PARKERSBURG - Carlin's Battery Civil War reenactors are inviting townsfolk to celebrate Christmas at the unit's soldiers headquarters in Fort Boreman Park on Dec. 17.
The reenactors will be decked out in their period uniforms, and festivities will begin at 6 p.m. Everyone is invited and the event is free of charge.
"We're calling a truce for the night with the Confederates and we'll have soldiers from both sides at our Christmas at the Cabin celebration this year. This is the fourth year for the event. It was common practice back in Civil War times for the townsfolk to come up to the fort to try and make the soldiers stationed there feel as at home as possible," said Jim Miracle with Carlin's Battery.
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Members of Carlin’s Battery Civil War reenactors are shown with the new limber and cannon. Front row includes Dave Bogonivich, Larry Stevens, Pat Delaney, Justin Spohn, Jim Miracle and Pat Lyons. On the limber are Chad Spohn, front, and Alan Page.
There will be caroling around the bonfire, hot chocolate, coffee and cookies.
"We'll be singing Christmas carols around the campfire. It's a lot of fun, and we'd like to invite everyone to come up and bring your families," he said. "The kids really enjoy themselves too. We have kids serve as our powder monkey. During the war orphans were often used as powder monkeys in the units, and the kids and parents get a big kick out of it."
The first year the battery sponsored the event there were about 20 who attended. Miracle said last year there were 100 people at the event.
The unit this year obtained a limber for use with their cannon and participated in a number of local fairs, festivals and parades as well as Civil War reenactments including New Market in Virginia and Gettysburg.
"Next year will be the big 150th anniversary at Gettysburg and we plan to be there," Miracle said.
The unit uses a cabin at the park as its headquarters. The cabin was re-constructed out of logs from the 200-year-old Moore cabin formerly located on New England Ridge in Lubeck District.
The battery got a Civil War-era replica limber will be ready by spring. A limber is a two-wheeled carriage used to carry the ammunition chest for the cannon.
The Civil War artillery company, which was named after one originally stationed on Fort Boreman Hill, was created in 2008 by the Wood County Commission. Union troops with the 11th West Virginia Infantry manned Fort Boreman Hill during the Civil War. The hill is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.
Anyone interested in having a speaker from the unit, or the unit at an event to conduct an educational workshop, or in becoming a member of the unit, call Miracle at 304-488-2307.
