Community Corner

Battle, Secession Vote Re-Enactments Planned For Civil War Commemoration

In Vienna, activities to commemorate the 150th anniversary of The Civil War begin in May

Come May, Vienna may start to look a bit more like it did in 1861.

Cannons, replicas of period trains and re-enactors will flock to the Community Center, The Freeman House and the Town Green as Vienna kicks off its commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

A re-enactment of the county's early secession vote is planned for the weekend of  May 21 and a recreation of "The Battle of Vienna" will take place from June 17 to 19.

Find out what's happening in Viennawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The events are part of the state-wide Civil War Sesquicentennial, a series of events, lectures and exhibits that commemorate the war from 2011 through 2015.

Historic Vienna Inc. and the Town of Vienna, along with local historians, re-enactors and interested residents, have been meeting since the fall to plan the town's three major events. The "Legacy Projcet," --

Find out what's happening in Viennawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Vienna Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee met last night to continue planning two other major activites: The "Signature Event," a re-enactment of the Battle of Vienna, which marked the first time a railroad was used tactically in war, and a living history project, a re-enactment of the vote to secede from the Union.

The last time the Town planned Civil War celebrations was in 1986, during the 125th anniversary of the war, HVI President Anne Stuntz said. Stuntz still remembers the town's 100th celebration of the Civil War in 1961, and hopes that this year's celebrations will exceed even that.

"I'll never forget it, it was so exciting. There was nothing like it before or after," Stuntz said. " And that’s what we can offer our town now."

The Battle of Vienna was a Confederate attack on Union soldiers as they entered the town by train on the present day  W+OD trail next to the Community Center. It was the fifth "skirmish" of the Civil War, and many historians believe it was a precursor to the First Battle of Manassas.

The recreation of that battle will take place largely on the fields next to the Community Center, with the encampment set up along the front of the building. The Town will bring in two cannons for the event and set them off as part of the re-enactment, said Cathy Salgado, director of Parks and Recreation. They'll also bring in a replica of the original train, on loan from the Town of Strasburg, Va., which is building it for their own celebrations.

The vision is a living history weekend, with music on Friday night, demonstrations in the Community Center encampment throughout the day on Saturday and the re-enactment of the battle true to its original time of 6:30 p.m. that night.

Salgado is working with Darrell Berger of the 17th Virginia Company G to coordinate re-enactors from around this area of the state. Berger said they hope to have 50 re-enactors on both the Union and Confederate sides.

"We're really looking to make this something that a lot of people will come to. It's not very often that you have an encampment and a re-enactment all in the same day so it should be quite an event," Salgado said.

James Madison High School graduation is also June 17 at Robinson High School, which should make for a busy weekend in town, the group said.

The secession vote is scheduled for sometime the weekend of May 21, in front of the Freeman store, which was known as Lydeckers. At the time, Vienna voted 78 to 22 against seceding, making it just one of three jurisdictions in the area that voted to stay with the union. The group hopes to have residents interact with re-enactors and take place in a live vote several times throughout the day, announcing the historic tally when the vote is finished.

There is no estimate for how much either event will cost, but Stuntz and Salgado said they are trying to secure funding for some portions of the events and trying to solicit donations of things like artifacts.

Beyond May and June, the group talked about sponsoring essay and photo contests, a quilting effort, period dances or balls and exhibits at the Freeman House.

"This is no-mans land, between North and South, so what was the world like for the local people? That's what we should get at," said Jim Lewis, a local historian.

The committee will meet again at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22 in Town Hall. Residents can keep tabs on the group on their Facebook page, or by e-mailing Anne Stuntz at Stuntzag@aol.com.


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