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"After the Battle: Fredericksburg 2007": Oct 26-28, 2007

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  • "After the Battle: Fredericksburg 2007": Oct 26-28, 2007

    The Civil War Preservation Trust (CWPT), Stonewall Brigade, and Columbia Rifles are pleased to announce a semi-immersive living history event, “After the Battle: Fredericksburg 2007”, to be held on October 26-28, 2007 on part of the Fredericksburg battlefield.

    The event site is CWPT’s 207-acre “slaughter pen” property, site of heavy fighting between Stonewall Jackson’s corps and Union troops under John Gibbon and George Meade, near the southern end of the Fredericksburg battlefield. The site was preserved when CWPT acquired it in June 2006 for $12.5 million, making it the most expensive purchase — and one of the most significant — in CWPT’s history. Outside the boundary of the National Park Service’s property, few parts of the Fredericksburg battlefield that saw significant fighting remain unspoiled, except the “slaughter pen” site.

    The event will feature opposing picket lines portraying what happened at the “slaughter pen” in the days immediately following the December 13 battle — from the evening of December 14 through December 15, 1862 – including opposing picket fire, a truce for collecting the wounded and burying the dead, and a Federal field dressing station.

    Approximate participant numbers are envisioned as follows:

    • Confederate: 50 to 75 infantry.
    • Federal: 50 to 100 infantry and three to six medical portrayals

    The total number of participants is not capped. The potential exists for a limited number of mounted personnel, portraying couriers. Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate artillery at this event.

    At the request of the CWPT, the event will include a limited public interpretation aspect: a guided tour of the site for spectators, led by National Park Service ranger Frank O’Reilly, author of the 2002 book The Fredericksburg Campaign: Winter War of the Rappahannock. The tour will be approximately two hours long on Saturday afternoon and is limited to 200 people. Mr. O’Reilly, an active preservationist, has agreed to support the event by leading the tour and contributing his research to assist the event planners.

    This event will be held on the only undeveloped part of the Fredericksburg battlefield that saw significant fighting where a reenactor event with opposing forces can be held. All other sites are either within the National Park Service park (where opposing force portrayals are prohibited) or developed and unavailable.

    This event is co-sponsored by the Stonewall Brigade (Confederate contact Mike “Dusty” Chapman, dustyswb@comcast.net) and the Columbia Rifles (Federal contact: Kevin O’Beirne, kobeirne@adelphia.net). The event team includes most of the same folks who planned and ran the 2005 Payne’s Farm event in cooperation with CWPT. An event website will be up in the winter of 2007 at www.stonewallbrigade.com.

    We are looking for dedicated reenactors with good late-1862 portrayals to help us commemorate the battle of Fredericksburg and its aftermath. We hope to see you at “After the Battle: Fredericksburg 2007".
    Last edited by Kevin O'Beirne; 10-19-2006, 09:27 PM.

  • #2
    Re: "After the Battle: Fredericksburg 2007": Oct 26-28, 2007

    A great site and, without a doubt, slated to be one of the "Top Events" of 2007.

    For those of us who live or work near this site, it is a pleasure to have this property saved. Thanks Kevin for pulling this together.
    Ley Watson
    POC'R Boys Mess of the Columbia Rifles

    [B][I]"The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely the one who dropped it."[/I][/B]

    [I]Coach Lou Holtz[/I]

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: "After the Battle: Fredericksburg 2007": Oct 26-28, 2007

      Ley,

      Thank Dusty. Like he did at Payne's Farm, he's the one who talked CWPT into letting us use the land. Actually, this event has been in the planning/discussion stages with CWPT for at least six months. Little could be said about it publicly until we received the official "authorization" letter from CWPT, which arrived this week.

      I also want to note that Eric Mink has been involved in this event and is being, as usual, a big help.

      The Federal bandaging station at Fred2007 will be run by "Dr. Sawbones" Briggs, and Charles Heath will be handling logistics. Seeing how the event is on one piece of land (albeit a good sized one, but still just one piece of land) Charles ought to have a much easier time of it than when he's supported linear events with water supply and many other things.

