A Re-enactment of the 145th Anniversary of The Battle of Pea Ridge will take place on
October 26, 27, 28, 2007 at Bentonville, Arkansas.
Spectator Information:
- Battle times are 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday, 1 p.m. on Sunday.
- Several presentations and demonstrations will occur throughout the day on Saturday.
- Period church service is 10 a.m. on Sunday
There will be food vendors so that spectators may choose to enjoy breakfast, lunch and/or dinner.
Entry fee is $7/carload. Spectators are invited to bring lawn chairs or blankets for viewing of the battles. Stay all day and into the evening.
Reenactor Information:
Following are a preliminary registration form and a map showing the area where the re-enactment will take place, northeast of Bentonville. The location will be in the Little Sugar Creek Valley, north of Price Coffee Lane, and West of Highway 72.
Registration Fee is $5 per person.
Please click here to print the registration form. You may either:
1) Mail the completed form to:
Battles of Benton County
c/o The Peel House Foundation,
400 S. Walton, Bentonville, AR 72712, or
2) Fax it to 479-273-9688, or
3.) Scan and email it
Written Directions:
Route 1
Take 540N to Hwy 72E (Exit Hwy 72, take a left on Hwy 72, heading East).
Take a left on Price Coffee Road.
The entrance will be on the corner of Price Coffee Road and Gooseberry Road, on your right.
Or
Route 2
Take 540N (it will change names to Hwy 71N) to County Road 40.
Turn right and take CR40 to Ford Springs Road.
Turn right and take Ford Springs Road, which will change to a gravel road, until you get to Price Coffee Road.
Turn left and take Price Coffee Road until you get to Gooseberry Road.
The entrance to the reenactment will be on the corner of Price Coffee Road and Gooseberry Road, on your left.
Visual Map
Monday, October 22, 2007
Recent Post by our Own Reenactor
I am a War Between the States reenactor, who joined the hobby in 1995. I
have attended over 100 events, both North and South. In my first person
impression I portray relatives on both sides of my family that fought in the
conflict. On my maternal side I am William Henry Harrison Shibley,
Lieutenant, 22nd Arkansas Infantry, King's Regiment. On my paternal side,
William Chastain Gill, Private, 14th Virginia Infantry, Pickett's Division,
of fame at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, 1863.
I derive great satisfaction in knowing I am making history come alive for
those of us that participate, either on the field on in the gallery.
Historical, educational and cultural ties to our not too distant past make
the hobby an enjoyable event for all of the family. Sir Winston Churchill
said, "A nation without a past can have no future". It moves me when after a
battle I see the look of amazement in a young child's eyes. History alive,
tangible and real, unlike the computer and text books of today.
We are making history this coming October 26-28th, 2007 at the Battles of
Pea Ridge to be held north of Bentonville, Arkansas. The largest reenactment
in the state will be held on new City park property along the Little Sugar
Creek on Price Coffee Road. More detailed information can be found at
www.peelmansion.org or call 479-273-9664.
Respectfully submitted,
Your humble and o'bt servant,
S. J. Bailey
have attended over 100 events, both North and South. In my first person
impression I portray relatives on both sides of my family that fought in the
conflict. On my maternal side I am William Henry Harrison Shibley,
Lieutenant, 22nd Arkansas Infantry, King's Regiment. On my paternal side,
William Chastain Gill, Private, 14th Virginia Infantry, Pickett's Division,
of fame at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, 1863.
I derive great satisfaction in knowing I am making history come alive for
those of us that participate, either on the field on in the gallery.
Historical, educational and cultural ties to our not too distant past make
the hobby an enjoyable event for all of the family. Sir Winston Churchill
said, "A nation without a past can have no future". It moves me when after a
battle I see the look of amazement in a young child's eyes. History alive,
tangible and real, unlike the computer and text books of today.
