Civil War Days at Fort Point, San Francisco

[gary]

On Saturday, Jan. 26, there will be a gathering of Civil War reenactors. Depicting various units, they will demonstrate drilling and explain various aspects of the Civil War period. Last year this include the signal corps, artillery, medicine, equipment. Fort Point will open at 10 a.m. and is generally windy and cold. However, last year was sunny, bright and warm.

For more information on Fort Point, click on this link: Fort Point National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service) Note: the NPS website has nothing on Civil War Day itself.

[gary]

So I went to Fort Point. It had been raining all week and I didn't really expect to see much. The rain had let up so I risked going there. Two Berdan Sharp Shooters were outside the fort, doing a poor job of guarding the entrance. To their credit, they were doing an excellent job of explaining their weapons to some visitors. OK, I concede, they weren't outside on picket duty. Inside a corporal manned the signal corps station. The obligatory signal flags were there and he had a couple of telegraphs set up of which one was receiving signals. Sounded a lot like dots and dashes to me.

The Sons of Union Veterans also had a display. The cartridge box & belt, tin cups, musket, uniforms. The officer (rank unseen but you can tell by his uniform) I addressed as General Hood. He laughed and admitted to protraying Hood at other events. When asked who his ancestor was, he said he was related to George Thomas, The Rock of Chickamagua. The other SUV was a private whose family traces back to the Revolution with no less than six ancestors who served among the Patriot forces. His direct ancestor belonged to an NY Infantry (methinks 9th NY) that became an artillery unit (3rd Battery). They saw service on the coast (New Bern) and part of it was at Charleston. Eventually, they were bottled up with Butler at the Bermuda Hundred. His ancestor was knocked out during the Siege of Petersburg when a cannon ball hit his gun, knocked off a spoke which struck him on the head. He was discharged while unconscious. Lesson: Anytime you meet a SUV or SCV, ask them to share what they know of their ancestors. You can learn some pretty interesting things.

Unlike last year, there was no band. However, somewhere a fifer was playing various tunes of the period while a squad from the 69th New York was drilling on the parade ground of the fort. They did need drilling but what do you expect from folks who are civilians in uniforms? They don't do it every day and it takes time to march as a unit. That's why I won't do it myself. Who needs to march when they can sit on a sofa and fall asleep?

Some artillerists were at hand with a display of cannon shells, cannister, grape shot. No guns though but that didn't matter as they had the guns of the fort all around them. Fort Point has several Dahlgrens, a 12 pdr Napoleon, a mortar, a Spanish gun left over from the days when California was part of the Spanish Empire.

There was even a bridge show with a suicide. I missed the jumper as I was inside studying a photo of a sharpshooter. Some things are more important and I'm glad at least the jumper didn't land in the fort itself. Ouch! RIP. Folks seem to forget as bad as things seem, there are always good things in life worth living for. My condolences to the family.

[samgrant]

Nice report, gary.

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[william42]

By Gary

Folks seem to forget as bad as things seem, there are always good things in life worth living for. My condolences to the family.

Mine as well Gary. And your first sentence up there could not be more true. Although sometimes it seems as if there are no more good things in life left, there always are. They might be a bit elusive or difficult to find, but they are there if you look. Thanks for your inspiring message.


Terry

[unionblue]

Gary,

Thanks for the update. I enjoyed it very much and like to compare our events here in Ohio with other states.

Sincerely,
Unionblue