Re-living old times

One-hundred-forty-three years ago today, Union troops were celebrating their victory in a landmark Civil War battle at Fort Fisher.

On Saturday demonstrators at the Fort re-enacted what times were like there back then. Demonstrations included music from that time and the firing of a 32-pound cannon.

The battle was a crucial turning point in the Civil War. Fort Fisher was the last major coastal stronghold for the Confederacy.

Some who attended the re-enactment said it was an important history lesson.

“All of us need our heritage and our memories preserved to know where we were, who we were, what we were, and where we’ve come today and so in the future we can hope to make more gains,” said Jeanne Poole, a North Carolina native.

After Union forces took Fort Fisher in 1864, it only took them another month to capture Wilmington. They won the War a little more than a year later.