We are making history this coming October 26-28th, 2007 at the Battles of
Pea Ridge to be held north of Bentonville, Arkansas. The largest reenactment
in the state will be held on new City park property along the Little Sugar
Creek on Price Coffee Road. More detailed information can be found at
www.peelmansion.org or call 479-273-9664.
Respectfully submitted,
Your humble and o'bt servant,
S. J. Bailey
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial
Plans for an Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial celebration will bring business to the region and raise interest in events that shaped the history of the state, said Mark Christ, community outreach coordinator for the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program.
“ This is an excellent opportunity for us to use historical preservation as an economicdevelopment tool, ” he said.
Christ spoke at the first meeting of the Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission — a group formed to coordinate recognition of the 150 th anniversary of the U. S. Civil War — at the John Q. Hammons Center on Thursday. The group of appointed historians from throughout the state, which met in conjunction with a reunion at Pea Ridge National Military Park, will plan preservation efforts, educational materials and events to commemorate the anniversary in 2011.
A study by Rutgers University proved that preservation tourists, drawn to such events, are “ older, richer and smarter” than other tourists, Christ said.
“ They stay longer, and they spend more, ” he said. The group hopes to use public-private sponsorships and corporate funding to bring a carefully drafted schedule of events to the 17 battlefield sites throughout the state. Northwest Arkansas will be a major player in these events because it is home to the Pea Ridge National Military Park, “ one of the most intact and best preserved national military parks, not just in Arkansas but in the country, ” Christ said.
John Scott, superintendent of the park, said the events would be an important tool to demonstrate the importance of historic events, an idea that doesn’t always resonate with younger and newer residents to the area.
“ We truly had neighbor against neighbor and brother against brother, ” he said. “ Part of the preparation is not just to talk about battle sites, but how do we make the American Civil War relevant for a population that might not have had a relative in the battle ? It’s a story that we have to tell. ”
The group will meet in Little Rock in September to discuss marketing efforts, educational curriculum and themes for events.
(Arkansas Democrat Gazette - June 8, 2007)
“ This is an excellent opportunity for us to use historical preservation as an economicdevelopment tool, ” he said.
Christ spoke at the first meeting of the Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission — a group formed to coordinate recognition of the 150 th anniversary of the U. S. Civil War — at the John Q. Hammons Center on Thursday. The group of appointed historians from throughout the state, which met in conjunction with a reunion at Pea Ridge National Military Park, will plan preservation efforts, educational materials and events to commemorate the anniversary in 2011.
A study by Rutgers University proved that preservation tourists, drawn to such events, are “ older, richer and smarter” than other tourists, Christ said.
“ They stay longer, and they spend more, ” he said. The group hopes to use public-private sponsorships and corporate funding to bring a carefully drafted schedule of events to the 17 battlefield sites throughout the state. Northwest Arkansas will be a major player in these events because it is home to the Pea Ridge National Military Park, “ one of the most intact and best preserved national military parks, not just in Arkansas but in the country, ” Christ said.
John Scott, superintendent of the park, said the events would be an important tool to demonstrate the importance of historic events, an idea that doesn’t always resonate with younger and newer residents to the area.
“ We truly had neighbor against neighbor and brother against brother, ” he said. “ Part of the preparation is not just to talk about battle sites, but how do we make the American Civil War relevant for a population that might not have had a relative in the battle ? It’s a story that we have to tell. ”
The group will meet in Little Rock in September to discuss marketing efforts, educational curriculum and themes for events.
(Arkansas Democrat Gazette - June 8, 2007)
"Our View"
Few Americans enter adulthood without at least some
understanding of where they, their families and their forebears stand or have stood in regard to the Civil War. For some, that understanding is little more than a vague notion, but for others — especially those with ancestors who wore a uniform, blue or gray — it’s far more clear.
Many Americans still bury relatives in the cemeteries where ancestors who took up arms in the Civil War were laid to rest.
