The National Park Service and Fort Pulaski National Monument will celebrate the Nation's 236th Birthday with special patriotic programs on the weekend of June 30 and July 1 and on July 4. Highlights of the weekend will include cannon and musket firings, guided fort tours, a patriotic concert, and a Civil War baseball game using 19th-century rules and equipment.
There will be cannon and musket demonstrations throughout Independence weekend and on Independence Day. These historic weapons demonstrations will be performed by park staff and volunteers dressed as Civil War soldiers and will feature a historically correct firing drill that is virtually copied from the Civil War weapons manuals.
The Liberty County Community & Area Mass Choir will present a special Patriotic Concert at Fort Pulaski National Monument on Saturday, June 30th at 12 noon. "The Home of the Brave: A Musical Celebrating America's Courage and Commitment" is a blend of classic patriotic favorites with newly composed. The musical grounds itself in the actual events of history with narration that creatively integrates direct quotations from the diaries of Lewis and Clark, the Declaration of Independence, and the Oath of Citizenship, as well as actual recordings of speeches by General Pershing, President Franklin Roosevelt, and President Ronald Reagan. "The Home of the Brave" includes music honoring active and inactive members of the military branches, Independence Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, and Citizenship Day.
On Sunday, July 1, at 2:00 PM, Fort Pulaski National Monument will again partner with the Coastal Heritage Society, who operates Old Fort Jackson, in its annual "Blue vs. Gray" baseball game. Employees and volunteers from Fort Pulaski National Monument and Old Fort Jackson will portray Union and Confederate soldiers, respectively, in an authentic Civil War baseball game. The blue and gray teams represent the two sides of the Civil War, who both occupied Fort Pulaski during different time periods. The game will feature vintage 1860 rules. The pitcher will throw underhand, baseball mitts will not be worn, and an out will be awarded by either catching the ball on the fly or after one bounce.
Following the Civil War baseball game, families and spectators will have the special opportunity to take bat to ball. This is a rare occasion to become a part of history.
Wednesday, July 4 will feature children's activities. Each of the musket firing demonstrations, scheduled at 11:00 AM and 3:30 PM, will be followed by a muster or Civil War inspection. At 1:00 PM, children of all ages will be able to make their own "Flat Civil War Soldier".
The park's Independence Day activities will also include a presentation about the game of baseball during the Civil War era. During the Civil War, soldiers at Fort Pulaski often played America's pastime to overcome the boredom of garrison life. One of the earliest known photographs of a baseball game was of members of the 48th New York Volunteer Infantry at Fort Pulaski in 1862. After the presentation, visitors will have the opportunity to play a game of pick-up baseball with park staff.
Fort Pulaski National Monument is currently offering extended summer hours.
Summer hours are:
Visitor Center & Fort 9:00 AM - 6:30 PM
The park grounds will close at 6:45 PM. The Independence Weekend and July 4th schedules are as follows:
Saturday, June 30
10:00 AM Guided Fort Tour
11:00 Cannon Firing
12:00 PM Patriotic Concert
1:00 Cannon Firing
1:30 Guided Fort Tour
2:30 Musket Firing
3:00 Cannon Firing
4:00 Guided Fort Tour
5:00 Musket Firing
Sunday, July 1
10:00 AM Cannon Firing
11:00 Musket Firing
12:00 PM Cannon Firing
1:00 Guided Fort Tour
2:00 "Blue vs. Gray" Civil War Baseball Game
3:00 Family Vintage Baseball Game
4:00 Guided Fort Tour
5:00 Musket Firing
Wednesday, July 4
10:00 AM Guided Fort Tour
11:00 Musket Firing
11:30 Children's Muster
12:00 PM Cannon Firing
1:00 Children's Activity: "Flat Civil War Soldier"
2:00 "Baseball in the Civil War"
3:30 Musket Firing
4:00 Children's Muster
4:30 Guided Fort Tour
Fort Pulaski National Monument is on U.S. Hwy 80, 15 miles east of Savannah. An entrance fee of $5 per person is charged; ages 15 and under are free. Call the park at (912) 786-5787 for details, or visit the park's official website at www.nps.gov/fopu
