Historic site sets tour

Fort Scott National Historic Site continues its commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War with an evening tour at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 18.

Patriotic zeal led young men across the nation to enlist and join the fight. Many believed the war would be short and decisive. Yet by mid-1862 the specter of a long, drawn out conflict had become a reality. As casualties mounted and the war dragged on, Americans were forced to reexamine why they fought. The story of Pvt. Adam Martin, one of Fort Scott's own, will be the focus of the evening's activities.

Martin willingly answered the call to serve his country. In September 1861 he joined the 6th Kansas Cavalry as it was mustered into service at Fort Scott.

Barely a year later, in November 1862, his remains were carried to the Fort Scott National Cemetery for interment. His story, with some variation, was the tale of hundreds of thousands of Americans between 1861 and 1865.

During the tour, reenactors will create five different scenes following Pvt. Martin from his initial enlistment through his untimely death. Scenes will include civilians joining the Union military; women providing gifts to their protectors; camp life along the Marmaton River; visiting the surgeon at the hospital, and final words of comfort offered over the loss of Martin.

The tour begins outside the site's visitor center. Admission is free. Another evening tour featuring a different topic will be offered on Sept. 15.

Fort Scott National Historic Site, a unit of the National Park Service, is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call the site at (620) 223-0310 or visit www.nps.gov/fosc.