by Jim Barnes
The following is a report from our correspondents, Bill and Linda Donegan in Southern West Virginia:
Report of the 147th Anniversary Battle of Lewisburg Living History and Reenactment
May 14-17, 2009, Lewisburg, West Virginia
By Bill Donegan
This year’s event celebrated Abraham Lincoln’s 200th Birthday.
This was my experience at the 2009 event. Linda and I have been attending this living history/re-enactment since it was restarted by Darlene Fife several years ago. In fact, at the first event there were only three Union privates; Steve Allen, Charles Stewart, and myself. This year the reenactment almost rivaled New Market in the number and quality of re-enactors. Before I go much further I want to express gratitude to Colonel Edward A. Craun, over-all military commander, for generously offering a pound of powder for each Confederate who galvanized with the Union to even the numbers. Thank you, Ed, not only for the gunpowder, but also for your company at the Irish Pub and your kindness to my wife, Linda.
Linda and I were asked to perform a Civil War Musical program for kids’ day on Friday (all day!). To accomplish this we had to check into our room on Thursday night. Special thanks to Ross Weisinger who arranged for our accommodations at the Rose Hill Bed and Breakfast at 317 Church Street, which was just a few blocks away from all activities. Extra special thanks go out to Richard and Lorraine Byrd our inn-keepers, and now friends, who not only created wonderful breakfasts but spent much time entertaining us above the call of duty. True hospitality!
This past weekend was National Road Festival weekend for the communities along Rt. 40 in Pennsylvania. I fell in with the local 28th Infantry Co. K for a living history encampment as part of the festival. We set up at the Brownsville Steam and Gas Association’s fairgrounds located 4 miles west of Brownsville, PA. There ... ...
It was wet. That sums up much of the weekend of May 2nd and 3rd. In fact, the weather put quite a damper on what could be a nice little spring event. Friday night’s torrential downpours left the field wet and any areas not covered with grass were all mud. Fortunately, on Saturday, the rain ... ...
Next weekend, May 15-17, 2009, the Reenactment of the Battle of Lewisburg will be held in that picturesque southern West Virginia town. The reenactment will portray the engagement between Union forces commanded by Colonel George Crook and a larger Confederate force under Brigadier General Henry Heth on May 23, 1862. ...
On Sunday, April 19, 2009 Jim Barnes and I visited the graves of two brave soldiers that fought for the Union during the Civil War, Jesse Taylor and John Shanes. When I took the Civil War bus trip last fall (see related story CW Bus Trip in past posts) I had heard the story of ... ...
Here is a report I just got from Stacy Roth regarding a possible threat to one of our favorite reenacting venues: Old Bedford Village. It sounds like some overzealous local official saw an opportunity to make a quick buck, even if it runs the Village into the ground. Guess the geniuses in the tax office ... ...
West Virginia Public Broadcasting had a story yesterday about efforts to preserve the battlefield in Shepherdstown, WV. Students from a WVU public history class are actively involved in the effort to make information about the battle available to the public. Listen now: ...
Our staff received this intercepted memo from a source who shall remain anonymous: Dear Reenactor, Living Historian, Living Historical Reenactor, We have received your registration for our 7th annual ”Timelines Through The Ages and Ages” event, and your letter of complaint. We do not refer to our Revolutionary War reenactors as ̶...
This was in today’s Charleston Gazette: Fairmont markers join Civil War tourism trail Five markers in Fairmont commemorating the city’s Civil War roots have been added to a state tourism trail. By The Associated Press FAIRMONT, W.Va. — Five markers in Fairmont commemorating the city’s Civil War roots have been added to a st...
The following is a dispatch from a correspondent, Hugh Glasgow, regarding the reenactment of the Battle of Blakeley, Alabama. The actual battle took place from April 2-9, 1865 and was, according to Wikipedia, ” the last combined-force battle of the war” (naval and ground forces.) Union Maj. General Edward Canby, commanding the XVII an...
