MARCH 2011
For the local community and visitors to Williamsburg, Virginia
Members of the 23rd Virginia Infantry Regiment pose with friends from other units during a recent Military Through the Ages event.
Civil War integral to Military Through the Ages By Bob Ruegsegger or almost three decades [28 years], Jamestown Settlement has continuously attracted hordes of museum visitors to the annual Military Through the Ages program. Civil War re-enactors have been an integral part of the event from the very beginning. Over the years, Civil War re-enactment units, Confederate and Union, have been among the most authentic and popular living history groups involved with the program. “The first year I was with the 1st Texas. Later, we portrayed the 53rd Virginia. I was involved with the museum education business back then with Colonial Williamsburg,” recalls Todd Johnson. “There were quite a few of us. I would say that the
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majority of the folks in both of those units were people who were involved in the museum education field at either the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation or Colonial Williamsburg.” Members of the 53rd Virginia were interested in the Military Through the Ages because it was an early spring event that gave re-enactors an opportunity to get their muskets and uniforms out, dust off the cobwebs, and get ready for the re-enactment season. “People always thought of the spring and the summer months as the re-enacting season,” recalls Steve Martin who re-enacted with the 53rd Virginia. “It was when all the major events were, and MTA gave them an opportunity to get back into the swing of things.” Half of the twelve re-enact-
Units compete on the demonstration field. The 3rd U.S. Infantry, also known as The Old Guard, often earns top honors.
This artillery unit traveled from Ohio to participate in the MTA.
ment units that participated in and about five or six units are the first Military Through the Civil War units.” Ages program in 1984 were Civil Jamestown began as a miliWar groups. The 1st North Cartary outpost in 1607. Military olina Volunteers from Seven Through the Ages capitalizes on Springs, North Carolina and the that early connection to military 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry history. Confederate and Union from Richmond were among forces occupied Jamestown Isthose initial units. land during the Civil War. Two“They were predominantly Hundreds of re-enactors from more Civil War units. than 30 organizations will join the Nowadays, our Virginia National Guard to offer Civil War re-envisitors a look at centuries of military actors make up history during the weekend of March less than a quar19-20, 2011. At noon on Saturday, ter of our units,” a children’s parade is scheduled. observes Homer The event concludes on Sunday Lanier, with a military pass-in-review at Jamestown Set3:00 pm. For more information visit tlement’s interwww.historyisfun.org or pretive site call 757-253-4838 or manager. “We’ll toll-free 888-593-5209. have 30-35 units with us this year