For everyone, regardless of family and community history, reminders of the war are all around. In towns and cities throughout former Union and Confederate states, there are parks, statues and other physical manifestations of our memories of this turbulent chapter of U. S. history. On the spots where war was actually waged, bullets and other implements of war are still being extracted from the once bloodsoaked ground. Even vestiges of the old regionalism remains, as some people continue to refer to themselves as Northerners or Southerners.
But Americans today, despite any labels they attach to themselves and others, are — first and foremost — Americans. And that, ultimately, is perhaps the perfect lens through which to view the Civil War — the lens of contrast. The deep divisions of our past, the ones that led to war and existed for a time in its aftermath, stand in stark contrast to the unity that exists in present-day America.
Before you think us naive, let us be clear: We understand the United States is, in some ways, a divided nation. As much as we wish otherwise, it might be impossible, as things stand today, for so many cultures, ethnicities and points of view to co-exist in one place without at least some disagreement.
But our disagreements today take the form of debate, not bloodshed. And where the Civil War is concerned, despite how deeply those years scarred our nation, we’ve consigned the anger and the animosity of those dark times to the past, where they belong. In doing so, we’ve become the union we had to become to thrive and persevere as a nation.
In spite of the occasional passionate flare-up — an argument over the statue on the town square, perhaps ? — we have, in many ways, become the antithesis of our ancestors. We’re a people who can hardly imagine taking up arms against our neighbors, our brothers, our countrymen.
We’ve become a people who can study and learn from even the most painful and divisive period of our history. That’s what happens when the past becomes what it’s meant to become: history.
That history has been observed and celebrated in Benton County over the past several days as the first Festival of Ozarks Civil War Heritage has been held at Pea Ridge National Military Park. Park officials conceived the festival as a reunion for descendants of those who fought in the Battle of Pea Ridge — and, of course, as yet another opportunity for anyone interested in the Civil War to visit the park and soak in its rich history.
As anyone who’s been to the park knows, history permeates its structures, monuments and battlefields. It’s almost impossible to take a step without feeling as if the ghosts of Union and Confederate troops are walking beside you, guiding you as you tour this place where they fought and died. One can gaze upon the park’s windswept fields, over which troops once advanced in fighting formation, and almost see the skirmishes that made this patch of earth in the Ozarks a permanent fixture of our history.
Festivals like the one held this weekend are planned for each year leading up to the 150 th anniversary of the Battle of Pea Ridge in 2012. We look forward to each of them, and to the learning opportunities they represent. Of course, learning opportunities are present at the park every day, but the sentiment behind the reunions is something we especially applaud.
The calling together of descendants of both Union and Confederate troops to celebrate a shared heritage — minus the anger that underscored the conflict itself — perfectly represents how far we’ve come as a nation since the Civil War was fought.
We’re in a position now to keep learning from the past, to keep moving forward — together, as one. United. Americans haven’t always learned from the examples set by history, but the way we study and remember the Civil War today shows the conflict’s lessons have indeed been taken to heart.
("Our view", Arkansas Democrat Gazette)
understanding of where they, their families and their forebears stand or have stood in regard to the Civil War. For some, that understanding is little more than a vague notion, but for others — especially those with ancestors who wore a uniform, blue or gray — it’s far more clear.
Many Americans still bury relatives in the cemeteries where ancestors who took up arms in the Civil War were laid to rest.
For everyone, regardless of family and community history, reminders of the war are all around. In towns and cities throughout former Union and Confederate states, there are parks, statues and other physical manifestations of our memories of this turbulent chapter of U. S. history. On the spots where war was actually waged, bullets and other implements of war are still being extracted from the once bloodsoaked ground. Even vestiges of the old regionalism remains, as some people continue to refer to themselves as Northerners or Southerners.
But Americans today, despite any labels they attach to themselves and others, are — first and foremost — Americans. And that, ultimately, is perhaps the perfect lens through which to view the Civil War — the lens of contrast. The deep divisions of our past, the ones that led to war and existed for a time in its aftermath, stand in stark contrast to the unity that exists in present-day America.
