By Karen Bloom
Young and old can experience spring this weekend, amidst the sights and sounds of centuries past.
One highlight is the annual ³School of the Soldier² reenactment, held Saturday and Sunday, Apr. 14-15. The village is turned into a Civil War training camp, conducted by Company E of the Fourteenth Brooklyn Regiment, N.Y.S. Militia. Twenty-five men will spend Saturday and Sunday, undergoing rigorous training throughout the village and its fairgrounds, in this recreation of a military training camp as it was done during the Civil War period.
The ³soldiers² of the 14th Brooklyn dressed in the uniforms of the time demonstrate the basic formations, including marching, facings and manual of arms, that were significant components of the company¹s training in 1861. Besides reviewing the basics, the officers will lead the men in company drills both days and conclude with a skirmish drill on Sunday.
³It is quite fascinating to watch these men, who work very hard during these two days² said Jim McKenna, Old Bethpage Village¹s site director and curator.
The Fourteenth New York State Militia established a notable record for valor during the Civil War. It is, however, best remembered for its unique variation of the French Chasseur uniform, which it adopted in 1860, on the eve of the Civil War. This distinctive uniform was used throughout the regiment¹s three-year enlistment in the Civil War (May 1861 to May 1864).
The ³Brooklyn Chasseurs,² as they were also known, had a courageous fighting record. They served in many of the major campaigns, such as First & Second Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and Spotsylvania. After the First Bull Run, where the regiment fought bravely and sustained 142 casualties, Stonewall Jackson nicknamed them the ³Red Legged Devils.²
During the Battle of Gettysburg, the regiment played a vital role in delaying the rebel advance on the first day. Its actions allowed the Army of the Potomac to concentrate on the position around Culp¹s Hill and Cemetery Hill. The 14th sustained 217 casualties during three bloody days of fighting at Gettysburg, one of the few regiments to see that many days of action.
After completing a three-year enlistment, the regiment was mustered out of service. The men arrived home in Brooklyn to the cheers of crowds at Fulton Ferry on May 25, 1864. The 14th is the only regiment to have three monuments erected and dedicated in its honor at Gettysburg¹s National Battle field Park. The regiment¹s legacy, in the form these reenactors, continues to live on at Old Bethpage.
On a different, furrier, scale, legions of rabbits make their way to the village this weekend, for that annual rite of spring, the Long Island Rabbit Breeders Show. Visitors can see over 1,500 prize rabbits, who compete in various classes on Saturday. The many rabbits including Holland Lops, Belgian Hares, New Zealands, and English Angoras take over the three wings of the Exhibition Hall. This spring favorite is one of the village¹s most popular events.
Another feature at Old Bethpage this time of year is what is called the ³Hands On History² program, which is offered Saturdays throughout April and May. Families are invited and encouraged to participate in the many daily activities that illustrate 19th century life on Long Island over 150 years ago. Kids and adults, too can try their hand at writing on a slate board with a slate pencil at the School House, churning fresh cream into butter at the Powell Farmhouse, rolling wooden hoops on dirt streets beside the Noon Inn, weaving on a small loom at the Cooper House, and carding wool at the Benjamin House.
Children may also find themselves asked to sweep the porch at the General Store with a handmade corn broom or assist the hatter in making a hat. ³This is a great opportunity for children to experience life without contemporary conveniences and to gain a greater appreciation for what the daily lives of an earlier generation of Long Islanders were like,² said McKenna.
Civil War Reenactment/L.I. Rabbit Breeders Show at Old Bethpage Village Restoration
Saturday and Sunday, April 14-15, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Admission: $7 adults, $5 seniors (60+) and children 4-14. Old Bethpage Village Restoration. Round Swamp Rd., Old Bethpage. (516) 572-8400 or www.oldbethpage.org.
