On Saturday, Oct. 20, 11 AM – 2 PM, join RHS at our Campbell House Museum and Historic Gardens as we again host the Living History groups “The Ladies for The Union” and “The Officers for the Union,” to partner with Stonewall Jackson House on Apple Day festivities.
Inside, you’ll have a chance to talk with costumed, first-person interpreters as they demonstrate mid-19th century textile crafts, hand-produced to support wounded and sick soldiers during the Civil War. Their tools and techniques include bobbin-made fancy lace, piecework quilting, and use of an authentic 1865 single-thread sewing machine invented by Rockbridge County’s James Gibbs. Special displays of period magazines and posters also help one of the re-enactors describe her work with the Female Hebrew Benevolent Society, the oldest continuous Jewish charity in the United States.
Out back, in RHS’ Historic Herbal Healing Garden, “The Officers for The Union” will be ‘encamped’ in their tent to welcome visitors: dressed in full U.S. Army uniform, representing four specific generals and commanding officers who served in the Civil War. There, kids and adults alike will have a chance to explore their use of arms, examine Civil War maps tracing key campaigns, and even “enlist” by filling out period paperwork with the inkwell and field desk on hand, to bring the experience more intimately to life.
For a more detailed accounting of the day’s events, and their historical contexts, click HERE.