Milford chronicle., 1961-03-24
State To Open
observance OF Civil
War Centennial

continued from page one)
Island in the Delaware River ap-
proximately II miles south of Will
mington
This huge pehtagon structure of
granite and brick served as a pris-
on for Confederates captured dur
ing the War Between the States.
More than 2,400 died there and are
buried in the Finn's Point Nation
al Cemetery across the river in
New Jersey.
Fort Delaware will be open to
the public on week-ends and holi-
days from May q through October
| and will be the site of several
special Centennial events during
the summer months. Among the
events now being planned are
sham battle To be staged by the
Hampton Legion of the North
South Skirmish Association of
Philadelphia; a concert of Civil
War music by the Blue Rock
YF.W Junior Drum and Bugle
Corps; and concert by a VIII
nington vocal group.
The Fort was used as a prison
from April. 1862. until late in
1865. Thirteen Confederate gener-
ais were prisoners there at differ
ent times and hundreds of majors
and colonels were kept in the case
mates of the Fort along with many
political prisoners and others who
had aroused the ire of the Federal
Government.
The rooms in which the generals
were kept. the large halls where
other officers were imprisoned. and
the dungeons in which recalcitrant
prisoners were confined will again
ne opened TO the public. These
still appear pretty much as they did
during the Civil War period
Enlisted men were kept prison
ers in wooden barracks outside the
Fort on Pea Patch Island. The dis
ease and death rate was so high
that Fort Delaware gained the un-
enviable reputation of being the
'Andersonville of the North. The
wooden structures have. of course.
long since disappeared leaving the
old fortress as the sole reminder
of the stirring days of the Ameri-
can Civil War.
Boats for the island will begin
leaving Delaware City, on the
mainland. at noon on week-ends
and holidays during the 1861 sea-
son, and will be operated at ap-
oroximately one-half hour inter-
vals The last boat will leave the
island for the mainland at p. m.
a small nominal charge will again
De made for the boat transporta-
ion.
The picturesque Fort drew visi-
tors from 81 states and foreign
countries last year and was also
the Mecca of numerous photograph
ers. amateur and professional. who
found that it provides many possi-
5ilities for photographs .redolent
of the Civil War period.
The Fort and island are under
the supervision of the Delaware
State Park Commission and the
museum on the island is operated
by the Fort Delaware Society.
Delaware's participation in the
nationwide Civil War Centennial
observance is spearheaded by a
statewide Centennial Commission
headed by Luther d. Reed, man
aging director of Eleutherian
Mills -Hagley Foundation, Whining
ton. In addition TO the Civil War
Round Table of Wilmington and
the Fort Delaware Society. the fol-
towing organizations are coopera-
ting, or in some manner assisting.
in the observance: the State Gov
ernment, through the Public Ar
chives Commission. the State Park
Commission, the Delaware State
Development Department and the
Delaware National Guard; the City
OF Wilmington: the Levy Court of
New Castle County: the Town of
Delaware City; the Historical So
ciety Of Delaware; the Civil War.
Round Table of Kent County; the
Civil War Round Table OF Sussex
County: and varions patriotic,
veterans and civic groups.