SATURDAY, MAY 30th, 2009
9:30AM-4:00PM
The Torrington Historical Society, 192 Main Street, Torrington, CT 06790
Schedule of events for the Lincoln Bicentennial Civil War Encampment and Parade (Railroad Museum of New England and the St Peter’s Drum corps to participate)
Abraham Lincoln, portrayed by Howard Wright, and accompanied Connecticut Gov. William Buckingham (1858-1866) and a Pinkerton bodyguard, arrive Saturday in Torrington aboard a train provided by the Railroad Museum of New England. The “president’s’’ arrival at 9:30 a.m. will kick off a Lincoln Bicentennial Civil War Encampment sponsored by the Connecticut Humanities Council and the Torrington Savings Bank.
The train will stop at the Church Street railroad crossing near Christmas Village, where Mayor Ryan Bingham and the St Peter’s Drums Corps Band will welcome Lincoln. The “president” will be driven to the Torrington Historical Society in a horse drawn carriage, behind some 75 marching re-enactors representing several Civil War military units from Connecticut. The parade will be led by the St Peter’s Drum Corps Band and will follow a route from the railroad to Mason St., Prospect St., lower Church St, and arriving at the Historical Society on Main St where Lincoln will review the Troops and address the crowd. During the day, there will be two Gatling gun demonstrations and several musket firing demonstrations. At noon, the president will dine with Gov. Buckingham and military officers. Later, a gun salesman will demonstrate a “new” repeating rifle for the president. As the event progresses, the troops will drill twice more for the president, who will again review them, and twice more Lincoln will address the crowd.
Besides Lincoln and the Troops, such historical characters as Mark Twain, John Wilkes Booth, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Mary Ann Lewis Bronson and Pryce Lewis, a Union spy who is buried in Torrington will be represented along with military portrayals of Col. Griffin Stedman, O.R. Fyler and Joseph Pierce of the 14th Connecticut. All the reenactors will mingle with the crowd throughout the day. Several authors, including Tom Craughwell, author of Stealing Lincoln’s Body will be available to sign copies of their books about this period in American history. The event closes at 4 p.m. Parking for the event will be on street or in municipal parking lots. A shuttle bus provided by the NW CT Transit district will be available at the municipal lot on Church St behind the YMCA.
The encampment is an official event of the Connecticut Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission and is presented by the Connecticut Civil War Round Table and the Torrington Historical Society. Also on Saturday, the Historical Society will open a new exhibit called “Civil War Stories – Tales of Torrington Soldiers.’’ The exhibit is sponsored by the CT Humanities Council and the Community Foundation of Northwest Connecticut.
THE EVENT IS FREE. Please see the schedule of events below for more information or call 860-482-8260.
Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial
Civil War Encampment
Schedule of Events
9:30 President Lincoln’s train arrives at Church St RR crossing
9:45 Reenactors parade from Church St to Main St
10:00 President Lincoln arrives at Historical Society and addresses the crowd
10:30 Troops drill and President Lincoln reviews the troops
11:00 Gatling gun demonstration
11:30 Musket firing demonstration
Noon President Lincoln dines with Governor Buckingham and Officers
1:00 Troops drill and President Lincoln reviews the troops
1:30 Gun salesman demonstrates “new” repeating rifle to President Lincoln
2:00 President Lincoln addresses the crowd
2:30 Troops drill and President Lincoln reviews the troops
3:00 Gatling gun demonstration
3:30 President Lincoln addresses the crowd
4:00 Event closes
Presented by: the CT Civil War Round Table and the Torrington Historical Society
Sponsored by: the Connecticut Humanities Council and the Torrington Savings Bank
