By Liz MitchellHistory buffs! Your best opportunity to turn the clock back is February 20 and 21 at Brunswick Town. The 145th anniversary of the fall of Ft. Anderson will be observed with an extravagant reenactment bringing back to life the sights and sounds of the Civil War. The clash between Union and Confederate soldiers will be replayed Saturday in “The Fight at Ft. Anderson” and again Sunday in “The Battle of Town Creek.”
The event will include lantern tours, panel discussions, artillery drills, infantry drills, campsites and vendors in period costume. An Archaeology Panel discussion is set for February 16 in Southport. The reenactment and panel discussions are free to the public.
Brunswick was a political center and a major pre-revolutionary port on the Cape Fear River. It was razed by British troops in 1776. The importance of the river in transporting supplies and in defending the area came to the forefront again, and Fort Anderson was built at the start of the Civil War on the site of the village. The fort is called Cape Fear’s Forgotten Fortress and the Best Preserved Earthen Fort.
The site is one of
North Carolina’s Historic Sites. For more information on our historic treasures such as this one located at Winnabow and for directions and complete event details please see the NC Department of Cultural Resources'
Web site.
The visitor center at
Brunswick and the remains of homes, businesses and an impressive church are an interesting visit with special programs scheduled throughout the year for a look at 18th and 19th century life.