A SAILOR

In the real world Charles Winchester is retired from thirty years service with Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites. Twenty-three of those years were as Manager of Fort Morris Historic Site, a Revolutionary War/ War of 1812 earthwork fort, and as Manager at Pickett’s Mill Battlefield State Historic Site, a Civil War battlefield near Atlanta, Georgia. Long before that career, however he had a love for living history.  

Growing up in Charleston, S. Carolina he was surrounded by history and living history, including the centennial celebration of the American Civil War, the Tri-centennial of the founding of S. Carolina and the Bi-centennial of the American War for Independence.  Charles was active from 1976 in the Bi-centennial, attending several of the 200th anniversary battle reenactments across the country both as a rebel, a redcoat, a Hessian Grenadier and finally a French infantryman at the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Yorktown. Beginning in 1980 Mr. Winchester was a regular volunteer representing Civil War Union infantry and artillery at Fort Pulaski, Fort McAllister and Fort Jackson in Savannah, Georgia.  

During the 250th anniversary of the founding of Georgia in 1982, Charles was a mainstay at Wormsloe Historic Site representing a Marine Boatman of the Oglethorpe period during the War of Jenkins Ear.  Doing interpretive programs and tours was an almost daily occurrence for the first twelve years of his career with State Parks. Charles was also active in American Civil War cavalry and infantry units during his time at Pickett’s Mill Battlefield. For seventeen years of his parks career he was Black Powder Safety Instructor for Georgia State Parks. He was a Georgia mandated peace officer, graduating from GPSTC in 1988.  Winchester has a BA degree in History from Armstrong Atlantic University in Savannah, Georgia.  

Charles has been married to Lara Lee Rang Winchester (who he met at the two hundredth anniversary of the Battle of Trenton, in 1976!) for thirty-one years. Together they have three children and two grand children.  Charles and Lara are both active with HMS Acasta as well as 1812, American War for Independence and French and Indian War living history.