Sunday, December 26, 2010

Battle Of Trenton Revolutionary War Reenactment And A Visit To The Trent House On December 26, 2010

Trenton, New Jersey began its annual "Patriots' Week" with a rendition of the significant Battle Of Trenton, which was fought on this very day 234 years prior.

The Battle Of Trenton was part of the timeline of Reenactments connecting this event to yesterday's Washington's Crossing event. Soldiers took to the streets of Trenton and the city's Mill Hill Park. People walking through town, through the park and leaving church services were treated to, and, perhaps, shocked by, the sights of the old War For Independence. What made this Reenactment truly special was the light snowfall, and, later, heavy snowfall, that accompanied the troops. I thought that the snow was an incredible addition to the overall experience.

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General George Washington performed by John Godzieba:
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Setting up the cannon to fire:
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Here is a video of the actual blast (with a car alarm going off due to the motion of it!):


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From the streets of Trenton to Mill Hill Park ...

This is a nice shot with the bridge:
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The closing march ... the snow is an awesome touch!
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Lining up in front of the Old Barracks:
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Here are two videos of the Reenactment ...



After the Reenactment, I went to the Visitor's Center and made my way to the Trent House. I stumbled upon this pleasant flowing stream:
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A video of the river:

Across the street from the Trent House ...

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I finally arrived ...

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Once inside, I saw some nice furniture. Here is a shot of a fine case that was holding a candle:
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The url for the Trent House's website is http://www.williamtrenthouse.org

A Second Battle Of Trenton Reenactment was scheduled. I walked to the location where it was to be held, and no one was around. I assume that it was cancelled due to the heavy snowfall ... a pity because the snow would have offered great authenticity to the scene. I walked back to my car, and, by the time that I arrived, my beard was filled with ice!!! Instead of a Revolutionary War Reenactment, perhaps I should have been to a The Empire Strikes Back Hoth Reenactment!

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Here is a video showing my ice-covered beard:

Many more photos of the day can be found at this link: http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u213/portaltothepast/Reenactments/Revolutionary%20War/Battle%20Of%20Trenton%2012-26-2010

The various programs and activities of Patriots' Week will be held until December 31. More information can be found at http://patriotsweek.com

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Washington's Crossing Christmas Reenactment On December 25, 2010

It was a fine day on this Saturday morning ... very conducive for a successful Reenactment. Equally successful to the weather was the turn out. There must have been thousands of spectators and enthusiasts in attendance to witness this fifty-eighth annual Crossing of the Delaware River in honor of the Revolutionary Patriots. New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the bridge that links the two had sizable crowds lined up in the bitter cold of this December day.

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The first boat:

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You can see a cannon in the top middle of the photo (it was periodically firing during the Crossing):

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The second boat:

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The third boat featuring General George Washington performed by John Godzieba (with a fourth boat by the dock):

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This is a great shot right here:

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Marching after reaching New Jersey:

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Check out the clay pipe in his hat:

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Washington about to give a speech at the podium:

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One cannon on the Pennsylvania side:

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Another cannon:

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The brochure promoting the event - you will note the spelling of Washington Crossing in the old (olde) style (Wafhington Croffing):

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More photographs of the day can be seen at this link: http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u213/portaltothepast/Reenactments/Revolutionary%20War/Washingtons%20Crossing%2012-25-2010

Video clips of the Reenactment can be found on my youtube page through using the search term "Crossing". Here is the url - http://www.youtube.com/user/michaeltheresearcher

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Civil War Union Documents/Ephemera - Blank And Unused!

Here are some blank, unused and original documents/forms dating to the 1860s and made for use by the Union Forces during the War Between The States! Quite suitable for framing!  Watch out - people can forge signatures on these! I discuss the matter in this video.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Total Lunar Eclipse On December 21, 2010

North America and South America were treated to a Total Lunar Eclipse the likes of which has not been seen since February 20, 2008. This event also coincided with the Winter Solstice. The last time that a Total Lunar Eclipse occurred on the day of the Winter Solstice was on December 21, 1638 ... 372 years ago. The two events will meet again in the year 2094 (I already have it on my calendar!). The next Total Lunar Eclipse will take place on June 15, 2011 (a nice consolation prize for those of you who will not be attending the dual phenomena 84 years from now).

I was just waking up when the Eclipse started (at around 2:45 AM) so the following photos only show the middle and final phases (a short search on the web should reveal plenty of amateur footage of the Eclipse in all of its stages though).

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Clear morning - stars can be seen:

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An odd trick of light revealling what appears to be three Moons.

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A short video of the Eclipse [featuring two parts (filmed at around 3:30 AM and then 4:40 AM)]: