The 149th Anniversary of the Battle for Fort Pulaski

Fort Pulaski Under Fire!

Leslie's Weekly

News Release Date: March 24, 2011

Contact: Gloria Lee, [phone]

Fort Pulaski and Tybee Island Light Station
to Commemorate Battle at Siege Weekend

Fort Pulaski National Monument and The Tybee Island Historical Society will co-host a special two-day event to commemorate the 149th Anniversary of the Siege & Reduction of Fort Pulaski. The Battle will be commemorated on Saturday, April 9 and Sunday, April 10 with activities at both Fort Pulaski and the Tybee Island Light Station. A full schedule of activities will be offered at Fort Pulaski to include cannon firings, soldier demonstrations, and talks on different aspects of the battle. This year, Fort Pulaski National Monument will partner with the Tybee Island Historical Society, who operates the historic Tybee Island Light Station. Union forces provided by Fort Pulaski will occupy the Light Station grounds and depict Union preparation for the bombardment of Fort Pulaski, which took place in April of 1862. 

For nearly two months, Union troops erected 36 guns in 11 batteries on the western shore of Tybee Island. The Union cannons on Tybee Island, over a mile away, converged on Fort Pulaski on April 10, 1862. After 30 hours, the brick walls of the Fort were breached, and the Confederate fort surrendered. The historic battle featured the first significant use of rifled artillery against a masonry fort and had international ramifications on the future design and construction of coastal forts.

SATURDAY, APRIL 9

Fort Pulaski National Monument 
10:00am Guided Fort tour
11:00 Cannon firing demonstration
12:00pm Musket firing demonstration
1:00   Cannon firing demonstration
1:30   “Siege of Fort Pulaski”
2:30       Cannon firing demonstration
3:00       Guided Fort tour

Tybee Island Light Station
11:30am “Preparing for the Battle”
12:30pm Musket firing demonstration
1:30       “Preparing for the Battle”
2:30   Musket Firing demonstration

SATURDAY, APRIL 10

Fort Pulaski National Monument
10:00am Guided Fort tour
11:00 Cannon firing demonstration
12:00pm Musket firing demonstration
1:00   Cannon firing demonstration
1:30   “Siege of Fort Pulaski”
2:00       Surrender of Fort Pulaski
3:00       Guided Fort tour

Tybee Island Light Station  
11:00am “Preparing for the Battle”
12:00pm “Preparing for the Battle”

For additional information, contact Fort Pulaski National Monument at [phone] or The Tybee Island Historical Society at [phone].

News Release

Schedule of Events