On Saturday, March 28, The Pulaski County Civil War Sesquicentennial and the Wilderness Road Regional Museum will be hosting a Living History event to commemorate the end of the American Civil War.
On Saturday morning March 28, 2015 the 45th Virginia Infantry will be leading a march from the Rail Road Depot in Dublin to the Wilderness Road Regional Museum in Newbern. The march will begin in Dublin at 9:00 am with the Soldiers arriving in Newbern at 10:00. The reenactors will march through Newbern, portraying Soldiers returning to the New River Valley in the final days of the Civil War. The public is invited to attend and stand along the march route and streets of Newbern to welcome the Soldiers home.
Once at the museum, the 45th Virginia will be conducting an authentic Living History. The program will be conducted throughout the day and consist of Infantry drills and firing demonstrations, Soldier life and the strategic importance of the New River Valley during the war. At 12:00, there will be a period cooking demonstration in conjunction with blanket displays. The public is encouraged to interact with the Soldiers and ask questions.
The final program of the day will begin at 3:15; with news of General Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. The Soldiers will then march to the Old Jail in Newbern for the reading of General Order No.9 (Lee’s Farewell Address). They will then stack arms, furl their Battle Flags and disband the regiment.
The event will close with the Soldiers taking the Amnesty Oath. In the months following Appomattox, Soldiers who were not present during Lee’s surrender were required to report to Federal Provost Marshal’s to sign an amnesty before they were considered to be citizens’ in good standing. The Soldiers will sign and receive a copy of their Amnesty at the end of the program.
The Pulaski County Civil War Sesquicentennial and Wilderness Road Regional Museum hopes that this will be an educational and enjoyable event to close out the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War.
The museum will be selling their beans and cornbread menu and offering tours throughout the day. For more information and updates go to the Pulaski County Civil War Sesquicentennial or Wilderness Road Regional Museum Facebook pages.