Civil War scenes at FSNHS Saturday

Dramatic scenes from the Civil War will be recreated during a tour at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Fort Scott National Historic Site.

Throughout the war, Fort Scott was home to many important functions, including a supply depot, a training and recruitment center, an army general hospital, a refugee center, a military prison and a national cemetery. Staff will guide visitors during the one-hour tour, in which a group of local volunteers will reenact dramatic scenes from the Civil War.

At various stops on the tour, visitors will hear about the daring exploits of soldiers as they patrolled for bushwhackers, discover the courageous story of a woman who, despite threat of invasion, refused to leave her home, and relive the experience of African American soldiers who took an important step toward freedom and equality as they joined the Union Army. These scenes and many others will be recreated for tour-goers.

"All of these stops portray the vital functions that Fort Scott contributed during the Civil War," FSNHS Park Ranger Barak Geertsen said.

There is no admission charge for the tour, which will begin at the site's visitor center. The tour is part of a new series of evening tours at the site this summer. Each tour features a different topic related to Fort Scott during the mid-1800s. The last tour in the series is scheduled to take place Sept. 25.

FSNHS, a unit of the National Park System, is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The usual entrance fee of $3 for each adult 16 years of age and older is being waived on Saturday and Sunday. In recognition of the current economic difficulties and to encourage park visitation and connections with the nation's natural and cultural heritage, the National Park Service has designated this weekend as "fee free" at all of its units.

For more information, call the site at (620) 223-0310.