Before you think us naive, let us be clear: We understand the United States is, in some ways, a divided nation. As much as we wish otherwise, it might be impossible, as things stand today, for so many cultures, ethnicities and points of view to co-exist in one place without at least some disagreement.
But our disagreements today take the form of debate, not bloodshed. And where the Civil War is concerned, despite how deeply those years scarred our nation, we’ve consigned the anger and the animosity of those dark times to the past, where they belong. In doing so, we’ve become the union we had to become to thrive and persevere as a nation.
In spite of the occasional passionate flare-up — an argument over the statue on the town square, perhaps ? — we have, in many ways, become the antithesis of our ancestors. We’re a people who can hardly imagine taking up arms against our neighbors, our brothers, our countrymen.
We’ve become a people who can study and learn from even the most painful and divisive period of our history. That’s what happens when the past becomes what it’s meant to become: history.
That history has been observed and celebrated in Benton County over the past several days as the first Festival of Ozarks Civil War Heritage has been held at Pea Ridge National Military Park. Park officials conceived the festival as a reunion for descendants of those who fought in the Battle of Pea Ridge — and, of course, as yet another opportunity for anyone interested in the Civil War to visit the park and soak in its rich history.
As anyone who’s been to the park knows, history permeates its structures, monuments and battlefields. It’s almost impossible to take a step without feeling as if the ghosts of Union and Confederate troops are walking beside you, guiding you as you tour this place where they fought and died. One can gaze upon the park’s windswept fields, over which troops once advanced in fighting formation, and almost see the skirmishes that made this patch of earth in the Ozarks a permanent fixture of our history.
Festivals like the one held this weekend are planned for each year leading up to the 150 th anniversary of the Battle of Pea Ridge in 2012. We look forward to each of them, and to the learning opportunities they represent. Of course, learning opportunities are present at the park every day, but the sentiment behind the reunions is something we especially applaud.
The calling together of descendants of both Union and Confederate troops to celebrate a shared heritage — minus the anger that underscored the conflict itself — perfectly represents how far we’ve come as a nation since the Civil War was fought.
We’re in a position now to keep learning from the past, to keep moving forward — together, as one. United. Americans haven’t always learned from the examples set by history, but the way we study and remember the Civil War today shows the conflict’s lessons have indeed been taken to heart.
("Our view", Arkansas Democrat Gazette)
A Piece of History
PEA RIDGE — On any given day, visitors can peruse the grounds of the Pea Ridge National Military Park, where a significant battle took place during the Civil War. But on Saturday afternoon, it was about more than just the land.
There was the smell of Civil War era cooking — and it attracted a significant crowd.
Doug Laman was all smiles underneath his leather hat, cooking over his hot pan in front of the old Elkhorn Tavern, one of the most recognizable and important structures at Pea Ridge National Military Park. Laman, a Civil War re-enactor, spent the afternoon putting on a cooking demonstration for visitors interested in learning what life was like as a soldier fighting the war.
It was all there, steaming and laid out on the table in front of him.
Parched corn. Roasted peanuts. Beans. Chicken stew. Turnip greens with bacon. Extremely thick hunks of bacon. And cornbread, fried and baked.
“ If you were a soldier, you were marching a long, long way, ” Laman said. “ So you didn’t carry anything more than you absolutely had to. When it came to food, you ate whatever you could get your hands on — whatever was around. So these soldiers ate a lot of corn. They made corn everything. ”
Laman stood over his hot dish, cutting up a freshly baked cornbread cake. And he did it the old fashioned way. Everything he made was cooked in old tin cans with metal hooks, so they could be hung over the campfire. The cornbread was a big hit with visitors on Saturday, as just about every person who passed through the park grabbed a piece. Some came back for seconds.
“ This baked cornbread is what they would have made at winter camp, ” Laman said. “ The menu varied slightly depending on the season and if you were on the march or not. But the bacon was always thick. A lot of times, the rind was left on. It was a big hunk of pork. That’s the way they liked it. ”
Marilyn Vits of Bella Vista was among the many visitors at the park on Saturday who was particularly interested to get a closer look at Civil War cooking.
