Civil War Day at Fort Point (San Francisco), Jan. 20, 2007

[4v50 Gary]

(Non-shooting event - hey, it's National Park property). Just learned this at my Civil War Round Table and thought I'd share it with the folks at THR.

On Saturday, Jan. 20, 2007 from 10 am to 5 pm, Fort Point (beneath the Golden Gate Bridge) will host Civil War: Living History Day of the Union Army.

The public is invited to meet Civil War Soldier and Experience History first hand. See ongoing demonstrations depicting the daily life of the soldiers, women & children of the Civil War and Victorian era. I've been told that representatives of the 20th Maine, 69th New York, 79th New York (Highlanders), 1st Berdan Sharp Shooters will be in attendance.

Here's the schedule:

1000 flag raising ceremony, orders of the day, infantry drill, guard post
1030 artillery drill
1100 morning parade, inspection arms and infantry drill
1130 artillery drill
1200 infantry drill
1230 musician demonstration
1300 infantry drill
1330 artillery drill
1400 infantry drill
1430 artillery drill
1500 infantry drill
1530 artillery drill
1600 musician demonstration
1630 infantry drill
1650 Assembly for flag lowering.

Wear warm clothes. It's cold right now in San Francisco and any native will tell you it's always windy at Fort Point thanks to its location and the wind tunnel created by the Golden Gate Bridge. For more info, please contact the Fort Point Rangers at 415-556-1693.

 

[106rr]

Thanks for the heads up on this historical event -- I have a couple of questions:
Will we have to take a shuttle from a distant parking lot? Is attendance expected to be heavy?

 

[4v50 Gary]

Parking lot is right outside of the fort itself. If all comes to worse (super crowded - which it isn't likely to be because it is January), you can park by topside by the Golden Gate Bridge overlook and walk down to Fort Point (but you have to walk up).

 

[4v50 Gary]

The weather was terrific. Sunny and not windy at all for Fort Point.

I attended and Coehorn Boy was there as a member of the Sons of Union Veterans. He had a display featuring the loot of Lt. Col. Corkie Reed, aka Montana Slim. Reed was associated with the 7th Cavalry (reenactors). Drilling about in the small parade ground of Fort Point was the 69th New York (famous members of Meagher's Irish Brigade) and the 71st New York (Highlanders). A fife & drum corps demonstrated their marching and music and throughout the day, a brass band occupied the 2nd tier and serenaded the public. A surgeon was there who offered his services (no one accepted) but would not pull teeth. He said that was the job of his hospital stewards. An artillery unit was there with some very knowledgeable members. Also present was a signal sergeant who helped me understand a problem I had been wrestling with for years (capture of code book from Keokuk). Of course, a small contingent of Berdan's Sharp Shooters were there with their guns. I learned from their lieutenant that my article that appeared in The Military Collector and Historian had been passed around by one of their members. Nice to have a fleeting moment of fame. We also have some zouaves who were drilling inside the fort. No rebs were present though (I guess they couldn't storm the place). Overall, a very fun day at Fort Point. Besides no rebs, there weren't any firing demonstrations with the guns. Too bad.