The following is a dispatch from a correspondent, Hugh Glasgow, regarding the reenactment of the Battle of Blakeley, Alabama. The actual battle took place from April 2-9, 1865 and was, according to Wikipedia, ” the last combined-force battle of the war” (naval and ground forces.) Union Maj. General Edward Canby, commanding the XVII and XIII Corps, captured two Confederate forts, Blakeley and nearby Spanish Fort as part of the Mobile Campaign. African-American troops played a significant role in carrying the works. For photos from the event, click on on the title.
Just hours after the surrender of General Robert E. Lee miles away in Virginia, the Battle of Blakeley was fought at Fort Blakeley on April 9, 1865 at 5:30 p.m. It was a major news event in the ongoing coverage of the Civil War as stated from “Harper’s Weekly” of May 17, 1865. “Probably the last charge of this war, it was as gallant as any on record,” Harper’s reported. Historic Blakeley State Park was created in 1981 to preserve the National Register Site and its 5 1/2 miles of pristine breastworks.
Here are some photos taken by my wife, Grace Glasgow, at the most recent reenactment of the last major battle of the Civil War, the Battle of Fort Blakeley in Alabama. Shown are members of the Alabama State Militia Artillery reenacting as the 4th Indiana Volunteer Lite Artillery (A Battery) during the Siege of Blakeley, April 4, 2009. Members shown are, (l to r), PVT. Bruce Drake, MAJ Jimmy White and PVT Hugh Glasgow:
The Battery is firing a 12 pound Mountain Howitzer just 500 yards away from Redoubt #4; the center of the battlefield. More information about the Alabama State Militia Artillery may be found at the web site: www.alabamabattery.org
Sincerely,
Hugh Glasgow
(Formally CPT, FA, USAR)
For further information on the battle, see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fort_Blakely
For information on the park, see:
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