Christmas begins early this year for soldiers in the Confederate Camp at Historic Morven Park during Christmas of 1861. This extraordinary living history program, offered by Morven Park, will re-create camp life of the 17th Mississippi Regiment in winter quarters at Morven Park following the recent battle at nearby Ball’s Bluff.
Firing demonstrations, drilling, and camp cooking are some of the activities planned for the public to see during both days. These activities are centered around log huts, replicas of those built by soldiers at Morven Park in the winter of 1861/62. The portrayals of everyday camp life will be complemented by special drilling
and firing demonstrations at 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 3:00 PM each day. The Soldiers will share stories of how Christmas was celebrated by the troops, both North and South, during the Civil War.
Exhibits about Morven Park during the Civil War will be on view in the Coach House Visitors Center. A highlighted item will be a Virginia Civil War Trails marker, showcasing Morven Park during the Civil War. The Morven Park Mansion will be open for tours on both days, but the Carriage Collection will be closed. All tours begin in the Coach House Visitors Center.
Morven Park will be collecting items that will be donated to an armed forces hero (soldiers, sailors, airman, or Marines.) Bring in one of the needed supplies and receive $1 off of an Adult Admission.
A new Civil War Trails Interpretive Marker has recently been installed on the front lawn of the historic mansion. The marker, one in a series of three, commemorates the role of the plantation in the early months of the war, when it was home to Confederate troops of the 17th Mississippi Regiment in the winter of 1861/62.
The mansion lawn was used as drilling and review grounds by the Southern soldiers. Morven Park provided living space for officers in the mansion, while more than fifty log huts housed soldiers in the woods behind the house. Today, Morven Park Staff has recreated three of these huts for living history programming.
CIVIL WAR TRAILS
The Civil War Trails program has installed nearly 800 interpretive markers at Civil War sites in Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina. More Trails markers are expected soon in West Virginia and Tennessee. Driving tours follow major campaigns.
marker, one in a series of three, commemorates the role of the plantation in the early months of the war, when it was home to Confederate troops of the 17th Mississippi Regiment in the winter of 1861/62.