by Jim Barnes
The Grafton Lantern Tour is a memorial to the hundreds of Civil War soldiers buried in the Grafton National Cemetery located in Grafton, Taylor County, W.Va.
This cemetery is a particularly appropriate location for such a memorial. “In 1867, Maj. R. C. Bates was ordered by the War Department to locate a permanent burial site for the Union soldiers who had died in hospitals and battlefields throughout West Virginia. Bates chose the Grafton location because it was relatively level in a region noted for mountainous terrain and it was near Maple Avenue Cemetery where many war dead had already been buried. The federal government appropriated the three-acre site in 1867. The steep slope was graded into three terraces with a walkway down the center that divides the cemetery into two equal parts. The first interments were in the lower two terraces: 1,252 Union soldiers, 613 of them unknown. Six-inch square markers distinguish the unknown remains. Approximately half the original interments came from Clarksburg, W.Va. Other remains were brought to the national cemetery from Wheeling, Rich Mountain and Fayette County.
Fort Frederick State Park is a Maryland State Park surrounding the restored Fort Frederick, a star fort active in the French and Indian War (1754–1763) and the American Revolution (1775-1783). The fort served as a refuge for settlers and was originally garrisoned by the 60th Regiment of foot and local militia. It was never directly […] S...
There are numerous stories and legends about the origin of Memorial Day that have grown up over the last 150-odd years. From the freedmen of Charleston, SC, who cleaned up and landscaped the burial grounds of 257 Union prisoners of war buried at the Hampton Park Race course and then held a memorial service for […] Share this:FacebookTwitterP...
Prickett’s Fort, near Fairmont, WV, held its annual School of the Longhunter once again this year and as usual, it was an excellent event. According to the official website, “Pricketts Fort, constructed in 1774, provided a place of refuge from American Indian attack for early settlers. It was built at the confluence of Pricketts Creek...
This year, The Battle of the Bulge Reenactment was held from January 27-31. On the way up on Friday, we had a harrowing drive through a white-out in western Maryland and, having been in one fender-bender already this winter, the thought of turning around and going home did cross my mind. But we toughed it […] Share this:FacebookTwitterPinter...
The following is starter calendar for the 2016 Reenacting season. More to follow. January 2016 WWII – Battle of the Bulge Reenactment, January 27 – 31. Ft. Indiantown Gap PA. Contact: http://www.wwiiha.org/new/index.php/fig February 2016 WWII – Elbe River Event, February 27, Old Bedford Village, Bedford, PA. regardless of the we...
The School of the Longhunter, held at Prickett’s Fort State Park, Fairmont, WV, is a two-day seminar which takes in a variety of subjects relevant to anyone who participates in 18th Century living history or even just has an interest in that time period. This year, the event was held on April 9th and 10th […] Share this:FacebookTwitter...
Grafton, West Virginia – Grafton National Cemetery Lantern Tour On Friday evening, May 22, at 8:30 p.m. There will again be a living history tour of the Grafton National Cemetery. Tour leader Mark Tennant will lead the tour of Civil War graves in the cemetery. Mark and reenactor assistants dressed in Civil War period […] Share thi...
Occuring as usual during the last week of January, this year’s FIG event was a particularly cold one. Once again, Linda and I joined the folks at the German hospital to assist with the living history. I am not sure what the standing temperatures were for the weekend, but the wind chill was impressive. To […] Share this:FacebookTw...
The following is what I have so far for our general region. Some events have not yet released their 2015 event information. Check back for updates and additions. January 2015 WWII – Battle of the Bulge Reenactment, January 27 – February 1. Ft. Indiantown Gap PA. Contact: http://www.wwiifederation.org February 2015 Civil War – Febr...
This year the annual battle between Grossdeutschland and their invited units and the 193rd Rifle Division, their comrades the 9th Guards and other gallant Red Army units, took place on the weekend of November 7-9, 2014. This year, the scenario involved the Red Army’s advance into Poland. As has been the case for the last […] Share th...