“ I still have a few letters my great grandfather wrote while he was in the war, ” Vits said. “ He mentions several times how glad he was just to have food. So this is all fascinating to me. To see what he ate and what he had to do. It makes those letters come alive. ”
(Benton County Daily Record)
There was the smell of Civil War era cooking — and it attracted a significant crowd.
Doug Laman was all smiles underneath his leather hat, cooking over his hot pan in front of the old Elkhorn Tavern, one of the most recognizable and important structures at Pea Ridge National Military Park. Laman, a Civil War re-enactor, spent the afternoon putting on a cooking demonstration for visitors interested in learning what life was like as a soldier fighting the war.
It was all there, steaming and laid out on the table in front of him.
Parched corn. Roasted peanuts. Beans. Chicken stew. Turnip greens with bacon. Extremely thick hunks of bacon. And cornbread, fried and baked.
“ If you were a soldier, you were marching a long, long way, ” Laman said. “ So you didn’t carry anything more than you absolutely had to. When it came to food, you ate whatever you could get your hands on — whatever was around. So these soldiers ate a lot of corn. They made corn everything. ”
Laman stood over his hot dish, cutting up a freshly baked cornbread cake. And he did it the old fashioned way. Everything he made was cooked in old tin cans with metal hooks, so they could be hung over the campfire. The cornbread was a big hit with visitors on Saturday, as just about every person who passed through the park grabbed a piece. Some came back for seconds.
“ This baked cornbread is what they would have made at winter camp, ” Laman said. “ The menu varied slightly depending on the season and if you were on the march or not. But the bacon was always thick. A lot of times, the rind was left on. It was a big hunk of pork. That’s the way they liked it. ”
Marilyn Vits of Bella Vista was among the many visitors at the park on Saturday who was particularly interested to get a closer look at Civil War cooking.
“ I still have a few letters my great grandfather wrote while he was in the war, ” Vits said. “ He mentions several times how glad he was just to have food. So this is all fascinating to me. To see what he ate and what he had to do. It makes those letters come alive. ”
(Benton County Daily Record)
Reenactment Announced in Bentonville 7-20-2007
BENTONVILLE — The re-enactment may be three months away — and the war over a century past, but two Union soldiers were already casualties Friday.
It was an unexpected victory for the Confederacy on the Square. Unable to withstand the heat while wearing their wool uniforms, the two soldiers passed out from the heat during the announcement of the Peel House Foundation’s fourth bi-annual Civil War Re-enactment, to be held Oct. 27-28 on 130 acres near Price Coffee Road, north of Bentonville.
Local history buff and retired physician Don Cohagan briefly tended to the first soldier as emergency responders with the Bentonville Fire Department headed toward the Square.
Just as the first soldier was walked toward the ambulance, a second man went down. He was immediately taken to receive medical care.
“ That’s the way they did it in the Civil War, ” Cohagan said. “ With water and prayer. They didn’t have anything else. ”
Cohagan went back to promoting the re-enactment, which will mark the 145 th anniversary of the Battle of Pea Ridge. The battle took place March 6-8, 1862.
The purpose of the event is to educate the public on the importance of Civil War history and Benton County’s heritage through historical preservation, reenactment and living-history presentations. More than 2, 000 Civil-War re-enactors are expected for the event.
“ The most important part of this is to teach, … to let us feel and see, ” Cohagan said. “ There is no better way to teach our young people history than to actually have them see where (soldiers ) live, to bring that history alive. ”
“ We are the home of a rich history, not the least of which is the region’s part in the Civil War, ” said Ed Clifford, president and CEO of the Bentonville-Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce. “ Few counties in America participated in that war like Benton County, and we were the site of the largest Civil War battle west of the Mississippi. ”
Organizers anticipate this event to bring 10, 000 spectators and approximately $ 750, 000 in revenue for the city.
