Weekend events commemorate Civil War anniversary
NORWICH – The Civil War commemorative weekend presented by the Chenango County Council of the Arts and the Chenango Historical Society went extremely well, said Historical Society Director Alan Estus. The weekend was in celebration and remembrance of the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War.
The event began last Thursday with a display by the 61st New York volunteer regiment re-enactors, who spent the weekend camped out on the lawn of the museum. According to Jim Heine, president of the 61st volunteer re-enactors, although the group travels all across the east coast participating in various battles and events, visiting Chenango County is one of their favorites for the simple reason of the people they get to meet.
Although the 61st volunteer regiment was in actuality comprised of soldiers from Chenango, Delaware and Otsego counties, none of the men who volunteer in the group are from New York.
“We did it for political reasons,” said Heine. “Since we have people from Maryland, New Jersey, and Delaware ... this way, no one is unhappy their state wasn’t chosen.”
Heine went on to explain that once they chose the regiment they would honor, each bit of research they have done has brought the men closer to the actual soldiers who fought 150 years ago. Whenever they make a trip to the area, which Heine said is a couple of times each year, they research the men’s lives and then attempt to track down their final resting places.
“One of the traditions was to bring tobacco, coffee and spare change to the gravesites,” he said. “So we bring a cigar, some coffee beans and change, and a 34 star flag at each one we find.”
According to Heine the group has found dozens of sites around the area in places such as Plymouth, Lebanon, Otselic and Maple Grove. This weekend alone they found nine gravesites, he said.
Interested individuals had a chance to visit the men in their campsite, where they live the entire time during their excursions, and witness how they slept, cooked and generally lived during the war. Also, on Friday night 34 people joined the re-enactors for a dinner at the Old Mill where they were able to ask questions and listen to stories the men have uncovered about the lives of the men they honor.
“Everyone is having a great time it seems,” said Estus. He went on to say that the re-enactors were perfect for the dinner because they love telling the stories they have discovered.
The final event of the commemorative weekend was a performance by Jay Ungar and Molly Mason at the Council of the Arts on West Main St. According to Michelle Connelly, the event drew a good crowd and everyone enjoyed the performance.
The 150th anniversary of the Civil War is of course a process lasting more than one year and Estus said he hopes to do more events like this in the future.
“We’re hoping to get as much participation as possible from organizations around the area for future events,” he said. “The more people who get involved, the better.”
For more information about the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and the historical society, call 336-9227.
The event began last Thursday with a display by the 61st New York volunteer regiment re-enactors, who spent the weekend camped out on the lawn of the museum. According to Jim Heine, president of the 61st volunteer re-enactors, although the group travels all across the east coast participating in various battles and events, visiting Chenango County is one of their favorites for the simple reason of the people they get to meet.
Although the 61st volunteer regiment was in actuality comprised of soldiers from Chenango, Delaware and Otsego counties, none of the men who volunteer in the group are from New York.
“We did it for political reasons,” said Heine. “Since we have people from Maryland, New Jersey, and Delaware ... this way, no one is unhappy their state wasn’t chosen.”
Heine went on to explain that once they chose the regiment they would honor, each bit of research they have done has brought the men closer to the actual soldiers who fought 150 years ago. Whenever they make a trip to the area, which Heine said is a couple of times each year, they research the men’s lives and then attempt to track down their final resting places.
“One of the traditions was to bring tobacco, coffee and spare change to the gravesites,” he said. “So we bring a cigar, some coffee beans and change, and a 34 star flag at each one we find.”
According to Heine the group has found dozens of sites around the area in places such as Plymouth, Lebanon, Otselic and Maple Grove. This weekend alone they found nine gravesites, he said.
Interested individuals had a chance to visit the men in their campsite, where they live the entire time during their excursions, and witness how they slept, cooked and generally lived during the war. Also, on Friday night 34 people joined the re-enactors for a dinner at the Old Mill where they were able to ask questions and listen to stories the men have uncovered about the lives of the men they honor.
“Everyone is having a great time it seems,” said Estus. He went on to say that the re-enactors were perfect for the dinner because they love telling the stories they have discovered.
The final event of the commemorative weekend was a performance by Jay Ungar and Molly Mason at the Council of the Arts on West Main St. According to Michelle Connelly, the event drew a good crowd and everyone enjoyed the performance.
The 150th anniversary of the Civil War is of course a process lasting more than one year and Estus said he hopes to do more events like this in the future.
“We’re hoping to get as much participation as possible from organizations around the area for future events,” he said. “The more people who get involved, the better.”
For more information about the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and the historical society, call 336-9227.
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