Fort Loudoun 2026 After Action Report
Fort Loudoun’s Across the Centuries event is always one of my favorites. The location is a 1750’s fort that was used on the Pennsylvania frontier and one of the vital forts that stretched from the Pennsylvania colony to Fort Pitt in Pittsburgh. It is nestled in some gorgeous mountains and sitting back around the camp fire looking at the landscape it’s easy to find yourself looking at the same terrain British soldiers and American colonists viewed over 250 years ago.
Heidi and I arrived around 11:00 AM on Friday May 1 to find several of our members already unloading their trailer. August, Mallory, Josiah and Elizabeth helped us set up our camp for the weekend. Several other members trickled in throughout the afternoon and into the evening and we all got them set up and settled in. The evening brought several rain showers which grew into steady rain throughout the night. Luckily, it was not as bad as last year when our Sunday got rained out completely.
Saturday morning brought some sunshine and cooler temperatures than most of us were expecting. Breakfast was served to the Cohort members and we made last minute preparations to receive the public. Once the gates opened, we saw a steady trickle of spectators which grew throughout the day. Many of the spectators enjoyed the catapulta display as well as some of the hands on activities throughout camp. We had a wheat kern set up for children and adults alike to grind wheat berries into the day’s ration of flour. Jed sat on his stool and whittled away some spoon blanks and even a wooden horse for one of the children in our camp. August and Mallory spent most of the day going over ancient games and gambling devices, and I believe he cheated several people out of some denarii! Heidi was set up with the Boudican rebellion map, and explained this season’s scenario dressed as a native Iceni. There were also some models of various forts and outposts, as well as several food items on display. Other members of camp helped usher spectators through camp and answered the myriad of questions asked throughout the day. Over all, Saturday went very well and I’m really proud of everyone’s hard work and dedication to present everything.
Saturday evening was very relaxed, with some members taking a swim in the nearby river (more like a polar plunge) and others went to the fort where they held their annual feast. Various reenactors bring dishes from their time period and it’s a great time for comradery and tasting all sorts of recipes. A few of our members left camp to retreat to their hotels and other dining accommodations for the evening.
Sunday brought more cold temperatures and sporadic rain showers until about lunch time. Luckily the sun came out and dried all the canvas as the spectators arrived. Sundays are usually slower until early afternoon, and it was very status quo for this event as well. There were fewer spectators, but we were still busy all the same. Several of our members were unable to stay until Sunday, so camp was even lighter. After the event was over, all Cohort members helped break down camp and load up everyone’s vehicles and trailers. Unfortunately packing up took a little longer than expected and we were unable to have our post event dinner prior to heading to our separate parts of the east coast.
Overall, the event was a smashing success, and I honestly couldn’t do it without everyone’s help and dedication. So my helmet is off to all our members who ventured out even for just the day to help bring history to life at Fort Loudoun!
Legio XIIII, Protinus!
