ENCAMPMENT SET AT MASSAC

METROPOLIS, Ill. -- This weekend the sound of fife, drums and bagpipes performing 18th century military tunes, punctuated with the sound of cannon and gunfire from flintlock muskets, will combine with the colorful military pageantry of the 1700s during the 18th annual Fort Massac Encampment.

The event will be held Saturday and Sunday at Fort Massac State Historic Site east of Metropolis, on the banks of the Ohio River.

More than 30,000 persons are expected to take part in the activities. They start with a flag raising at 10 a.m. and conclude each day at 5 p.m. with retreat ceremonies. The encampment is one of eight Heritage Days events sponsored by the Illinois Department of Conservation.

Encampment visitors will see close up what life was like on the hostile frontier during the French and American colonial period. There will be mock battles, drills, and demonstrations. All military and civilian re-enactors will be dressed in authentic garb of the 1700s. Crafts people will demonstrate pioneer skills and vocations. Many of their works will be for sale.

There is no admission charge. Visitors are urged to come early for good parking spaces.