Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site in Winnabow is set to commemorate in February the 160th anniversary of Fort Anderson’s capture by U.S. forces with a day of living history reenactments.
The commemoration of the 1865 events begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, with a day of living history offered at no charge. At 6 p.m., a ticketed nighttime reenactment of the bombardment and evacuation of the fort is offered.
Supporter Spotlight
Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site is a major prerevolutionary port on the Cape Fear River.
“Brunswick was abandoned and burned during the American Revolution and never fully recovered. During the Civil War, Fort Anderson was constructed atop the old village site and served as part of the Cape Fear River defenses below Wilmington before the fall of the Confederacy. Colonial foundations dot the present-day tour trail, which crosses the earthworks of the Confederate fort,” according to the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, which manages the site.
During the living history demonstrations scheduled for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., visitors will be able to interact with Civil War camp life and view interpretive displays. The 19th-century weapons demonstrations are scheduled for 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Speaker Wade Sokolosky will present at noon “Disaster on the Lower Cape Fear: The Role of Confederate Hospitals through the Fall of Wilmington.”
Sokolosky is a graduate of East Carolina University, a 25-year Army veteran and author of several books about the Civil War.
Supporter Spotlight
“He is one of North Carolina’ s leading experts of the 1865 Carolinas Campaign. Wade has lectured throughout the country speaking to roundtables, various societies and organizations, and at historical sites. He is the recipient of the Raleigh Civil War Round Table’s 2017 T. Harry Gatton Award for his important efforts to study, preserve, and share the Civil War heritage of his native North Carolina,” according to his publisher.
Brunswick Site Manager Jim McKee will lead a tour of Fort Anderson at 4 p.m.
The program, “Plunging Shot and Screaming Shell,” organizers promised, will make the night sky “come alive with a realistic reenactment of the bombardment and evacuation of the fort. This event will be a rare opportunity to witness a heavy artillery duel after dark.”
Parking for the living history event is available at the visitor center in Winnabow. Food trucks will be onsite from 11 a.m. until 6:30 p.m.
Admission for the nighttime program is $10 for those 16 and older and attendees 15 and younger will be admitted at no charge. Tickets can be purchased in advance online at the Friends of Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson’s website.
A full event schedule will be available on Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site’s website and social media channels.