When: May 1 – 3, 2009 Where: Rowlesburg, WV A reenactment of the Jones-Imboden Raid in Rowlesburg, WV, when General W.E. “Grumble” Jones led an attack on the town to destroy the vital B&O Railroad bridge and the famous Tray Run Viaduct. Union forces under the command of General Charles Hill defended the town with ... ...
On the weekend of March 28th and 29th, I travelled to the Charleston, WV area to attend the annual reenactment of the Battles of Hurricane Bridge and Scary Creek. I didn’t camp due to the weather (cold and rainy) and the continuing health problems which have plagued me since last fall. Much thanks to Bill ... ...
On the weekend of March 21-22, I journeyed down to Jamestown, VA for the annual Military Through the Ages event. In a year of firsts, this was a first-time event for me. For anyone who isn’t familiar with MTA, it is an annual timeline event held at the Jamestown Visitor’s Center. Participants have to be ... ...
Photos from the Military Through The Ages event in Jamestown, VA (March 21-22, 2009). ...
Various and sundry pictures from reenactments and living history events. ...
We just received this email from Ms. Mary Posey, regarding a bill to stop the building of a large incinerator near the Monocacy Battlefield in Frederick County MD. It sounds like it could have a negative on a small, yet important Civil War site. March 31st at 1PM! If you can’t attend, please email the ... ...
Here is an article regarding the upcoming Civil War event in Putnam County this coming weekend. From the Putnam Standard Newspaper: Civil War weekend brings in re-enactors from everywhere Carolyn Harmon reporter CULLODEN – Re-enactors will provide a close account of a couple of the battles of our country’s Civil War at the 12th Annual ....
I got this from Stacy Roth-Niemiec. Sounds interesting: Hi everyone Im looking for two teams who reenact the All American Girls Professional Baseball League of the 1940s and 50s. We would like to host a demonstration baseball game here in June. I am having no luck finding teams and so am reaching out quite broadly. ... ...
From Appleton, Wisconsin,(Courtesy of WLUK-TV Channel 11) March 12, 2009: Reporter: Evan Perrault APPLETON – It’s a war that divided the nation, now it seems to be dividing parents and administrators in the Appleton School District. “Hopefully we can get people to change their minds,” said Theresa Kersten. “This is 2...
We received this communique this morning. All time periods are welcome! I am writing to see if I can post an invitation to single or an organization who would like to attend a living history weekend at Rice’s Hotel / Hughlett’s Tavern in Heathsville Virginia. I have had Civil War Reenactors there for the last ... ...
Submitted by Bill Donegan -March 12, 2009: Friends: I can report that Mr. Cliff Howard, a/k/a President Jefferson Davis, was laid to rest Tuesday afternoon at the Lexington (Ky.) Cemetery, with proper military honors. A decent contingent of living historians was present. Upon arrival of the funeral cortege from the church service, Mr. Howard wa...
This just in from the 197th Guards. It looks like a good one for the guys in the Southern region. Check out the list of vehicles at the bottom: Operation Winters Storm April 17, 18 & 19, 2009 Eastern Front Florala, AL WebSite: http://sites.google.com/site/197thguard/Home/events/WinterStorm Registration: $20 This includes a Saturday night meal...
Probably a lot of you have seen this on Youtube, but it is still funny (to reenactors especially!). Hitler rants about Allied Reenactors By the way, this clip is from a great movie called “Downfall,” which is about Hitler’s last days and was released in Germany a few years ago amid much controversy. Available from ... ...
Civil War reenactors received some coverage in the Parkersburg newspaper on Thursday: Civil War reenactors living history By PAMELA BRUST, pbrust@newsandsentinel.com POSTED: March 5, 2009 PARKERSBURG – Although many are already ardent students of Civil War history, reenactors say they continue to learn new things everyday, and that, combined ...
A post on Passion for the Past today shared an anecdote about reenacting from a child’s perspective. My daughter, Rosalia, at her current age of 8, has been involved in living history since she was 3. She doesn’t remember not reenacting. And she realizes that reenacting is when we pretend to be living in the ... ...