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Fort Morris offers local history lessons
CivilWarRe-enactors1
Re-enactors will be on hand Saturday to show what life was like during the Civil War era. - photo by File photo

One hundred and fifty years ago some area residents mustered into the service of the Confederate States of America at Fort Morris in eastern Liberty County.
This Saturday you’re invited to see how they lived and discover more of our history at Fort Morris State Historic Site’s 10th annual Sunbury & the War Between the States.
The event runs from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., with park gates opening at 9 a.m. and closing at 5 p.m. It will offer musket and cannon demonstrations on the hour, the state historic site’s manager, Arthur C. Edgar Jr. said. Admission ranges from $2.75 to $4, plus tax.
“Confederate troops (the Liberty Independent Troop) were mustered in at Sunbury in 1861,” Edgar said. “Skirmishing and destruction came with Sherman’s march, and Sunbury was the last place fully secured by union troops on Dec. 14, 1864, in Sherman’s March to the sea.”
The goal of the program is to inform area residents of how the Sunbury area was impacted by the War Between the States, Edgar said. Approximately 20 to 50 volunteers will host the event.
According to the Georgia State Parks website, “remnants of the old colonial town of Sunbury still existed when the war between the North and South began.” Guests can view a Confederate “encampment,” along with soldier talks to learn more about the role that Sunbury and Savannah played in the war.
“Fort Morris is one of the oldest historic sites in Georgia, so Liberty County residents are lucky to have such an important site nearby,” Kim Hatcher, Georgia State Parks public affairs coordinator, said. “Visiting is a way to make history fun and relevant, especially for children. Hearing the firing of cannons and the shouting of soldiers helps them understand our nation’s history in a way that books alone cannot.”
Margie Love, a member of the Liberty County Historical Society, said she attended a similar event at the fort years ago.
“They do a wonderful job… those men, they put their hearts and mind into it. It is very real,” she said of the re-enactments.  “They make it very real. It is very worth anybody’s time who goes out there.”
For the past 25 years, Love has been immersed in local history and culture, and devoted many years serving as president of the Liberty County Historical Society.
“There’s a lot of history in Liberty County,” she said. “People these days just don’t know.”

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