Noon - Timeline of the American Soldier

1 p.m. - Guided Tour

2 p.m. - Thunder Wagon: Artillery Demonstration

3 p.m. - Timeline of the American Soldier

3:30 p.m. - Honoring Fort Scott's Fallen Officers

4 p.m. - Flag Retreat

Sunday

11 a.m. - Military Posse: 1850s Weapons Demonstration

Noon - "I Can Fire a Pistol" - Interpretive Program

1 p.m. - Guided Tour

2 p.m. - "Montgomery's Raids" - Interpretive Program

3 p.m. - "An Army Soon to Be Divided" Bleeding Kansas Tableau

4 p.m. - Flag Retreat

Monday

10 a.m. - "A Most Diverse Army: African-American and American Indian Soldiers in the Civil War

11 a.m. - Bullpup: Artillery Demonstration

Noon - "Spirituous Liquors: Alcoholism and the Civil War Army"

1 p.m. - Guided Tour

2 p.m. - Bullpup: Artillery Demonstration

2:30 p.m. - "These Honored Dead: Fallen Kansas Soldiers in the Civil War"

3 p.m. - Moment of Silence

4 p.m. - Flag Retreat