Savannah, GA - Fort Pulaski National Monument will commemorate Women's History Month with a day of programs focusing on women in the Civil War era on Saturday, March 9, 2013.
It is an accepted convention that the Civil War was a man's fight. However, women also took up arms and charged into battle. Because both the Union and Confederate armies forbade the enlistment of women, women soldiers assumed masculine names, disguised themselves as men, and hid the fact they were female. To honor those women who served in the American Civil War, the park's historic weapons demonstrations will feature the park's female staff and volunteers on Saturday, March 9. The cannon firing demonstrations scheduled for 11:00 AM and 12:00 PM will solely be performed by women.
Fort Pulaski National Monument will also present two historical fashion shows featuring garments of the Civil War era. At 1:00 PM, visitors can enjoy a presentation of Victorian Secrets: Civil War Ladies Undergarments. This special presentation will review the dressing process with layer upon layer of undergarments for the 19th century woman - complete with live model - and dress her from the "inside out". There will be a Civil War Ladies Fashion Show at 2:00 PM. Ladies of the Civil War period wore a range and variety of clothing depending on social status, social customs, or even social events. The staff and volunteers of Fort Pulaski will "walk the runway" and offer a narrated look at ladies clothing of the Civil War period - from day/work dresses to ball gowns and everything in between.
Throughout the month of March, a special exhibit about women during the Civil War era will be on display in the park Visitor Center. The Visitor Center is open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
The park's schedule on Saturday, March 9 is as follows:
10:00 AM Guided Fort Tour
11:00 AM Cannon Demonstration
11:30 AM Ranger's Choice
12:00 PM Cannon Demonstration
1:00 PM Victorian Secrets: Civil War Ladies Undergarments
2:00 PM Civil War Ladies Fashion Show 3:30 PM Guided Fort Tour
Fort Pulaski National Monument is located on U.S. Highway 80, 15 miles east of Savannah. An entrance fee of $5.00 per person is charged; ages 15 and under are free. For more information, please visit the website of Fort Pulaski National Monument at www.nps.gov/fopu or call (912) 786-5787.
