Smell the smoke, taste the battle!
Get ready for action as the Battle of Blountville Civil War Reenactment gears up for October 9-11, 2015, at the Old Hawley Farm, 1173 Hawley Rd., Blountville, TN 37617. Drawing over 7,000 visitors to its arena in previous years, the award-winning event is held annually on the beautiful 60-acre site known as the Old Hawley Farm. The mission statement and purpose of the Civil War Reenactment is to commemorate the Civil War Battle of Blountville which took place on September 22, 1863, and to promote heritage tourism in Northeast Tennessee.
Activities will begin at 10 AM on Fri., Oct. 9, with "School Days", an educational opportunity for regional school groups from across East TN and Southwest VA. Students will enjoy visiting Civil War encampments and living history demonstrations by various artisans and historians.
Two full-scale Civil War Reenactments will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Col. Lance Dawson will be in command of the Union Army, and Col. Carl Jenkins will be in charge of the Confederate forces. Reenactment Committee Coordinators are expecting reenactors from TN, NC, VA, KY, GA, SC and FL.
Displays and demonstrations throughout the weekend will include Civil War music; wagon displays; impressionists of Civil War personas such as Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, Gen. Robert E. Lee and other legends of the past; Pewter Spoon Casting from 18th and 19th century molds; Civil War uniforms presentation; Civil War games and toys display; Civil War medical displays, Union and Confederate encampments and more.
This year's reenactment weekend will include several new activities, among which are a vintage Civil War Baseball Game and a festive Ceilidh. The vintage Civil War baseball game will be held Saturday afternoon, and is patterned after the Emmert Machinists, an actual 1864 period baseball team. The Ceilidh ("kay-lee") will be centered around a festive bonfire on Saturday evening with music and dancing.
Civil War music will be provided throughout the weekend featuring Kryss Dula & Friends of Johnson City, TN. Dula has been performing since 1981 and released his first full-length solo album in 2013. Originally from Charlotte, NC, he currently resides in Johnson City, TN.
Saturday's activities also include a Civil War Ladies Tea and a Fireworks Display. A Period Worship Service will be held at 10 AM on Sunday, followed by the Battle at 2 PM.
Period Sutlers include Dutch Fork Sutlery, Old Doc Belle Elixir, Old-Time-Kettlecorn, Possum Hollow Sutlery, TLC Mercantile, LaPierre Leathergoods and others. Area food vendors will offer old-time barbeque, hamburgers, hot dogs, cheese fries, nachos, fried green tomatoes, deep fried twinkies, deep fried oreos, funnel cakes, pizza, deep fried pickles, Philly cheese steak, curly potatoes, and more.
Admission is $5 for Adults, and Children 12 and under are free.
The event is sponsored by the 2015 Battle of Blountville Civil War Reenactment Committee, the Battle of Blountville Civil War Military Park, and the Sullivan County Department of Archives and Tourism.
