Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Union and Confederate Soldiers, Civilians, Cavalry, and Merchants bring the American Civil War to life

BATH, OHIO — Hale Farm & Village, a museum of Western Reserve Historical Society, brings the Civil War to life at the annual Civil War Reenactment, August 11-12, 2012, with a preview of the encampment on Friday, August 10th. More than 500 re-enactors are expected to participate, making this one of the largest annual Civil War events in Ohio. Guests will meet soldiers and civilians, hear the sounds of battle, smell the gunpowder, shake hands with President Lincoln, and shop for a hoopskirt.

“The Civil War Reenactment at Hale Farm & Village is Ohio’s largest reenactment in 2012,” says Colonel Bob Minton, Army of the Ohio Civil War Reenactors. “More than 50 mounted cavalry, new camp locations, the addition of a central performance area, earthworks, trenches, and redoubts, make the 2012 event the most exciting to date.” The registration for re-enactors to participate has been extended to July 31, 2012.

“We are now entering the 150th of the second year of the War. The scenarios we have planned this year are going to reflect the larger scale of what was going on in 1862. Hale Farm & Village is a perfect location to recreate engagements during the Peninsula Campaign and an early form of trench warfare,” says Colonel Chris Smith, 2nd Battalion Commander for Birney's Division, a national organization of Civil War Reenactors.

New in 2012! 1st Ohio Light Artillery, Battery A will fire the Ohio Statehouse Cannons!

Battery A, modelled after a Civil War-era Union Army artillery unit, was commissioned by the State of Ohio. The soldiers of Battery A are not only trained to demonstrate the Statehouse’s restored, Civil War-era guns, but also to talk about the everyday life of a soldier, including work, clothing, diet, medical care, battle and recreation. Meet and talk with the soldiers of the 1st Ohio Light Artillery, Battery A throughout the day.

Also, new this year is an evening Candlelight Tour of Camps. Guests are invited on a candlelit walk throughout the Hale Farm & Village grounds, Friday, August 10, 2012 at 6:00 pm. The lantern-lit tour will lead visitors through Union and Confederate Camps where they will get a behind the scenes look at the men, women, and children whose passion for history makes the Civil War come to life.

From 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, Saturday, August 11, and Sunday, August 12, 2012, guests will relive the American Civil War experience. At 2:00 pm daily, the recreation of Civil War battles in the museum’s North Pasture is just one feature of the event. Cannons will roar across the re-created battlefield amidst the soldiers, smoke, and gunfire. Cavalry will charge as the battle unfolds just yards away.

Guests experience the entire flavor and ambience of the Civil War era: soldier skirmishes, appearances by “President Lincoln”, Civil War era music and entertainment, a fashion show of Civil War military and civilian dress, the US Cavalry, and the 4th annual Civil War Ball. They will meet the men and women who reenact this seminal event in the nation’s history when visiting Union and Confederate soldier and civilian camps, witness the medical practices of the era, and shop along Sutler’s Row for unique items such as shoes, corsets, dresses, foods, and other fine goods from the period.

On Friday, August 10th visitors can get a behind-the-scenes look at the move-in and preparation that takes place for the weekend events. They can watch the reenactors set up and prepare for the weekend, the cavalry arrival, the northern and southern camps being built, and the bustle of staff preparing for the Farm’s biggest event of the year. This day is also perfect for media to capture the magic that goes into the creation of this event. Please contact Angie Lowrie to arrange a visit. alowrie@wrhs.org.

Guests can stay longer Saturday, August 11 for evening events.

Civil War Reenactment Ball, August 11 8:00 – 10:30 pm

Guests dance the Virginia Reel and spin back to the Civil War era at the Hale Farm & Village Civil War Ball. Reenactors and Hale Farm & Village costumed staff will join the festivities. 8:00-10:30pm. $5 Admission and reservations required. Call 330-666-3711 for more information and to purchase tickets.

Advance general admission tickets are available for purchase at www.halefarm.org. General admission will also be at the gate. Tickets are $10 per adult and $5 per child age 3-12. Children 2 & under and WRHS members are FREE. A 2-day Civil War Pass is available for $15 per adult and $7.50 per child age 3-12. Group rates for parties of 15 people or more are available. Call 330-666-3711.

Reservations required for the August 10, 2012, Candlelight Tour Preview. 330-666-3711 x1720. Admission: WRHS members: $15; non-members: $25.

All Western Reserve Historical Society Civil War programming is part of the statewide initiative to honor the Civil War Sesquicentennial. Information on events is posted at http://www.halefarm.org/.

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