Thirteenth
Annual Civil War
Reenactment at Fort Pocahontas
Media
Contact: Jackie Foreman
CHARLES CITY,
Va., March 31, 2010 -- On
Saturday, May 22 and Sunday, May 23, 2010, Fort
Pocahontas at Wilson’s Wharf will come alive through Civil War
living history,
civilian presentations, guided fort tours and two battle
reenactments.
Located between Richmond and Williamsburg in Charles City, Virginia,
the fort
will be open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. each day.
“Virtually
untouched for more than
145 years, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources observed Fort
Pocahontas as ‘one of the best preserved fort sites’ in
America,” said Harrison
R. Tyler, grandson of former President John Tyler and proprietor of the
fort. “This year marks the 13th reenactment of
the action at
Wilson’s Wharf and we are pleased to welcome Civil War
enthusiasts to this
historic site.”
Reenactors
from across the country will
relive history by portraying Union and Confederate Infantry, including
United
States Colored Troops (USCTs), Cavalry, U.S. and C.S. Navy and
Artillery.
Activities throughout both days will include tactical infantry and
artillery
demonstrations, civilian camp life history including cooking and other
lifestyle demonstrations, church services, guided tours through the
fort and an
opportunity to meet generals leading the troops. A Civil War
roundtable
discussion is planned for Saturday afternoon and sutlers will sell
period Civil
War merchandise and clothing.
On Saturday
and Sunday, J.E.B. Stuart IV will be the guest
speaker beginning at 12:15 p.m., followed by battle commentary with
Mitch
Bowman, executive director of Virginia's Civil War Trails at 1
p.m. Joe
Funk, the event commander since its inception and first person
presenter of
Brigadier General Godfrey Weitzel, the engineer who drew the original
fort
design and great-uncle of Funk, will be available to discuss
engineering aspects
of the earthworks and the action that took place in 1864 following the
reenactment on Saturday.
The 1864
earthen fort was built and manned
by hundreds of USCTs under the direct command of Brigadier Generals
Edward Augustus Wild (and
Benjamin Bulter?).
A victory resulted for the outnumbered USCTs against the Confederate
attack by
Major General Fitzhugh Lee, Robert E. Lee’s nephew, and the 2,000
cavalrymen he
led. Captain A. R.
Arter, a Union soldier at Fort
Pocahontas in 1864, described in a letter that the fortifications was
"one
of the best arranged breastworks I have seen."
In May 2002,
a corps of volunteer
reenactors constructed a 20-foot tower for demonstrations and training
purposes. In 2003, the east gun bastion was rebuilt as a means of
preserving the site for historical accuracy. The restored
Delk/Binford
House contains the archeological artifacts unearthed by The College of
William
and Mary and serves as space for private events and parties.
In addition
to the Civil War history, the site is also dates
to the earliest inhabitants, the Native Americans, and is named after
the
legendary Pocahontas. The deep water port, known as Wilson's
Wharf, was
used during the American Revolution for shipping tobacco and for
passengers
traveling by ferry boat, named the Pocahontas.
Admission is
$10 per adult and $8 per
student per day. Discounts are available for two-day tickets and
groups
of 10 or more. Tickets will be sold at Fort Pocahontas each day of the
event,
located off Route 5, on Rt. 614, 13500 Sturgeon Point Road, Charles
City,
Virginia 23030. Visitors are advised to wear comfortable clothing
and
sturdy walking shoes. All proceeds from this event will
continue to
support the preservation efforts of Fort Pocahontas, a non-profit
organization.
For directions, more information and itinerary, please visit
the web
site at www.fortpocahontas.org, email ktyler@sherwoodforest.org or call
(804) 829-9722 or (804) 358-6248.
More
about Fort Pocahontas: