This weekend, Fort McAllister State Park will continue a decades-long tradition of hosting a reenactment of its capture by Union General William T. Sherman and his troops.

Around 200 dedicated Civil War reenactors--some traveling to Bryan County from as far as Texas--will recreate the final storming of the fort by Union forces for park guests.

During the Civil War, Fort McAllister was key to protecting Savannah and its ports, which made the city a Confederate stronghold. It was one of the three forts (alongside Fort Jackson and Fort Pulaski) standing in defiance of the Union’s naval blockade.

But 160 years ago on December 13, 1864, as part of William T. Sherman’s ‘March to the Sea’ campaign, Union soldiers captured Fort McAllister in a robust operation that ultimately led to their acquisition of the city of Savannah from Confederate control.

The Confederates were vastly outnumbered: only around 150 soldiers were left to defend Fort McAllister against Sherman’s 4,000-soldier regiment. 

“It really didn’t take them [the Union] more than 15 minutes or so to retake the fort,” explained Lexington Kozak, Interpretive Ranger at Fort McAllister. 

The final battle reenactment will take place on Saturday at approximately 4:45 p.m., following skirmishes and the establishment of Union encampments on Friday. 

This year, however, Kozak says that Fort McAllister will now offer private guided tours on both Friday and Saturday evenings. 

The Saturday tours start at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., with a focus on what happened to Fort McAllister after the Union soldiers took back control of the fort. Guests will learn about how Confederate prisoners were treated, as well as view the removal of landmines used during the battle. 

Also on the Saturday tours will be a reenactment of the dinner held between Sherman and the captured Confederate Major George Wayne Anderson. 

“We’re going to have the audience come in, listen to that dinner meeting and see how it was portrayed historically,” said Kozak. “We’ve never done a re-enactment of that before, so it’ll be a very interesting touch.”

The private evening tours are $20 per person and are capped at 25 people per session. 

Ticket prices vary, ranging from $15 per person on Saturday, and $20 per person for private tours. No ParkPass is needed with admission. Children ages 5 and under are free. 

For more information, visit https://gastateparks.org/FortMcAllister.