Hi Folks,
Thanks to all for passing along much interesting information.
1. From our member Gayle Randol -
The Thomas Jefferson Heritage Society will present a ceremony and reception in honor of the 270th birthday of President Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) to be held at the Virginia State Capitol Jefferson Room on Friday, April 12, 2012 at 1:30 P.M.. Both the ceremony and reception are open to the public free of charge. Inquiries may be directed to Gayle Randol [log in to unmask]
Speakers will include John Works, Esq., a direct descendent of Thomas Jefferson and the first president of the Thomas Jefferson Heritage Society, and Dr. Mark McGarvie, a professor of history at the University of Richmond.
2. The annual Anniversary and Commemoration of the Battle of Petersburg will take place on April 20 and 21 at Battersea. For additional information, contact the Petersburg Visitors Center at 804-733-2400 or 800-368-3595 or check www.petersburgva.gov. Bob Selig will be speaking in the afternoon.
The Redcoats are coming – not once, but thrice, in April and May, 1781
Petersburg and the run-up to the Siege of Yorktown
In conjunction with the 22nd Annual Revolutionary War Re-enactment of the 1781 Battle of Petersburg, the Historic Petersburg Foundation and Cultural Affairs are honored to have Historian and Author Dr. Robert A. Selig to speak on Saturday, April 20, at 2:30 pm immediately following the re-enactment of the Battle of Petersburg. While focusing on events in and around Petersburg between April 25 and May 25, 1781, his presentation will place that crucial month in the history of Petersburg into the broader context of the war between Major General William Phillips’ arrival in Portsmouth on April 1 and the victory at Yorktown on October 1781. Dr. Selig will deliver his presentation on the porch at Battersea located at 1289 Upper Appomattox Street, Petersburg.
Dr. Selig is a professionally trained historian, scholar, lecturer, consultant, editor, and writer and his area of expertise is German and German-American history, and the history of the American War of Independence, particularly the role of German-speaking soldiers fighting on all sides in the American Revolutionary War. He is one of the few experts on this side of the Atlantic on the role of French troops under the comte de Rochambeau in the American war between 1780 and 1781 and he serves as the historical consultant and project historian to the National Park Service for the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail (W3R-NHT) project. Dr. Selig is the Contributing Editor for German Life magazine and is in charge of all historical features and he writes regularly on Revolutionary War topics for the Journal of Colonial Williamsburg and other publications.
In August, 2011, the French government honored his research on the contributions of France to, and her role in, the American War of Independence by awarding him the Chevalier de l’ordre des palmes academiques. In September, 2012, he was honored by the National Society, Sons of the American Revolution President General Stephen Leishman in Louisville, KY with the “Distinguished Patriot Award”, the NSSAR’s most prestigious national award.
For additional information, please contact Pam Covil at the Historic Petersburg Foundation at (804) 732-2096.
3. Our friends Carole and George Summers remind us about the annual Francis Marion Symposium in October.
You're invited to register & participate in the
October 18-19, 2013 Francis Marion Symposium:
Francis Marion and the Southern Campaign
Immerse yourself in Francis Marion's world and the significance of the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution.
Ten presentations by history professionals & history buffs.
The site of Symposium is the DuBose Campus, CCT College, Manning, SC.
More details: www.francismarionsymposium.com , 803-478-2645 or [log in to unmask]
4. This information about George Washington’s field tent appeared in a number of places. As pieces of the original are scattered about, this reproduction will be most welcome.
Colonial Williamsburg and Museum of the American Revolution Collaborate on Reproducing George Washington's "Oval Office"
Washington's marquee on a postcard circa 1910
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. and WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (April 1, 2013) - It was George Washington's home for much of the Revolutionary War, a large oval-shaped tent that was his bedroom and office - the first "oval office" occupied by the first commander-in-chief of American military forces. This national treasure will be displayed in the new Museum of the American Revolution when it opens in Philadelphia in 2016. This summer, it will be reproduced by Historic Trades tailors as part of a new partnership between Colonial Williamsburg and the Museum of the American Revolution. Once complete, the reproduction tent will be used by the Museum of the American Revolution for a variety of educational and museum outreach programs in advance of the opening of the Museum of the American Revolution.
Historical records suggest that the original sleeping and office tent was one of a pair of marquees made for General Washington in early 1778, at the end of the Valley Forge encampment. Washington returned to his Mount Vernon home with his tents and other military equipment in December 1783 after he resigned his commission. Following his death in 1799 and the death his wife, Martha, in 1802, Washington's military effects, including the tents were sold at private auction to Martha's grandson, George Washington Parke Custis. The tents were displayed periodically at the Custis home, Arlington House, during the ensuing decades until his death in 1857. While Union Army units occupied Arlington House during the Civil War, many of Washington's military possessions were taken into federal custody until they were returned to the Custis/Lee family in the early 20th century. Various elements of Washington's field headquarters are now held by institutions including the Museum of the American Revolution, the National Museum of American History, George Washington's Mount Vernon, and the National Park Service.
