The North South Skirmish Assn held a shoot up there some time in the ‘60s. Fond memories of that place.
One of the targets was a half stick of dynamite at 50 yds. When they were hit, the air pressure from the concussion felt like you were in a room where someone slammed the door. We all wondered what a full stick would do but the range officers wouldn’t allow it.
The cannon targets were out on the lake and when those No. 10 tins filled with concrete hit the water, they made a dandy splash. All the spectators were oohing and aahing.
Some guys from a Virginia outfit brought up some Chincoteague oysters and had a roast, washed down with lots of beer. A couple of fifers and drummers started marching through the camp playing lively tunes and pretty soon a bagpiper joined in. After circling the camp a few times, someone got the idea to march into town.
About 100 of us in various stages of uniform marched/stumbled the mile down Rte 9. There was some kind of large lodge there and we got the idea to go inside and parade around the lobby, which was pretty big. In that closed space the drums were deafening, shocking some people and amusing others.
Coming back out we heard some local tell the grinning policeman to arrest us. He said he couldn’t as there were too many. I suspect he was of the Old School and when he saw we were harmless, just kept an eye on us as we worked off some steam. We weren’t rowdy or throwing things, just singing CW songs and trying to keep in step.
There was one somber memory of that trip - During the French and Indian War, the Brits surrendered the fort after they got promises of safety. The Indian allies of the French went berserk and massacred a couple of hundred of the helpless prisoners and burned down many houses, including the hospital containing the wounded, who were scalped and then burned alive.
On display was a chewed-up musket ball which some poor guy bit on during surgery. Another was a dig of that area that showed a skeleton on a wooden plank with a musket ball in his elbow.
Glad I didn’t live in that time.
Thank you for sharing!