For more information, contact Leah Whitehead with the Peel House Foundation at (479 ) 273-9664 or visit www. peelmansion. org.
(Benton County Daily Record - 7/21/2007)
It was an unexpected victory for the Confederacy on the Square. Unable to withstand the heat while wearing their wool uniforms, the two soldiers passed out from the heat during the announcement of the Peel House Foundation’s fourth bi-annual Civil War Re-enactment, to be held Oct. 27-28 on 130 acres near Price Coffee Road, north of Bentonville.
Local history buff and retired physician Don Cohagan briefly tended to the first soldier as emergency responders with the Bentonville Fire Department headed toward the Square.
Just as the first soldier was walked toward the ambulance, a second man went down. He was immediately taken to receive medical care.
“ That’s the way they did it in the Civil War, ” Cohagan said. “ With water and prayer. They didn’t have anything else. ”
Cohagan went back to promoting the re-enactment, which will mark the 145 th anniversary of the Battle of Pea Ridge. The battle took place March 6-8, 1862.
The purpose of the event is to educate the public on the importance of Civil War history and Benton County’s heritage through historical preservation, reenactment and living-history presentations. More than 2, 000 Civil-War re-enactors are expected for the event.
“ The most important part of this is to teach, … to let us feel and see, ” Cohagan said. “ There is no better way to teach our young people history than to actually have them see where (soldiers ) live, to bring that history alive. ”
“ We are the home of a rich history, not the least of which is the region’s part in the Civil War, ” said Ed Clifford, president and CEO of the Bentonville-Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce. “ Few counties in America participated in that war like Benton County, and we were the site of the largest Civil War battle west of the Mississippi. ”
Organizers anticipate this event to bring 10, 000 spectators and approximately $ 750, 000 in revenue for the city.
For more information, contact Leah Whitehead with the Peel House Foundation at (479 ) 273-9664 or visit www. peelmansion. org.
(Benton County Daily Record - 7/21/2007)
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Media Event on Square in Bentonville 7-20-2007
There will be a "media event" to kick off the announcement of the regional reenactment of the 145th. anniversary of the Battle of Pea Ridge on the square in Bentonville at 10:30 AM on Friday, July 20, 2007. The reenactment will be held on 130 acres of park property on the north edge of the city of Bentonville on 26, 27, and 28 October, 2007. There will be a historical symposium during the reenactment led by scholars in the field of history of the Civil War. These include: Dr. William Shea of the University of Arkansas at Monticello, author of the definitive text on the Battle of Pea Ridge "Pea Ridge:Civil War Campaign in the West", and Dr. William Piston of Missouri State University and author of "Wilson's Creek:The Second Battle of the Civil War and the Men Who Fought in It". Also participating will be professors from our local Northwest Arkansas Community College. Moderation of the symposium will be conducted by John Scott, Superintendent of the Pea Ridge National Military Park. The public is invited and encouraged to attend any and all events. It is especially hoped that all children and students in northwest Arkansas will make a special effort to attend. There is nothing that facilitates the teaching of history better than seeing, touching and feeling the event on a personal level.
All events are being sponsored by the Peel Mansion Foundation, Leah Whitehead, Executive Director.
All events are being sponsored by the Peel Mansion Foundation, Leah Whitehead, Executive Director.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Bentonville - July 14, 2007
For those who would like to see and get a feel for how our ancestors lived, fought, and died in the bloodiest and worst war in our history, bring your children to the Downtown Bentonville Square this weekend for viewing an encampment by people "living" this history for us.
This just announced: "We will have an encampment on the Square this Saturday from 6 AM until 2 PM. Stop by for some coffee." (This is "campfire coffee, and if we're lucky, we might get some of those "over the open fire" roasted peanuts! DLC).
Steve Bailey, Reenactor
This just announced: "We will have an encampment on the Square this Saturday from 6 AM until 2 PM. Stop by for some coffee." (This is "campfire coffee, and if we're lucky, we might get some of those "over the open fire" roasted peanuts! DLC).
