EXHIBITS

June 1 – 30 – Thomas Balch Library Exhibit: Leesburg Garden Club. It may be seen by appointment only on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. or 1 to 3 p.m. Please call 703-737-7195, email balchlib@leesburgva.gov, or fill out an Appointment Request Form online.

LECTURES, SEMINARS, TOURS & OTHER EVENTS:

Thurs., June 3, at 10 a.m. – “Researching African American Genealogy” (virtual event) In this two-hour virtual class, offered by Thomas Balch Library, Steve Hammond and Lori Kimball will be using case studies and examples from their research. Hammond will share his efforts to make the field more relatable and relevant to the public at large, and Kimball will discuss resources available. Pre-registration is required for this event. Please call 703-737-7195, email balchlib@leesburgva.gov, or register online.

Thurs., June 3, at 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. – “The Udderly Fantastic Dairy Industry in Loudoun County” (virtual event).  Loudoun County was once home to over 400 dairy farms. Today there is just one. Join the Historic Records Department of the Clerk of Circuit Court and the Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum for a presentation about Loudoun’s dairy industry then and now and Pidgeon Hill Farm in Sterling. Join the program from the link: https://loudoun-gov.webex.com/loudoun-gov/onstage/g.php?MTID=ef1ff762c0dc299c89aa2a163cd461b0b Meeting password: 060321

Sat., June 5, at 11:00 a.m.-- Wayne’s Crossing ­- 240th Anniversary (in-person event). Sponsored by Sons of the American Revolution. This event honors the crossing of the Potomac River by General Wayne’s Army on May 31, 1781. Wayne’s brigade of 700 seasoned troops – including many Pennsylvania Germans – entered Virginia at Noland’s Ferry, and marched through Leesburg on June 3, 1781. These forces provided the critical reinforcements for Lafayette’s army in Virginia, which had been in retreat from the larger army of Cornwallis prior to his arrival. Wayne’s troops joined Lafayette on June 10, and engaged Cornwallis at the Battle of Green Spring on July 6, which was the largest infantry engagement in Virginia during the War, leading to the withdrawal of Cornwallis to Yorktown, and the end of the war a few months later. Location: Spirit of Loudoun Revolutionary War Memorial, Loudoun County Courthouse, 18 E Market Street, Leesburg

Saturdays, June 5 and 12, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. --  GUIDED BATTLEFIELD TOURS OF MT. DEFIANCE (in-person event). Join us for a guided tour of the Mt. Defiance battlefield, part of the June 19, 1863 Battle of Middleburg. The tour will look at site features and the battle events in context, and will include strategic military aspects of the battle, landscape features, and engaging human-interest stories. Free admission; no reservations necessary. Please wear a mask and practice social distancing. Meet in the parking lot at 35945 John Mosby Highway, Middleburg. For more information click here.

Sat., June 5, at 11 a.m. – Art and War: A First Saturday Walking Tour in Downtown Frederick (in-person event). National Museum of Civil War Medicine Director of Interpretation Jake Wynn will lead a special historic walking tour through Downtown Frederick , highlighting individual stories from artists who passed through Frederick during the Civil War. Mixed in among the soldiers, politicians, and civilians who passed through Frederick, Maryland between 1861 and 1865 were writers, poets, and artists. They helped document what life was like here in this city at the crossroads of war. Discover their story on our final First Saturday walking tour of 2016. From the world renowned poem “Barbara Frietchie” by John Greenleaf Whittier to beautiful paintings by celebrated artist Sanford Robinson Gifford and stories by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., Frederick was the backdrop for incredibly important events during the American Civil War and the art captured those moments. But it wasn’t only the experts who captured these moments. In the newspapers, diaries, and letters of the American Civil War, average soldiers and citizens were also putting pen to paper. Soldier poems, battlefield sketches, and tales from the Army camps of Frederick, Maryland give us different perspectives on the war from new points of view. The walking tour is limited to 15 participants. Masks are required throughout the tour and we request that you practice strict social distancing. Tickets are $15 and include admission to the National Museum of Civil War Medicine in addition to the walking tour. Tickets are free for Museum members, but you must still reserve your spot. Reservations will be accepted on a first come first served basis.

