We took the children to Fort Clinch and learned a lot about the Civil War. There was hardly anyone there since school just started so we had the place to ourselves. The man in Union uniform met us at the storage building and showed us around. He really played the part, showing us what hot uniforms the government issued because they didn't know how warm it was in the south because in the north it was cold. Showed us how they made shoes for the soldiers. He let them taste hard tack. He was so much in character as we were leaving he asked us if we had a pass to give the man at the gate. We of course had no idea what he was talking about so he took us in the officers quarters and took out an old writing box with quill pen and wrote on an old official pass with the names of the people in our party so we could leave the fort and not be shot upon, as that is what they would do to the Confederates if they came near. The girls remarked about how fun it was and how much they learned. It's times like those that make me realize how much homeschooling really pays off. They didn't just read about it in a book, but also experienced history. They touched, saw and in some cases smelled (the prision) what life was like back in those times. How hard it was being a solider and what it meant by the saying,"Don't let the bed bugs bite."
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