Balls Bluff Battle Anniversary living history event - Oct. 24, 2020

Claude Bauer

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Jan 8, 2012
There will be a living history event at the Balls Bluff battlefield in N. Va. on Oct. 24, 2020 to commemorate the battle there. The 8th GM Band will be there, as well as Union infantry from the 3rd US Regulars, Co. K and Confederate infantry from the 2nd Maryland, Co. A. There will be an artillery demo and an opposing forces skirmish. Appropriate Corona virus controls will be in place.

Here is the website for the event:

Here is the schedule of events:

Event Schedule
11:00 AM - Battlefield Tour with Joe Fioramonti
11:30 AM - Cannon Placement
Noon - Skirmish Line, 3rd US Regulars & 2nd Maryland Infantry, Co. A
1:00 PM - Civil War Music 8th George Mason Division Band
2:00 PM - Artillery Demonstration
3:00 PM - Remembrance
  • Pledge of Allegiance
  • Oliver Wendell Holmes Speech
  • Roll call of the KIA
  • Empty Chair Song
  • Taps
3:30 PM Event closes.

In a year when just about everything's been canceled--here's a chance to get out there and see the troops, smell the black powder and hear the music!
 
A question for anyone who has visited the Ball's Bluff battlefield. How is the terrain there? Specifically, is it navigable for a wheelchair? I was there about 30 years ago, but honestly I can't remember. 'Twasn't on my mind back then, and it may have changed anyways.
 
A question for anyone who has visited the Ball's Bluff battlefield. How is the terrain there? Specifically, is it navigable for a wheelchair? I was there about 30 years ago, but honestly I can't remember. 'Twasn't on my mind back then, and it may have changed anyways.
I haven't gotten over there since the 150th anniversary event, but as I recall there was an unpaved parking lot and an unpaved path up to the little cemetery. That may have changed. If you'd like to attend, you might want to contact the park about that. My wife is disabled and occasionally needs a wheelchair and I think it'd be an OK place to visit for those with disabilities, but like I said, you might want to touch base with them first. I hope you can make it to the event!
 
This park service event was held yesterday and was very successful under the circumstances--the crowd of spectators was small, as were the number of participants, but that's to be expected.

I was the only music there for both sides, so I played most of the day--they even asked me to play Taps on my fife when the skirmish was over--first time I've done that!

There was also a memorial service at the small cemetery. We read the names of the fallen, and I read those from the 20th MA--it was the first time all the names have been heard aloud there in 159 years. When I was reading the names from the 20th MA, there were two in a row with the same last name. I thought it was a data entry mistake and then realized they were family members, probably brothers serving in the same unit, killed on the same day. This was also the battle where future Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes was wounded.

It was a very enjoyable, but also a very meaningful and memorable day.

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