One of the lesser-known, yet very important Civil War battles was the Battle of Forks Road, a skirmish that preceded the fall of Wilmington, NC, during the Civil War. As the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War approaches, the Cameron Art Museum will present its 10th Annual Civil War Living History Weekend on February 7 and 8, 2015, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Battle of Forks Road. This year’s theme “Forks Road…The Beginning of the End” highlights this significant battle which is re-enacted on both days by uniformed Union, U. S. Colored Troop (U.S.C.T.) and Confederate re-enactors.
Reenactments and demonstrations will take place on Saturday and Sunday, beginning at 10:00 a.m. each day. For two days the grounds at the Cameron Art Museum will be filled with historic-themed kids and family programming, camp life, sutlers, demonstrations of pottery-making, spinning wheel, basket-making, blacksmith, and an archaeological dig. Other activities include lectures, battle site tours, United Daughters of the Confederacy, Sons of Confederate Veterans, a roll call of those who served, music, story-telling, food vendors and more.
This outstanding educational program affords visitors the opportunity to learn more about the role of African-American troops during the Civil War. Step back in time with re-enactors who will demonstrate life as it was in the mid-1800s on the restored Civil War mounds at the site where the Battle of Forks Road actually took place. Re-enactors will represent Confederate, Union and U.S. Colored Troops—including the 37th USCT Regiment and Battery “B.” Saturday’s opening ceremony will begin at 10:00 a.m. with special guests, including Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo, County Commissioner Chair Jonathan Barfield, and Dr. Malcolm Beech, a U.S.C.T. Infantry re-enactor.
Saturday’s events will take place from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. On Saturday evening at 7:00 p.m., there will be a community contra dance with mid-19th century music by The Huckleberry Brothers, a band comprised of musically gifted American Civil War re-enactors. Battle reenactments are scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on Saturday and again on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. Special kids and family programming will take place from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. each day. Camps and activities will resume on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. and the museum will remain open until 5:00 p.m. Events are free and donations are welcomed. For details and event schedule, visit http://battleofforksroad.org. For information about the Cameron Art Museum and CAM Café, visit www.cameronartmuseum.org or 910-395-5999.
The original Battle of Forks Road battlefield is located on the grounds of the Cameron Art Museum, a site on the N.C. Civil War Trail, located at 3201 South 17th Street in Wilmington. The Civil War mounds were restored when the Museum opened at this location in 2002. The Battle of Forks Road followed the fall of Fort Fisher, directly preceded the fall of Wilmington, and led to the final surrender of the Confederate armies. It was the final fight to take Wilmington on February 20, 1865. The site is where Major General Robert F. Hoke made his last stand against Union soldiers, primarily made up of African-American troops (referred to as U.S. Colored Troops during that era) from several divisions, before evacuating Wilmington. The “Sable Arm” of the U.S. Army was made up of freed men and former slaves who volunteered for service after the Emancipation Proclamation. For more information on the U.S. Colored Troops and their role in the Battle of Forks Road, see History of the U.S.C.T. [below].
Related Activities:
If your favorite pastime is exploring “past times,” plan to visit the Cameron Art Museum and other area attractions that interpret the region’s Civil War history. And be sure to visit www.WilmingtonCivilWar150.com, a designated web page designed to assist visitors seeking more information about Civil War-related attractions, tours, events, maps and articles that interpret Wilmington’s role during the Civil War. There are also direct links to seasonal specials and accommodations packages.
Other area attractions with Civil War ties include: Fort Fisher State Historic Site & Civil War Museum, Cape Fear Museum (NC’s oldest history museum includes Civil War exhibits), Wilmington Railroad Museum, Bellamy Mansion Museum, Oakdale Cemetery, Wilmington National Cemetery, Thalian Hall, Sugarloaf Sand Dune at Carolina Beach State Park, Orange Street Landing on Cape Fear, Fort Anderson, Poplar Grove Plantation, as well as tours, monuments and markers. Find out more at www.WilmingtonCivilWar150.com.