Fort Mifflin Game Day, 2015

Thanks to a head's up from fellow miniatures gamer Eric Turner, I learned about a games day at Fort Mifflin, Philadelphia's own star fort and site of a dramatic battle in 1777.  My brother Adam brought his son Jonah, and it was a great day for a family outing. As I was playing Dad, I could not get in on the miniatures gaming, but since there was so much to see and do, I didn't mind in the least. It was my first visit to Fort Mifflin, a place I have wanted to visit for decades, ever since I caught a glimpse of it out of an airplane window on the approach to PHL (Indeed, my kids loved having jets scream overhead every five minutes).

Due to a misreading, Audrey was vaguely disappointed when she learned we were not about to visit "Fort Muffin." I confess that would have been cool.

The land approach.  The existing fort dates to the early- to mid-19th century, the original having been pounded into rubble by the British navy.

Eric (at right) trying to get his Redoats up Bunker Hill.

The afternoon game waits its turn.

Tristan gets pegged in the belly with a cannonball.

Dungeon dancing.

Adam and Jonah arrive just as we reach the ramparts.

No, serious. This was an actual dungeon, home to many unfortunate confederates in the Civil War.

Gun emplacements overlooking the Delaware.

An itty bitty gun.

The reproduction cartoon lampoons the attack on Fort Mifflin. the fort is personified as a woman firing a cannon between her legs. I think this image gives Dr. Freud a posthumous headache.  BTW, the ship portrayed in the lower left is named the "Roebuck." I assume it's named for an ancestor.

There were teams of Quiddich players doing their thing. Laugh if you will, but any sport that involves running around with a wooden pole between your legs takes pure courage. They haven't built the cup that's strong enough for me to give it a try.

The main gate. The kids were impressed that the fort had a moat.

Checking out a powder magazine.  Apparently Adam and I were not supposed to stand atop it.  

Audrey's favorite part was playing Dungeons and Dragons in an actual dungeon. That's the sort of thing that can raise one's nerd cred 17 points.

Tristan and I found this swallow's nest in one corner of the dungeon. There were three speckled eggs inside.