Civil War Days--Historic Fort Wayne--Sept 14 & 15

[WaCoTS]

http://historicfortwaynecoalition.com/cwdays.html

Inside the Star Fort

The inside of the Star Fort will run much as it did during the Civil War. Many living historians are coming together to tell a comprehensive story of Union Troops during the war. During Civil War Days, you will see:

Medical Displays from the war
Union Headquarters
Troops living in garrison
Civil War cooking
Meet the Post Suter - forerunner of the modern PX store
Army Quartermaster and their wares
Sunday Garrison Church service

Meet Authors

As part of Civil War Days, we are thrilled to annually introduce guests to authors who attend to help tell the Civil War story and share their work. This year you can meet:

James Conway and David Jamroz - "Detroit's Historic Fort Wayne"
Carl "Traie" Shelhart - "Enough to Make Angels Weep"
Mike Wood - "Tuebor"

Historic Sutlers committed to the 2013 event

Whether you are a re-enactor or a guest, you will have a chance to shop our sutler's row. Sutlers were the forerunner of the current PX store. They sold items the soldier needed or wanted that weren't issed to him. Modern sutlers sell the historic reproductions re-enactors use, or the public sets up in their houses.

Joining us in 2013 are

Past Reflections Reproductions
Linen Merchant
Uncle Jessie
Red's Sutlery

[WaCoTS]

yes, we usually have this event the first wknd of July, but because that would have coincided with the gigantic 150th Anniversary of Gettysburg in PA, we decided to move it to September this year.

I'm told that among the artillery present this year will be FOUR actual Civil War cannons, at least one of which was actually part of Loomis Battery [[which originated at Fort Wayne).

ALSO!
the Commandant's House will be open to the public for the first time in well over a year! this is a house whose interior and furnishings are so gorgeous that they would be at home amongst any of the finer mansions usually included in the homes tours in other parts of the city such as Indian Village, etc. trust me, if you havent seen the Commandant's House before, it is worth coming for that alone. like i said, it is not opened by the Detroit Historical Museum very often. [[we are also trying to get some repair work done on the roof/exterior before this winter, but it will take funding). this place is one of the city's "jewels" that is not on most people's radar because it is so unassuming and rarely opened.

Tuskegee Airmen Museum will probably be open [[i assume) this weekend as well.

FYI:
we are also having another War of 1812 Bicentennial event the weekend following this one [[Sept 21), if you cant make it out for Civil War Days. you may recall that today [[September 10) marks the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie, where an American victory led to the reclaiming of Detroit and the Great Lakes from British hands.




More importantly, come see the progress that has been made in the battle against Mother Nature to save one of Detroit's oldest historical landmarks from decay.
remember, if it were not for the Historic Fort Wayne Coalition's work over the last 12 years, Fort Wayne would be yet another mammoth sprawling ruin like the train station and Packard Plant, plastered all over the pages of TIME Magazine, et al. come give us a hand in the fight by purchasing a tour! [[it's going to cost me ~$4000 in gas & diesel this year to mow the site.)

[Pam]

Will the Commandant's house also be open on the 21st/22nd?

[WaCoTS]

Will the Commandant's house also be open on the 21st/22nd?

i do not believe so.

[WaCoTS]

the schedule of events [[don't mind the typos ):

[Pam]

Will there be food available? [[besides the ice cream)

[WaCoTS]

i havent heard specifically, but yeah there is usually the hot dog vendor guy.

[Pam]

How was attendance on Saturday? We went today and there weren't too many people there. Nice event, though I didn't see President Lincoln.

[WaCoTS]

from what im told attendance was better than last year, [[we didnt lose money this time!). the place is so big that even if you have a couple hundred people on site, it doesnt look like it because theyre all so spread out.

part of the issue is that the 150th anniversary of Chattanooga/Chickamauga is this coming weekend, so we had a lower attendance of reenactors than usual because many of them were saving up to go down there.

thanks to those who came out and if you couldnt make it, remember we have another 1812 event this wknd.