Sunday, August 14, 2011

Civil War Reenactment


For a long time, I have been interested in attending an historical reenactment. This Saturday (August 13, 2011), Richard and I went to "On To Richmond" in nearby Woodbury, CT. Ironically, Lynn and Richard had driven by the area the day before and saw all the signs and preparations.

We parked our car at a local school and took the shuttle bus to the "battlefield." They had two encampments: Union and Confederate. The enactors actually camp out there for the weekend. The camps included camp fires, tents, horses, and cannons.

Richard (with Union camp in background).

Rick in the Union camp (Confederate camp in background).

The weather was REALLY hot and sticky. We had several lemon fruitsicles to try to keep cool. But the result was short term and they didn't go well with the delicious fish and chips (sweet potato fries) that Richard had for lunch.

We listened to a surprisingly interesting explanation of women doing laundry for the troops. The highlight of the day was the "battle" - Action at Ball's Bluff.


View from the Confederate artillery looking toward Union.

While the battle reenactment was not totally accurate, you did get a flavor for what combat might have been like during the civil war.  It's a good thing we went on Saturday because it rained during the evening and all day Sunday. I bet that was a mess.

View of the Confederate camp.

On our way back home, we passed by Quassy amusement park. I wanted to try out a new wooden roller coaster that is designed for beginners. Unfortunately, it was not working that day, so we just kept going.