The Smithfield Community Association’s Civil War Weekend Committee
is preparing for the 25th annual Peterboro NY event June 9 - 11,
2017. The event began a quarter century ago to raise funds to repair the
Smithfield Community Center and to bring attention to Peterboro’s history.
Thanks to loyal volunteers and sponsors, the event has raised monies to
continue to upgrade community buildings and acquire the Gerrit Smith Estate, as
well as promote the important history of Peterboro.
Pat Ennis will open the event with a program at 7 pm Friday, June
9 at the Smithfield Community Center sharing
the story of how her transcriptions of family diaries led to Union Bound, a Civil War movie released
in 2015. The movie follows Joseph Hoover (Ennis’ great, great grandfather) and
a fellow soldier in the 121st Herkimer, as they escaped from
Florence Confederate Prison on September 21, 1864 and made their way to the Union
lines 33 days later – with the help of slaves who were also running north.
The 12 U.S. Infantry Reenactment Regiment and the Civil War
Heritage Foundation will once again host the event providing military and
civilian encampments, programs, activities, demonstrations, a Sunday military
sermon, a candlelight tour, a town ball game, and a daily skirmish. As many as
twenty northern and southern units may be on the Peterboro field. These units
also provide stations for the Civil War Living History Day for fifth graders
before the weekend event. There will
also be an activity center for children on Saturday and Sunday.
One of the themes of the 2017 Peterboro Civil War Weekend is the
Peterboro spark that added fuel to the ignition of the Civil War. Dreaming of Timbuctoo, a travelling
exhibit from the John Brown Lives! project in Lake Placid NY will open in
Peterboro on Civil War Weekend. A series of programs on the relationships and
activities of John Brown, Gerrit Smith and the Secret Six will be ongoing.
In recognition of the Centennial of Women’s Suffrage in New York
State, programs on women in the Civil War will also be a featured theme. Authors
and their publications will be centralized near the Main Gate and some will
provide programs about their research and writing.
Civil War Round Tables, historical societies, period crafters, and vendors will provide exhibits, demonstrations,
and programs throughout the eight acres of activities involved in the weekend. The
Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark, the National Abolition Hall of
Fame and Museum, and the Peterboro Area Museum will be open. The 77th
New York Regimental Balladeers will provide Civil War music Saturday afternoon
and a concert Saturday evening. Merry Mischief will present period music and
fun Sunday afternoon.
Foods will be available at the Deli on the Green and from vendors.
The Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department will sell chicken barbeque at mid-day
on Saturday, and the Peterboro United Methodist Church will hold a pancake
breakfast before the gates open on Sunday.
Admission gates open at 10 am both days and close at 5 pm on
Saturday and at 4 pm on Sunday. The exhibits and activities (except food and
shopping) are included in the ten dollar admission for adults, five dollars for
ages 6-12, and free for under age 6. Five dollar adult admission tickets will
be available February 1st by sending check or money order to Civil
War Weekend, PO Box 6, Peterboro NY 13134.
Sponsors, volunteers, vendors, demonstrators, exhibitors, authors,
historical societies, Round Tables are invited to sign up now for the event. For
participation forms and event updates: www.PeterboroNY.org, mail@sca-peterboro.org or 315-280-8828.