Milford chronicle., 1959-01-02
VIII Re-enact Civil
War Engagements
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started by local authorities, Mr..
Belts reported. Committees have
been organized in some instances,
and programs, all to be coordinated
with the national Centennial Com
mission, gradually are taking
shape
The executive director made his
announcement as the National Gen.
tennial Commission. a 25-member
group established by public law,
prepared to wind up it's first year
of operations with a meeting to be
held at the Department of Interior
on January 6. Reports and a fur
ther extension of plans will be
among principal items on the itin-
erary for the session.
Meanwhile, Major General u. S.
Grant, Bro, chairman of the Com
mission, reiterated that the Cen
tennial will be carried out on a
local enterprise" basis.
''We have no intention" he ex-
planned, "Of telling a community,
county, or a state how it shall
observe the Centennial. Each To-
cality will be encouraged to work
out its own observance Our func-
tiOn here at national headquarters
will be that of coordinating ag-
ency, working to avoid conflict or
overlapping wherever possible and
assisting in any manner within our
| power and authority. AS Congress
appropriated for our use only
enough money to cover operating
expenses, each locality will have to
bear the expense of the program it
devises."
The chairman emphasized that
he did not foresee the Centennial
as series of battle reenactments.
Certain of the key battles nat
urally will be reS0ught," he said.
But such representations are ex-
pensive and involve much labor for
their organization and rehearsal,
so we envisiOn the observance of
this most significant period in our
history rather as four-year page
ant of useful educational programs.
dedications, land acquisitions, mon
ume1t and marker dwellings, and
similar steps to emphasize the les
sons afforded US by the war in a
manner that will bring US the
greatest benefit. We also hope to
gain valuable historical informa-
ton by this great program in which
we plan to relive the war;
At Charleston, S. c., scene of the
Fort Sumter attack, the Chamber
of Commerce already has held
meetings to discuss plans for a
suitable reenactment, but definite
action has been delayed pending
the inauguration next month of a
new Governor. The incoming execu-
tive, Ernest F. Hollings of that
city, is expected to be sympathetic
toward such a program and push
for necessary legislation to insure
South CarOlina'S part in the war
being fully covered during the
Centennial
Julian Metz, executive director
of the Charleston Chamber. an
nounced that, though concrete ac-
ton has been postponed pending
the inaugural, plans for the Centen-
nial definitely are in the making
and that he has every reason to be-
l-lieye they viii include reenactment
of the attack on Fort Sumter.
The move for restaging the bat
tie of Philippi has been under the
direction Of the Barbour County
Historical Society, headed by DR..
Z. E. Myers. The sesqui-centennial
of this engagement, first land fight
] of the war, was held in 1911, but a
more elaborate program is planned
for 1861.
DR.. Myers reported that meetings
to discuss plans for a reenactment
! already bave been held by the His
torical Society, with representa-
tlves of other interested organiza-
tions present, and that he is conf
dent a suitable program will be
agreed upon, possibly with some
cooperation from nearby communi-
ties and from the state. While reIa-
lively obscure, the battle at Phil
ippi was of far-reaching Import
ance. 1t opened the way for the
formation of the state of West Vir-
ginia, secured the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad west of the Allie
gheny Mountains for the Union
during the war, opened a corridor
from the railroad south along Ty-
CARTS Valley, and started General
George B. Mcclellan on his rise to
military prominence.
Manassas, the first major battle
of the war, already restaged on
by an authentic reenactment, per-
haps the most extensive of any to
Q0VQrQ1 0aoncionc will -
date. Francis F. Wilshin, superin-
tendent of the Manassas National
Battlefield Park, and an active COM
mittee of businessmen from the To-
cal Chamber of Commerce have
held several meetings to discuss
plans. The program worked out so
far calls for not only a portrayal
of the battle action, but for such
colorful sidelights as military
ball.
The Governors of all of the %
states represented in the battle of
nearly century ago will be asked
to send 1OO-man contingents to take
part in the reenactment. These, ac-
cording to present plans, will be
attired in the uniforms of the orig
ina1 volunteer companies, some of
which were extremely flashy and
were identical even though worn
by opposing units.
To accommodate the larg e.
crowds expected to visit the bat
tlefield during the Centennial, the
National Park Service has received
authorization for the erection of
$4,000 addition to the present mu-
scum, to include an auditorium
that will seat $50 persons. Two