BUCKET LIST UPDATE No. 171: Take the kids to the Battle of Fort Mims reenactment

'Indians' attack the 'Settlers' on Saturday at Fort Mims.

Fort Mims was a frontier stockade constructed about 200 years go at Tensaw in present day Baldwin County, Ala. At the onset of the Creek Indian War of 1813-1814, settlers flocked to this stockade for protection, but were wiped out during a horrific Creek Indian attack on Aug. 30, 1813. The end result was arguably the worst Indian massacre in U.S. history.

Today, Fort Mims is a state historic site that is overseen by the Fort Mims Restoration Association. The highlight of their annual calendar is the reenactment of the “Battle of Fort Mims.” This is a huge event that attracts visitors from all over the state and probably more than a few from outside of Alabama.

As best that I can remember, the only time that I’d ever seen the reenactment at Fort Mims was when I was in the fourth grade. My parents took me and my brothers and sister to see the reenactment, and I can still remember it. Not only is the reenactment educational, but it also puts history into action in a way that’s very hard to forget.

In an effort to encourage my kids to take an interest in local history, I’ve wanted to take them to this reenactment for a few years. I put this trip on my “bucket list” last year and finally scratched it off on Saturday. This year’s reenactment was held this past Saturday and Sunday, and we took the short drive to Tensaw on Saturday afternoon and arrived just in time to take a good walk around the historic site and to find good spots from which to watch the reenactment.

Despite the heat and the threat of thunderstorms on Saturday afternoon, there was a sizeable crowd at Fort Mims to see the reenactment. The actual “battle” began around 2 p.m. and lasted 30 to 45 minutes. The “actors” did a first class job of showing how the Indians stormed the fort and how the settlers tried in vain to save themselves.

The “battle” featured lots of gunfire in the form of muskets and various frontier firearms loaded with loud, blank ammunition. There was also a fair amount of hand-to-hand combat and Indians using primitive weapons. More than a few of the settlers got “scalped,” but a few of the settlers got the upper hand over the Indians that were surging into the fort.

When it was all over, the reenactors jumped up, dusted themselves off and mingled with the crowd. There were a lot of photo opportunities, and everyone involved was happy to answer any questions we had. One of my kids even got to wield a heavy-duty Indian war club.

If you live in Alabama and have never been to see the reenactment at Fort Mims, I strongly encourage you to do so. Not only will it give you a better understanding of one of the most important events in the history of Alabama, but it’s also a good show. Maybe best of all, it’s free (aside from the time and gas it takes to get there).

In the end, how many of you have ever been to Fort Mims? How many of you have watched the reenactment of the Battle of Fort Mims? What do you think about it? Let us know in the comments section below.