Mon., June 7, at 7 p.m. – Surviving the Winters: Housing Washington's Army during the American Revolution. (virtual event) George Washington and his Continental Army braving the frigid winter at Valley Forge form an iconic image in the popular history of the American Revolution. Such winter camps, Steven Elliott tells us in Surviving the Winters, were also a critical factor in the waging and winning of the War of Independence. Exploring the inner workings of the Continental Army through the prism of its encampments, this book is the first to show how camp construction and administration played a crucial role in Patriot strategy during the war. As Elliott reminds us, Washington’s troops spent only a few days a year in combat. The rest of the time, especially in the winter months, they were engaged in a different sort of battle—against the elements, unfriendly terrain, disease, and hunger. Victory in that more sustained struggle depended on a mastery of camp construction, logistics, and health and hygiene—the components that Elliott considers in his environmental, administrative, and operational investigation of the winter encampments at Middlebrook, Morristown, West Point, New Windsor, and Valley Forge. Beyond the encampments’ basic function of sheltering soldiers, his study reveals their importance as a key component of Washington’s Fabian strategy: stationed on secure, mountainous terrain close to New York, the camps allowed the Continental commander-in-chief to monitor the enemy but avoid direct engagement, thus neutralizing a numerically superior opponent while husbanding his own strength.  Steven Elliott is a lecturer in the Department of History at Rutgers University–Newark. Register here. Fort Plain Museum & Historical Park, Fort Plain, NY.

Wed., June 9, at 6:30 p.m. -- “Duffields Station, or the First Calico Raid,” (in-person event) presented by Harpers Ferry Civil War Round Table. Our speaker, author and historian Don Hakenson, will focus on the John Mosby raid of the B&O Railroad on June 29, 1864, and describe how Mosby was able to convince the Union commander to surrender the Duffields depot without firing a shot. Don Hakenson has researched and published award-winning books about the Mosby Raiders and other Northern Virginia Civil War topics. He has served as a tour guide and has authored pamphlets on Mosby combat operations. Don will bring some of his books along for sale and autographing. The 1839 Duffields Station is the second-oldest B&O Railroad station remaining.This tour is free and open to the public, but you must reserve your space by contacting Chris Craig at ccraig@laurellodge.com or 304-433-1260. We ask those without COVID vaccinations to remain masked, and all should adhere to social distancing. The program will carry on in light rain (bring umbrellas!) but will be postponed to June 16 in case of a storm. You may park in the MARC station lot across Flowing Spring Road; please be cautious when crossing the road. Duffields Station, Flowing Springs Road, Shenandoah Junction, WV.

Wed., June 9 at 7 p.m. – Civil War Lecture Series: “Meet the Original Iron Brigade,” (in-person event) presented by Dr. Tom Clemens. For more information about Tom and his talk visit: https://jacob-rohrbach-inn.com/blog/2021/05/tom-clemens-meet-the-original-iron-brigade/ These outdoors programs will be held at the Jacob Rohrbach Inn, 138 W. Main Street, Sharpsburg, MD on Wednesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. Even though those programs are outdoors, guests are encouraged to wear face coverings and to social distance as much as possible. To ensure adequate seating, please bring a chair. In case of inclement weather, lectures will be held at the Sharpsburg Christ Reformed UCC Church at 117 Main Street. Parking is available on Main and Hall Streets. For updates and a full schedule of presenters & topics check our Facebook page.

Thurs., June 10, at 6:30 p.m. – History on Tap: Loudoun Revelry (in-person event, free) Join the Historians on Tap from the Loudoun Museum, Heritage Farm Museum, and Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area as they tell stories about Loudoun's partying past at Dynasty Brewing's Ashburn location. There will be a food truck on site at that evening. Cheers! Dynasty Brewing, 21140 Ashburn Crossing Dr, Suite 130-135, Ashburn, VA 20147

Sat., June 12, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. --  GUIDED BATTLEFIELD TOURS OF MT. DEFIANCE. (See June 5 above)

Sun., June 13, at 2:00 p.m. – Conversations in History: Virginia 1781 (in-person event, $) During the spring of 1781 the American Revolution was in crisis. Washington was locked in a stalemate outside of New York, while the southern colonies descended into a bloody civil war. British forces entered Virginia, hoping to destroy the colony’s ability to support the patriot cause. Little stood in their way. But just a few months later, the British army under Lord Cornwallis was trapped and defeated at Yorktown. How did fortunes change so quickly? Conversations in History returns for a look at the crucial spring of 1781 and the role that the Carolina Road played as a vital conduit for Continental soldiers during the Virginia campaign. This program is in partnership with NOVA Parks and the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area. The talk will take place at Historic Mt. Zion Church, located at 40309 John Mosby Highway, Aldie, Virginia. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and can be purchased at the door. For more information call (540) 687-5578, or go here.

