New Market Battlefield (from March)

This Civil War site is about 20 minutes from our home. They have a Homeschool Day event each year. We went with our friends from NC (last weekend in March). The day looked like it would be rainy so we left the little ones home with the dads and Leslie and I took the bigger kids. Though it was overcast, we made it the whole day without showers. They did a really nice job of having activities, hands on demonstrations, and historical interpretors explaining things.

The actual battle took place in the orchard and fields behind the house. The family, hunkered in the cellar during the battle and when it was over their home was turned into a field hospital.

Outdoor bread baker.

The kitchen outbuilding. They were actually preparing lunch for the interpretors.

They had a soldier camp, where you could learn about the daily life of a soldier.

First you had to register, verifying that you were 18 or older.

Then take a soldiers oath

Learn how to pitch a tent

Dig a latrene

Learn about cooking and what rations you would be given. Even some hints about how to supplement with stuff from local farmers.

Learn the consequences of disobeying orders or rules of conduct. They would have to wear a sign of their offense and hold heavy items or backpacks of rocks. These guys look way to happy to be punished.

Then you had to learn how to carry your arms and march to orders.

This was a more permanent winter tent. It's complete with fireplace and chimney, very inventive.

Dressing up in period clothes and writing letters home.

They had a section set up as a time period Fair, with all kinds of games. The kids had fun trying them out, some were rather hard.

Lauren was determined to do this, she tried and tried. It was really hard to keep your balance, especially on uneven, muddy grass. Christopher gave her a helping hand.

The big girls enjoyed learning the Virginia Reel, to live music.

One of the activities was a craft barn, where the kids could make flags, quilt patterns and harmonicas. I caught Isaiah and Joshua soldiering with their flags.

The crew hanging out on a cannon, while we walked the battleground .

A view from the battleground, obviously located on a peak, looking over the town and a small river.

They had a really nice museum. It had wonderful artifacts from the Civil War, lots of information about the famous battles and how they were fought. It also included a film about the New Market Battle called "Field of Lost Shoes". This was how this battle was later known, as so many soldiers lost their shoes in the field due to the rain and mud. It included this statue done by one of the VMI students who fought in this battle and went on to become a famous artist. His name is Moses Ezekiel. The film showed him returning to the field after the battle was over to find one of his friends. He took this friend to a place in town and stayed with him, tending to his wounds until he died two days later. It was a moving story of loyalty and friendship. He went on to become a famous sculture who was knighted by the King of Italy. This sculpture is of Thomas Jefferson.

This stain glass window represents the Battle in art and glass.

Leslie took this picture of the girls while we were walking near the Battlefield. I just loved it.



A little history lesson if you're interested http://www4.vmi.edu/museum/nm/index.html