Georgia Militia seizes Fort Pulaski

Special to the Courier
December 16, 2010


Fort Pulaski National Monument will present a living history event on Sunday, January 2, 2011, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the seizure of the United States fort by Georgia state troops in the months leading up to the Civil War. Volunteer living historians representing Savannah militia units will march into the fort, lower the 34-star United States flag and raise the Georgia flag of secession over the fort.

"As we enter the new year, our nation will begin commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War," commented Fort Pulaski Superintendent Randy Wester. "Three months before the war started, the country was already unraveling. On January 3, 1861, Georgia troops ousted the U.S. army and took possession of Fort Pulaski two weeks before Georgia even seceded from the Union."

The flag-raising will be followed by brief remarks and a musket and cannon firing to salute the Georgia flag. The special event begins at 2 p.m. outside the fort, near the visitor center.

"The conflicting loyalties of the Civil War taxed those who lived through it, and even today, the issues defy easy answers," continued Superintendent Wester. "It is appropriate that we honor the events of the past, and reflect on what they mean to us today."

Fort Pulaski is located on US Highway 80, 12 miles east of Savannah. The entrance fee is $3 per adult. Children under 16 are free. More information about the fort is available at www.nps.gov/fopu .


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See News Coverage of the Event:
Fort Pulaski Commemorates Civil War