Sat., June 19, at 11 a.m. -- GUIDED BATTLEFIELD TOUR OF MT. DEFIANCE. (see June 5 above).  At 11 a.m., historian and educator Rich Gillespie will be leading a special tour to commemorate the 158^th anniversary of the Battle of Middleburg.

Wed., June 23 at 7:00 p.m. – Francis Marion: the Swamp Fox, (virtual event) with Dr. Steven D. Smith. Presented by U.S. Army Heritage Center Foundation. During the American Revolution, A Loyalist Colonel named Robert Gray described South Carolina as “a piece of patch work, the inhabitants of every settlement, when united in sentiment being in arms for the side they liked best and making continual inroads into one another’s settlements.” One of those pieces of patch work, were the people living on and surrounding Snow’s Island, South Carolina, “united in sentiment” against the British crown. This community of partisans joined the rebellion as early as 1775 and stubbornly refused to surrender, even when Charleston fell in 1780. They supplied food, forage, and blood to the rebellion, and under the leadership of General Francis Marion, became an obstacle to British control of the southern colonies. Registration required.

Sat., June 26, at 2:00 p.m. – Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area 25th Anniversary Celebration (in-person event). Join the VPHA as we celebrate 25 years of preservation through education in the Virginia Piedmont! Enjoy a family-friendly afternoon at the historic Goose Creek Bridge with live music, food and drink, and a living history timeline to take you through hundreds of years of Virginia history. More details and ticket sales will be available here soon.

Sun., June 27 at 1 p.m. – Civil War Style Church Service (in-person event). Join Historic Rocky Springs Chapel, Inc. (HRSC) for a Civil War-style nondenominational church service. The services are conducted by a preacher wearing Civil War period attire & worshipers sing hymns that were popular during the American Civil War. Most sermons preached were originally delivered between 1861-1865. A short living history program immediately follows each service. The wearing of Civil War period attire to the church services & living history programs is encouraged (but not required). Everyone is welcome to attend! Historic Rocky Springs Chapel, 7817 Rocky Springs Road, Frederick, MD 21702. Website 912-492-4355.

Wed., June 30, at 7 p..m. – Civil War Lecture Series: “The Confederate Cavalry During the Maryland Campaign,” (in-person event) presented by Antietam Battlefield Guide and renowned author, Brad Gottfried. For more information about Brad and his talk visit: https://jacob-rohrbach-inn.com/blog/2021/05/brad-gottfried-the-confederate-cavalry-during-the-maryland-campaign/ See June 9 listing above for details.


Online programs, available anytime:

The African Burial Ground 30 Years Later: Impacts On Black Cemeteries | Presented by the National Museum of African American History and Culture. In 1991, an archaeological survey at a construction site for a General Services Administration building in New York City revealed intact human remains 30 ft below street level on Broadway in Manhattan. Further research was charged to Howard University, which formed the African Burial Ground Project, directed by Dr. Michael Blakey. This project changed what we know about slavery in the North, how we engage with descendant communities, and led to new understandings about what we can learn from Black cemeteries. Join the Robert F. Smith Explore Your Family History Center as we welcome Dr. Blakey. View at https://nmaahc.si.edu/event/african-burial-grounds-30-years-later-impacts-black-cemeteries?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D152440528


Two new videos about our neighboring Jefferson County, produced by Jim Surkamp with the support of the American Public University System. All videos and posts at the site http://civilwarscholars.com are fact-based and intended to advance a better understanding of our nation's foundational values as they evolved in Jefferson County, WV. To see over 20,000 images from this content at the flickr account that has to date in ten years over 73 million views, go to https://www.flickr.com/photos/jimsurkamp/albums
The two new videos are: 
Making Hay to Make Flour for Europe - Summer, 1859
 https://youtu.be/iZ1OKTTJ9NU
Phebe's Apple-jack
youtu.be
https://youtu.be/wOsi9h31h2M