A sincere thanks to all veterans out there! Share this:FacebookTwitterPinterestGoogleEmailMoreStumbleUponLinkedInRedditPress ThisPocketTumblrDiggPrint...
The 150th Anniversary Reenactment of the Battle of Cedar Creek took place on the weekend of Octorber 17-19, 2014.I had not attended this event for some time and was looking forward to going back. It also promised to be the largest Civil War reenactment that Linda had experienced. We went down Thursday in order […] Share this:FacebookT...
News Flash! The following is a report from our correspondent, Bill Donegan from the field in the Southern Mountains: Federal Battalion wiped out! A Federal Battalion led by Captain Steve Allen was wiped out to a man at Chief Logan State Park on Saturday September 27, 2014. The Federal objective was to capture […] Share this:Fac...
OBV’s Old West Weekend is always a real hoot and this year, Linda and I got to take my granddaughters to share in the fun. We made this a day trip, so I can’t address the whole weekend, but there was a lot going on while we were there. Starting off on Saturday morning, we […] Share this:FacebookTwitterPinterestGoogleEmailMoreStum...
The following is part of a group of reports that are regretably late due to several months of intermittent illness and other projects which demanded my attention. Anyway, here goes: On the first week of June, we made our annual trip to the Reading Airshow. The 193rd was once again as far back in the […] Share this:FacebookTwitterPinterestGoo...
This event usually occurs at the end of May or the first week in June. Often it happens on the same weekend as the Reading Airshow, so I have rarely attended. The last two years, these events have occurred on different weekends, so that hasn’t been a problem. The reenactment commemorates the “Philippi Races” […] Sh...
The following is Captain Chuck Critchfield’s AAR from New Market: This year’s reenactment at New Market, Virginia, marked the 150th anniversary of the battle fought in a thunderstorm and made famous thanks to the Virginia Military Institute. But it was also a milestone for member of the 1st West Virginia who participated in the 125th [&he...
The 125th anniversary reenactment of the Battle of New Market, Virginia, was my first experience in Reenacting in May of 1989. So it was fitting that I made it back for the 150th this year, also the 25th year in the hobby for myself and Mark Tennant, 1st Sgt. of our unit, Co. A, First […] Share this:FacebookTwitterPinterestGoogleEmailMoreS...
Please remember the real American heroes… (from Wikipedia) Share this:FacebookTwitterPinterestGoogleEmailMoreStumbleUponLinkedInRedditPress ThisPocketTumblrDiggPrint...
This year, Linda and I attended our first Market Fair at Fort Frederick in Maryland. I have been hearing about this event for years, but have never gone. I am glad that we finally did so. Located just off I-70 near Clear Springs, MD, Fort Frederick is in and of itself worthy of a visit. […] Share this:FacebookTwitterPinterestGoogleEmailMoreS...
This year, for the first time, I attended the annual School of the Longhunter at Prickett’s Fort, (April 3-4) accompanied by my wife, Linda. The School is pretty much a symposium on 18th Century frontier life and covers a variety of subjects and activities. For example, the program started with an in-depth discussion of tumplines […]...
For a change of pace for me this year, Linda and I attended MTA at the Jamestown Settlement as mere tourists, rather than participants. Because of this, we were able to actually take our time and look at every exhibit in depth and at our leisure. Certainly a different feeling than the usual ‘stealing a […] Share this:FacebookTwitterPin...
The reenacting/living history season, for many of us, begins at Fort Indiantown Gap during the Battle of the Bulge reenactment week. (Last week of the month). This year was no exception, as Linda and I once again were part of the German hospital display hosted by Pete and Kate Gentry. As usual, I portrayed a […] Share this:FacebookTwitterP...
The following is a report from our correspondent, Bill Donegan, just back from the front: For those who don’t know or who have never been, you can time travel back to Germany 1945 via Old Bedford Village (OBV). OBV is located 1 minute from the Pa. Turnpike off exit 146 Bedford, 220 Sawblade […] Share this:FacebookTwitterP...