Steve Bailey, Reenactor
Friday, July 6, 2007
A Letter on July 5
BATTLE OF PEA RIDGE - 2007
REENACTMENT - OCTOBER 26,27,28 - 2007
In reference to the upcoming Pea Ridge (Bentonville) reenactment, plans are proceeding as scheduled, and some recent commitments are making more things possible than planned.
Two weeks ago the principal volunteers here met with the Mayor of Bentonville and received good news in several areas. The Mayor has said the reenactment will be a reality. He backs it all the way and has shown support by providing the site free of charge. In the past this has been very difficult in some cases since dealing with private parties makes land usage a big cost to a successful reenactment.
The Bentonville Parks and Recreation Department is busy with plans including cutting the grass and other site preparation duties and providing bleachers for the spectators five rows high.
According to Mrs Leah Whitehead we have a party involved who will provide all the firewood we need. We also anticipate using bottled water instead of water buffalos. This seems to be a real comfort to the troops, along with hay to sleep upon.
We have commitments from the two most famous authors on Pea Ridge and southern Missouri during the War. They are Dr. William Shea and Dr. William Piston and they will be the featured guests at the symposium occurring between the two Saturday battles. Superintendent John Scott of the Pea Ridge National Military Park will be the moderator.
Registration inquiries are coming in on the new Peel Mansion website and you can now visit it to sign-up at http://www.peelmansion.org. We hope to get the word out to the commands and spectators rapidly now that the infrastructure is now in place and the commitments we need to go forward have been attained.
REENACTMENT - OCTOBER 26,27,28 - 2007
In reference to the upcoming Pea Ridge (Bentonville) reenactment, plans are proceeding as scheduled, and some recent commitments are making more things possible than planned.
Two weeks ago the principal volunteers here met with the Mayor of Bentonville and received good news in several areas. The Mayor has said the reenactment will be a reality. He backs it all the way and has shown support by providing the site free of charge. In the past this has been very difficult in some cases since dealing with private parties makes land usage a big cost to a successful reenactment.
The Bentonville Parks and Recreation Department is busy with plans including cutting the grass and other site preparation duties and providing bleachers for the spectators five rows high.
According to Mrs Leah Whitehead we have a party involved who will provide all the firewood we need. We also anticipate using bottled water instead of water buffalos. This seems to be a real comfort to the troops, along with hay to sleep upon.
We have commitments from the two most famous authors on Pea Ridge and southern Missouri during the War. They are Dr. William Shea and Dr. William Piston and they will be the featured guests at the symposium occurring between the two Saturday battles. Superintendent John Scott of the Pea Ridge National Military Park will be the moderator.
Registration inquiries are coming in on the new Peel Mansion website and you can now visit it to sign-up at http://www.peelmansion.org. We hope to get the word out to the commands and spectators rapidly now that the infrastructure is now in place and the commitments we need to go forward have been attained.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Eminent Speakers for the Educational Symposium for the Reenactment
The humanities scholars who will be the focus of our symposium will be Dr. William Shea, University of Arkansas at Monticello. His book on the Battle of Pea Ridge is the definitive text on the subject. He is a professor of history and he spent 10 years in researching the battle before writing "Pea Ridge:Civil War Campaign in the West".
Our other guest speaker will be Dr. William Piston of Missouri State University. He is also a history professor and wrote "Wilson's Creek: The Second Battle of the Civil War and the Men Who Fought It". He is an expert on the Civil War in Southern Missouri, an important forerunner of the Battle of Pea Ridge.
Both authors will be the focus of our symposium and it will be moderated by Superintendent John Scott of the Pea Ridge National Military Park.
Professors from our local Northwest Arkansas Community College will also participate in the symposium which will serve as excellent entertainment between the two Saturday battles at the reenactment. The date for the symposium is Saturday, October 27th, 2007. The public is encouraged to attend.
