I think that in every man is a little boy who still enjoys forts, battles and bunkers. Tony is one of those. Today, I wasn't working so we went to Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson, a place that started out as a village and thriving trading port. North Carolina is rich with history--not only the Civil War, but with battles with the Spanish forces and later with the Revolutionary War. Its location and terrain make it a strategic naval base.
The walking tour of the fort and village took us between giant mounds that were used to store ammunition and supplies. Cannons and gun mounts were most likely positioned on top of the mounds pointed at the Cape Fear River.
The town of Brunswick, which was ultimately home to Fort Anderson, had a mixture of elite merchants and government officials, tailors and even slaves. That was evident by the instruments of "correction" that we saw on the property. Their homes were one and two stories but only about 29 feet by 22 feet in dimensions.
There is a shell of a church that holds a dozen or so old graves and an early "motel" that housed six rooms and was later a tailor shop.
It was an adventure filled with "what ifs" and feeling very small in an area that was once massive and the cornerstone of what North Carolina is all about--growth, commerce, pride and a "never give up" attitude.
Take the tour with us....
A battle scene mosaic greets us as we enter Fort Anderson
Artifacts discovered from the town of Brunswick in the 1951 expedition
Dishes from the 1700's in great shape
This was called "The Faces of War," they are cousins....not more than 16
This is one of the commanders of Fort Anderson (where the Town of Brunswick started)....look at how young he looks...no beard
A Naval cannon
One of the cannon balls
A church in the town of Brunswick, destroyed, but still the home of 12 graves
Coffins of the era...when you were buried in this, you didn't go anywhere!
A home site...usually 22x29 feet
The women of Brunswick outnumbered the men (not slaves) by 2 to 1
Another home site, with fireplace in tact
Bad husband....bad, bad, husband...some 1700's justice!
When Tony put me in this to get my picture taken, my claustrophobia took over. I didn't let the thing come all the way down and started to holler, "that's enough, no more, don't put it down, that's enough." At that point, a Fort Anderson volunteer appeared from no where and asked if he could help. Was he rescuing me or helping Tony "punish" me?????
That's more like it!! I can breathe again
I'm stuck
Or, there's the well for punishment!!
The trees were beautiful
So was the water...
They were crooked....
This gives you a perspective of the size of the mounds as Tony walks among them
A possible gun site?
The cannon faces the parking lot....even after all of these years, the Fort is on guard
I
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