Community News

Fort Ontario hosted a Civil War Encampment last weekend, August 24 and 25.

Each area of the fort was set up to replicate one part of an encampment including the soldier’s barracks, the sutler’s tent, the sanitation commission (which included the doctor), and the laundress.

The sutler’s tent was set up so that those in the encampment could buy any of the essentials they may need. All clothing was hand sewn by one of the women operating the makeshift store. Reenactors, like Liana Crom and her grandmother, talked about the different things the sutlers sold to the soldiers such as sewing kits, shaving apparatus, women’s bonnets, as well as the clothing, to name a few. All pieces were replicated for a true Civil War experience.

An enlightening exhibit was done at the doctor’s tent, which assured me that I was born in the right time frame as far as medical services go. A conundrum they had was why the midwives had such a low mortality rate while the surgeons-in-training’s delivery practices caused such a high rate of mortality. Upon watching the midwives, they noticed that they washed all the things they used between each delivery - including their hands. The surgeons-in-training would do autopsies on cadavers and then deliver babies without washing anything - including their hands. A simple task like washing their hands lowered the infant and mother mortality rate from 30% to about 10%. This saved lives across the board during this time frame.

The laundress, played by Fort Ontario’s own Danielle Funiciello, was outside in the sun washing clothes for the soldiers. For a woman, this was the only job she could hold in the Army, making about $13-$16 per month with her own rations. The job also gave her access to the court system, should she have a need for it. Many encampments bunked the laundress with the men, however, at Fort Ontario the laundress was housed in the Lighthouse Keeper’s Cottage where she could set up house with her husband and children. That was a sweet deal!

The sergeant called together his new recruits of the day for drills on the field. I was sure that he was going to get those volunteers up to snuff by day’s end. That yummy smelling soup cooking over the fire would have been a sure incentive to get it done quickly.

The sergeant also went over the uniform of a soldier with his audience. The heavy coat, the scratchy socks and shirts, and the leather collar. The leather collar was put on so that you could only look up and straight ahead. This led to the term ‘leather necks’ which we now associate with the Marines. But, the term originated with the Army. He also showed us some of the gear in the sack, such as blankets, extra socks, a tarp, and other things the army deemed necessary for a soldier. “The only thing you get from the Army is discomfort,” the sergeant said as he shared his wit and knowledge with the audience.

Reenactor Carol Mayer showed the crowd some of the things soldiers looked forward to being sent from home. These items included socks, stationery, and the more than needed lice comb. Itch! Itch! Yet they did have instant coffee in that time frame, so that would have been great.

Skirmishes, drills, and a magical lantern show dotted the afternoon with a little peek into what life would have looked like during the late 1800s. Patrons to the Fort that afternoon left with an understanding of the time, the practices, and the work involved in military life of the Civil War.

The Fort Ontario Museum offers many opportunities for the public to enter and find out what life was like there during all of US history and they are all enlightening. Be sure to stop by the Fort and check out their displays and schedule of events.