The first person we ran into, even before getting to the field where the fighting was, was Abe Lincoln himself. I asked for a picture and he gave Brenden a penny with his self portrait on it. (This was the 1st of 2 Lincoln's. The 1st one must have just finished his 'shift' and was leaving as we met him). Brenden didn't want to pose with the big man, was too scared, so I stood by Lincoln while Brenden took this photo. Nice job, buddy.
The Western Historical Reserve Society website on the Civil War Encampment and Reenactment:
http://www.wrhs.org/index.php/hale/augustdrumspage
After doing a google search on it, this link came up that had a few good shots:
http://mawele.smugmug.com/History/Civil-War-Renactment-Hale-farm/10837845_nsAAk#755859953_4rxCA
I forgot my camera in the rush to get there, so all the following photos and videos are from my cell phone.
And all the pictures uploaded backwards, so this was the last shot of the day. We passed every tent and Brenden was staring particularly hard at the sweets in this tent and a nice old lady asked Brenden if he wanted a cookie.
I think they wanted a 'real life' feel, so after the fighting they had these guys just walk around the camp like they would have done back then.
I asked if Brenden could stand next to the cannon for a picture, but this nice guy did me one better and gave Brenden his gun. To which Brenden promptly pointed at me while the people behind me laughed. Brother vs brother kind of war, not son vs mother war.
Somebody is a little overexcited to be in a horse drawn sleigh (maybe he was thinking about Santa Claus)
The lady at this tent said she had put those in the coals around 11 that morning and it just came out....
The Navy guys were there telling the kids all about their weapons and how to use them...whip, ball and chain...you know, wholesome education for our children and things they may see around the house depending on their behavior.
Too bad Trent wasn't here.
When Brenden sat on this chair the lady said that she had one boy who had the chair flip on him when he scooted off the edge and hit him in the head. No bueno. Even the chairs back then were dangerous.
This roast had been slow cooking for about 5 hours at the time of this shot. I was tempted to ask 'how much'
The guy at the barn said the little kids were in charge of sweeping the houses and they didn't make broom adult size back then. The mothers just put a broom in the kids' hands as they walked around the house. The older you got, the different chores you were assigned...the middle kids would be the 'running water'...going to river and back. I may just have to re-employ this old practice. He looks qualified.
More demonstrations.
Brenden wanted first hand experience of sleeping quarters. Might get a bit drafty though at night.
He was a Confederate.
This little kid wants to be in the battle, but they won't let him until he's 16, so he has his own clothes and just follows the traveling group around. His parents said that he could be in the battle if his dad went with him, but his dad doesn't want to put on all that gear in the heat of the day...so the boy has to wait.
This was the coolest part of the whole thing:
The guy kinda of in charge of all this North vs South (Union v Confederate) fighting. Glad he was there. (He also gave Brenden a penny. And it's now sitting on his dresser. Not everyday you get a penny from Lincoln).
Cannon being fired.
Calvary was called in.
Union flanks and cannons. Confederates are a ways in the distance.
The victors coming back home. How much time was spent on their costumes? Brenden didn't care about that. He saw guns, swords and horses in 'live battle'.
The losers.
This was my favorite part of the whole thing. I'm a little sappy when it comes to patriotic pride, so after watching the whole battle, walking around the camps, checking out where they sleep, watching the women do the slow cooking, washing and bandaging, as well as the troops wandering about and meeting the President....listening the the Battle Hymn (which was the last song these guys did for the day) was an appropriate and very moving way to celebrate and remember what took place on these lands a few years back.
Kyleigh finally woke up and Trent took her to meet us at the Farmers Market which was practically next door to the Hale Farm.
And they got to share an ice cold lemonade.
Until Brenden took off to see a train passing by and Kyleigh took full advantage of the situation.
Brenden broad-grinned smiling at a train passing
Trent is a big boy now and got his own cup.
1 comment:
Loved it!!
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