Our other guest speaker will be Dr. William Piston of Missouri State University. He is also a history professor and wrote "Wilson's Creek: The Second Battle of the Civil War and the Men Who Fought It". He is an expert on the Civil War in Southern Missouri, an important forerunner of the Battle of Pea Ridge.
Both authors will be the focus of our symposium and it will be moderated by Superintendent John Scott of the Pea Ridge National Military Park.
Professors from our local Northwest Arkansas Community College will also participate in the symposium which will serve as excellent entertainment between the two Saturday battles at the reenactment. The date for the symposium is Saturday, October 27th, 2007. The public is encouraged to attend.
Educational Aspects of the Reenactment
There have been "local" reenactments of Civil War Battles in our area for a number of years, usually at Bentonville, sponsored by the Peel House Museum Foundation, and then at Prairie Grove on the alternate years. It is very fortunate that we have these in our region because of the great interest in this historic event with the close proximity of the National Pea Ridge Park Battlefield. History is much more vivid and realistic when demonstrations, historians and artifacts are close at hand. But the possibility of a "regional" demonstration is most exciting. This will involve thousands of reenactors from all over the nation and many knowledgeable historians and writers on the national level. It will be a once-in-a-lifetime event for our residents and students of Northwest Arkansas to study and relive this historic and cataclysmic event on a factual and demonstrative level. If we are so fortunate, and it is successful, perhaps it will become an annual or semi-annual event and take on some of the same aspects that are so revered at other sites, such as the Battle at Gettysburg.
There are numerous students in the communities of Bentonville, Pea Ridge, Gravette, and Rogers who have shown very enthusiastic visitations to reenactments which have been conducted in our areas in the past ten years. With this being a nationally acclaimed reenactment of the Pea Ridge Battle, and having the actual Pea Ridge Battlefield National Park in the immediate vicinity, the number of students attending these events will be much larger than in the past. Many of the younger students will come on a designated "Kid's" or "Student Day" as in the past, but many others will also come with their families or in groups, especially the older students. This way they can mingle amongst the troops, talk to them about their way of living, their utensils, sleeping quarters, weapons, etc. as well as obtain historical information about the Great Civil War and this battle in particular. Students from NWACC will find this a treasure-trove of historical information.
With the scope of this production, many more communities will be involved. We also must realize that many who have been involved primarily in the Prairie Grove reenactment events in the past will be coming here for the larger event. This will stretch the attendance zone all the way into Washington County and include cities like Fayetteville, Prairie Grove, Springdale, Lowell and Siloam Springs. The educational potential of this reenactment is tremendous, and it will only improve over the years and be a very popular, unique source of historical education and preservation in all of Northwest Arkansas. I would hope that all the school districts and local governments and organizations would cooperate with and support this great effort.
Dr. Cohagan
There are numerous students in the communities of Bentonville, Pea Ridge, Gravette, and Rogers who have shown very enthusiastic visitations to reenactments which have been conducted in our areas in the past ten years. With this being a nationally acclaimed reenactment of the Pea Ridge Battle, and having the actual Pea Ridge Battlefield National Park in the immediate vicinity, the number of students attending these events will be much larger than in the past. Many of the younger students will come on a designated "Kid's" or "Student Day" as in the past, but many others will also come with their families or in groups, especially the older students. This way they can mingle amongst the troops, talk to them about their way of living, their utensils, sleeping quarters, weapons, etc. as well as obtain historical information about the Great Civil War and this battle in particular. Students from NWACC will find this a treasure-trove of historical information.
With the scope of this production, many more communities will be involved. We also must realize that many who have been involved primarily in the Prairie Grove reenactment events in the past will be coming here for the larger event. This will stretch the attendance zone all the way into Washington County and include cities like Fayetteville, Prairie Grove, Springdale, Lowell and Siloam Springs. The educational potential of this reenactment is tremendous, and it will only improve over the years and be a very popular, unique source of historical education and preservation in all of Northwest Arkansas. I would hope that all the school districts and local governments and organizations would cooperate with and support this great effort.
Dr. Cohagan
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