      Eric's doing a lot of early leg work on researching the US and CS units on the site on the dates the event will represent, so we can select the regiment that will be potrayed by each side.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: "After the Battle: Fredericksburg 2007": Oct 26-28, 2007

        Thank you Dusty and Eric.

        You boys and Charles know where to find me if we can do anything. This is truly exciting.

        One quick question... Would it be possible to work in the CVBT land across the tracks? It appears to run adjacent to SPF, in the northwest corner.

        Take care,
        Ley Watson
        POC'R Boys Mess of the Columbia Rifles

        [B][I]"The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely the one who dropped it."[/I][/B]

        [I]Coach Lou Holtz[/I]

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: "After the Battle: Fredericksburg 2007": Oct 26-28, 2007

          Ley,

          Nice idea but two problems; 1) on my CWPT map, the land isn't adjacent and 2) crossing the tracks isn't possible.
          Mike "Dusty" Chapman

          Member: CWT, CVBT, NTHP, MOC, KBA, Stonewall Jackson House, Mosby Heritage Foundation

          "I would have posted this on the preservation folder, but nobody reads that!" - Christopher Daley

          The AC was not started with the beginner in mind. - Jim Kindred

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: "After the Battle: Fredericksburg 2007": Oct 26-28, 2007

            Dusty:

            That why I am a bean counter, not a cartographer.


            Thanks,
            Ley Watson
            POC'R Boys Mess of the Columbia Rifles

            [B][I]"The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely the one who dropped it."[/I][/B]

            [I]Coach Lou Holtz[/I]

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: "After the Battle: Fredericksburg 2007": Oct 26-28, 2007

              Ley,

              Railroads are usually very particular about folks playing on their tracks and sort of frown on such behavior, at least unless you have a permit from them, and pay their exhorbitant charges to have a flagman (or more than one) present on the line while anyone's in their right-of-way. :)

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: "After the Battle: Fredericksburg 2007": Oct 26-28, 2007

                Kevin, Dusty and Eric have done Yeoman's work getting this baby off the dime. Credit Jim Campi at CWPT for recognizing the need and putting it in the hands of the folks who will make it happen, and then expediting approval. Getting it on the schedule was not easy either. It is the latest episode in the synergy between CWPT and the living history community and will be an example of the type of event planned and conducted by the CWPT Advisory Council.

                We rarely get to bring all these pieces together for such a great cause. Be there and be part of something special.
                Last edited by DougCooper; 11-04-2006, 03:05 AM.
                Soli Deo Gloria
                Doug Cooper

                "The past is never dead. It's not even past." William Faulkner

                Please support the CWT at www.civilwar.org

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: "After the Battle: Fredericksburg 2007": Oct 26-28, 2007

                  ... truce for collecting the wounded and burying the dead...
                  Hello. Excuse me for asking what may be a dumb question, but I was just wondering how the "burying of the dead" is going to be portrayed. Will you have living historians representing the dead? If so, how long will they be "dead?" A burial suggests that ground will be broken, or is this going to be one of those LH burial details where the "dead" are "somewhere over there" and never actually seen, the shovels for digging graves are non-existent, and an actual burial detail never actually takes place?

                  My apologies if my questions seem cynical. The reason is that I've seen these type of invisible "burial parties" before and they are downright silly. The public isn't fooled by them at all. Will there actually be "dead," i.e., participants lying very still on the ground for a half-hour to 45 minutes, gathered in rows, placed in a trench, covered with blankets and then having at least a few shovelfulls of earth thrown over them? Or will this be the typical "were talking about it as if it's happening but not actually doing anything."

