Living History at Fort Davidson Last Saturday, Sarah, Elijah, and I headed out to Pilot Knob, MO, to attend the Living History event at Fort Davidson.

In 1864, the Civil War was raging, and Fort Davidson was a Union post. September of that year saw an attack by Confederate troops. The Union troops of only about 1,450 men successfully defended the fort from about 12,000 Confederate troops. They were pushed into the fort but all attempts by Confederate troops to overtake the fort were unsuccessful and only resulted in many lost lives. Late into the night, the Union troops passed through the sleeping Confederates to safety. A small group of volunteers stayed behind to explode the powder magazine. Of course, the blast woke the Confederates, but the guy in charge wrongly assumed that there had been an accident in the fort and a surrender would be imminent. Boy, was he surprised in the morning.

Every few years, they re-enact the battle at Fort Davidson. This was not that year, however, but instead they put on a “Living History” event. Basically they set up and dress like the times, act like the times, fire the canons, etc. And the visitors walk around observing and learning.

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We arrived at the start and proceeded to walk around reading the signs describing the events surrounding the battle, the remains of the fort itself (just the land layout and blast crater now), the items in the welcome center, and then finally the living history display. Elijah’s favorite thing, of course, was the horses. He wasn’t happy unless he was petting one. We talked to one of the women for a good length of time, she told us about many women who disguised themselves as men to fight in the war. Even one who no one knew she was a woman until she died in 1912.

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All-in-all, we weren’t there very long. When they fired the canons (for real firing, after two test shots), Elijah freaked. Yes, it was loud, but Sarah was protecting his ears. I think possibly he was expecting the small pop of the test shots again and was just incredibly surprised. I had wanted to see them shoot again so I could take an actual photo, but he was so upset, we left. We had other plans anyway, more interesting places to visit. :)

(Even funnier is that the video still makes him cry, in fact, he was just looking over my shoulder and blasted my ear out!)

Canon, Elijah, Sarah, Canon Living History at Fort Davidson Living History at Fort Davidson Living History at Fort Davidson Living History at Fort Davidson