Mumford, July 16, 2018—Genesee Country Village & Museum is once again the setting for its celebrated Civil War Re-enactment & Encampment Saturday and Sunday, July 21-22.
Distinctive not just for it size— with nearly 1,000 participants and one of the largest Civil War events in the Northeast—but its attention to authenticity, inviting visitors to witness how battles would have been fought within the confines of a small village and in the field.
Abraham Lincoln, portrayed by the renowned Lincoln impersonator, Fritz Klein, will visit the Union camps, survey the battle, inspect activities and visit with the children before delivering one of his original speeches.
Frederick Douglass, one of the great public speakers of the Civil War period and portrayed by historian David Shakes, will also mix with onlookers before giving one of his famous talks. Douglass, who celebrates the bicentennial of his birth this year, sought recruits for the Union Army among slaves and free men in both the North and South.
In addition there are hundreds of Union and Confederate soldiers, some on horseback and dozens upon dozens of civilians depicting civilian life during the war.
Each day sees two battles, one an open battlefield at 11:30 am, featuring cavalry and live canon fire, and another encounter in the Historic Village at 2 pm.
The village takes on the guise of a border town, with civilians busy trying to maintain a normal life, yet dealing with the wartime shortages, mixing school lessons and farm duties with rallies, sewing for soldiers, caring for the wounded and dealing with solders encamped around their homes.
The military camps will also be open for inspection during the day with mounted cavalrymen moving about the grounds, warming up for the battle. Artillery commanders will host a firing demonstration.
The townsfolk will also offer musical concerts, specialty shopping and a fashion show demonstrating the 1860s styles worn by both men and women.
Regiments from throughout Western New York took part in dozens of skirmishes and battles during the war. One of the most famous was Rochester’s 140th New York Volunteer Infantry whose valor under the leadership of Col. Patrick O’Rourke is legendary. The 140th New York and 33rd Virginia are the hosting re-enactment units.
Museum hours are 9:30 am-4 pm.
For more information, visit the museum website www.gcv.org or call 585-294-8218.