                  I realize this is a quality event and the hosts are top-notch, but I gotta ask the questions anyway. :)
                  [B]Tom Fortuna[/B]
                  [I][B]One Helluva Mess[/B][/I]

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: "After the Battle: Fredericksburg 2007": Oct 26-28, 2007

                    Tom,

                    My advice would be to show up and find out for yourself.:wink_smil
                    Mike "Dusty" Chapman

                    Member: CWT, CVBT, NTHP, MOC, KBA, Stonewall Jackson House, Mosby Heritage Foundation

                    "I would have posted this on the preservation folder, but nobody reads that!" - Christopher Daley

                    The AC was not started with the beginner in mind. - Jim Kindred

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: "After the Battle: Fredericksburg 2007": Oct 26-28, 2007

                      Hello. Excuse me for asking what may be a dumb question, but I was just wondering how the "burying of the dead" is going to be portrayed. Will you have living historians representing the dead? If so, how long will they be "dead?" A burial suggests that ground will be broken, or is this going to be one of those LH burial details where the "dead" are "somewhere over there" and never actually seen, the shovels for digging graves are non-existent, and an actual burial detail never actually takes place?


                      Dusty's reply is an excellent one and, needless to say, I won't elaborate on it further, because it's something that participants will see and experience when they are at the event. That said, when considering whether to attend an event and what type of things will happen during the event, consider the record of the folks running it. The same folks who planned and ran Payne's Farm 2005 are running Fredericksburg 2007.

                      That said, I will at least say this: we don't plan to bury any reenactors alive. At least not against their will. :p

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: "After the Battle: Fredericksburg 2007": Oct 26-28, 2007

                        Sorry, I'm new here. Didn't realize that elements of this event can't be revealed before-hand. I guess I should have just asked a general "how to authentically bury the dead" question under a "how to" thread.
                        [B]Tom Fortuna[/B]
                        [I][B]One Helluva Mess[/B][/I]

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: "After the Battle: Fredericksburg 2007": Oct 26-28, 2007

                          Originally posted by One_Helluva_Mess View Post
                          Didn't realize that elements of this event can't be revealed before-hand.
                          Tom,

                          As you no doubt realize from attending and reading about many events over the years, one of the constant features is keeping a few cards face down on the table, so participants have some aspects of the event that have not been telegraphed beforehand. This isn't new material.
                          [B]Charles Heath[/B]
                          [EMAIL="heath9999@aol.com"]heath9999@aol.com[/EMAIL]

                          [URL="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Spanglers_Spring_Living_History/"]12 - 14 Jun 09 Hoosiers at Gettysburg[/URL]

                          [EMAIL="heath9999@aol.com"]17-19 Jul 09 Mumford/GCV Carpe Eventum [/EMAIL]

                          [EMAIL="beatlefans1@verizon.net"]31 Jul - 2 Aug 09 Texans at Gettysburg [/EMAIL]

                          [EMAIL="JDO@npmhu.org"] 11-13 Sep 09 Fortress Monroe [/EMAIL]

                          [URL="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Elmira_Death_March/?yguid=25647636"]2-4 Oct 09 Death March XI - Corduroy[/URL]

                          [EMAIL="oldsoldier51@yahoo.com"] G'burg Memorial March [/EMAIL]

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: "After the Battle: Fredericksburg 2007": Oct 26-28, 2007

                            Misser Heef,
                            But will there be sport fishing again? I've missed out on this activity in the past. Are the purveyors of record bringing the leftover desecrated vegetables from the Manassas Junction area? That might could raise the dead all on its own!
                            Best regards,
                            Paul Hadley
                            Paul Hadley

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: "After the Battle: Fredericksburg 2007": Oct 26-28, 2007

                              Paul,

                              No pond at this site, and no sutlers either. :) Of course, you could wander back to the Rappahannock and cast in a line, as long as you have leave from the Officer of the Guard. :)

                              Others,

                              Nothing wrong with asking questions on this event--it's just that it doesn't mean that we are able to, or plan to, answer all questions asked to the very fullest extent the requestors may like. However, we will certainly provide as much information as possible so that folks attending this event know the basics of what to expect relative to skills required and level of exposure planned (ala Rich Mountain's Great Knapsack Controversy) and other items necesssary for folks to come to the event with the "tools" necessary to enjoy it. That said, as Charles notes above, to keep the event interesting for participants we don't necessary reveal everything prior to the event.

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