"Unlike most military commanders, George Washington stayed in the field with his army through the entire War of Independence, spending just a few days at Mount Vernon between 1775 and 1783," said Dr. R. Scott Stephenson, director of collections and interpretation for the Museum of the American Revolution. "For much of that time, he lived under canvas. With the surviving elements of Washington's field headquarters scattered among various institutions, the reconstruction project is an exciting way-- perhaps the only way-- for visitors to experience the "other home" of George Washington."
Fashioned from 160 yards of Irish linen - woven to three different widths - and 90 yards of linen from Colonial Williamsburg's Weave Room, all of the fabric for the reproduction tent is being hand-woven. The Irish linen is being produced by cottage weavers working for the firm Linenblue in Northern Ireland. Stephenson and Mark Hutter, Colonial Williamsburg's journeyman tailor, will take delivery of the linen in April during a presentation at the Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh, Northern Ireland. They also plan to visit the Irish Linen Center at Lisburn, and other historic sites that document 18th century linen production and have aided in recreating the fabric.
From mid-May through mid-August, Colonial Williamsburg guests will be able to follow their progress publicly in the Secretary's Office next to the Capitol in the Revolutionary City as tailors Mark Hutter and Neal Hurst along with six other seamsters as they assemble the linen canvas of the marquee and its chamber - the large outer tent and an enclosed smaller sleeping and office tent.
"It may seem surprising to have tailors make a tent, but it was actually part of the trade's work until the late Medieval Period," said Hutter. "By the 18th century, no tailor in America was making tents. When the American Revolution began, Williamsburg's many tailors became deeply involved in supplying uniforms, flags, and tents. A couple of thousand tents were made by the capital city's tailors."
Several of Colonial Williamsburg's trade shops also will be actively involved in reproducing the tent and its pieces. Carpenters and joiners will fashion wooden poles to support the structure. Blacksmiths will forge iron hardware and pole fittings. Wheelwrights will carve small wooden items and stakes to anchor the tent. The completed marquee will measure 22 feet long, 15 feet wide and ten feet high.
"This is a wonderful opportunity to use our expertise in the 18th-century trades," said Jim Horn, Colonial Williamsburg vice president of research and historical interpretation. "Our guests will be able to see and experience the construction of the marquee, and we are able to partner with another museum to tell the story of the American Revolution."
The reproduction of the tent, and associated research on General Washington's field equipment, is funded in part from a generous grant to the Museum of the American Revolution from the Acorn Foundation Fund for History in Memory of Alexander Orr Vietor.
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The Museum of the American Revolution will be the nation's premier museum dedicated to the complete story of the American Revolution. To be built in historic Philadelphia, just steps from Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, the museum will feature a distinguished collection of objects, artifacts, artwork, and manuscripts from the period of the American Revolution that will bring to life the original "greatest generation" and engage people in the history and continuing relevance of the American Revolution.
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, a center for history and citizenship, is a not-for-profit educational institution and cultural destination. The Foundation is dedicated to promoting the importance of an informed, active citizenry. Its mission, "that the future may learn from the past," is realized through offering innovative, imaginative and interactive experiences - both on- and off-site - designed to educate guests about the importance of the American Revolution. From the RevQuest: Save the Revolution! series of technology-assisted alternate reality games, to the theatrical programming of Revolutionary City®, guests can become immersed in the drama of the American Revolution and discover the ongoing relevance of the past. Guests can also visit the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg, enjoy the many gardens and green spaces, and visit up to 35 historic sites. To experience all that the Foundation offers, guests may stay in one of the five award-winning Colonial Williamsburg hotels and enjoy the renowned golf courses of the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club, indulge in The Spa of Colonial Williamsburg and shop in 40 stores. Fine dining is offered in more than 20 locations from historic dining taverns to restaurants with contemporary fare. Colonial Williamsburg is open 365 days a year.
5. John Maass is always a source of wonderful revolutionary information. Here’s some more. http://www.history.army.mil/news/2013/130325a_amusettes.html
6. Don’t forget SCAR’s April 26 – 28 Light Horse Harry Lee Symposium “Wedded to My Sword.” Details are at http://www.southerncampaign.org/
7. By way of shameless self promotion, here’s information about a June Cockpit of the American Revolution II Tour in New Jersey.
http://cwea.net/programs/1306-cockpit-american-revolution-field-and-walking-tour-sites-north-and-central-new-jersey- Please join me.
8. The next ARRT-Richmond meeting will be on Wednesday, May 22. Stephen Case will speak on “Treacherous Beauty: Peggy Shippen, the Woman Behind Benedict Arnold’s Plot to Betray America.”
Please check our site at http://arrt-richmond.blogspot.com/ for additional information and new updates, thanks to Mark Groth. The regular reminder will follow next month. I hope to see you there.
Bill Welsch
5.
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