Letter to reporter concerning Ft. Pulaski News Coverage:

Dear Ms. Shane,

Your coverage of the Fort Pulaski event on Sunday, January 2, 2011, was an abomination! The lack of factual information contained in your report was a blatant proliferation of lies and untruths.

The comments by Ed Cawley in your report are not historically accurate. Troops from the Savannah Volunteer Guards, the Oglethorpe Light Infantry, and the Chatham Artillery took possession of Fort Pulaski on January 3, 1861. These were not men from some tavern. They were well trained Georgia Militia units under orders from Georgia Governor Joseph Brown. The Sovereign State of Georgia also held possession of Fort Pulaski from January 1861 until it fell to the superior fire-power of the Union forces in April 1862, approximately 15 months later and not three months as stated by Mr. Cawley. Now, I admit that Mr. Cawley’s is indeed ignorant of history and that you apparently quoted him correctly. However, as a reporter, do you not believe that your job is to report actual truth as opposed to someone’s ignorance? Would it not have been better to secure an interview with someone who knew what they were talking about? As a reported, it is your job to get the facts right! Apparently, for some unknown reason, you do not care about the facts.

Your coverage of this historic event was an insult to the citizens of Savannah and the WSAV audience. Nothing is sadder than an inaccurate account of the simple facts of history. As a reporter for WSAV should have done your homework and produced accurate coverage of this event. Your work has done nothing but to propagate myth instead of fact. I am appalled at such a lack of professionalism!!!

Dr. James L. Cavanah II
117 Exley Road, South
Rincon, GA 31316
(912) 657-1698
 

Reference: Fort Pulaski Commemorates Civil War