Fort Pulaski National Monument staff and volunteers took the field during Saturday’s historic “Blue vs. Gray” baseball game.
The park’s staff, representing members of the 48th New York Regiment, took on the 8th Georgia Infantry on the parade ground inside Fort Pulaski. The Blue prevailed, winning 6-5 in an exciting finish.
The game, which featured 1862 rules, was part of a large living history event that included cannon firings, skirmish drills, and Civil War medical demonstrations. The event drew large crowds, and proved to be one of the most successful in park history.
Historically, soldiers at Fort Pulaski played baseball to escape the boredom of garrison life. One of the earliest known photographs of a baseball game was taken inside Fort Pulaski and included members of the 48th New York.
After this weekend’s game, the members of the 8th Georgia vowed that “they would never surrender.” A rematch is planned for next year’s Labor Day weekend.
