Maine Living History Association cordially invites you

to our

Victorian Fashion Show.

See fashions of men, women, children. See a soldiers uniform, learn the secrets

under the hoop!

Enjoy a period treat with a cup of tea as you listen to music of the day.

Good Will Hinckley

Prescott Building

16 Prescott Drive

Hinckley, Maine 04944

May 12th

1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

$5 donation per person

For more information call 207-416-8771 hq@civilwarmaine.com

Sponsored by the Maine Living History Association

Proceeds to support:  “We Are Coming Father Abraham”, a historical  reenactment/living history event  August 24th-26th, 2012.

For more information contact: hq@civilwarmaine.org

or call: 207-200-MLHA(6542)

Proud partners of and supported by: 

Our 3-day event will focus on President Lincoln’s1862 call for 300,000 additional volunteers to suppress the rebellion. The patriotic sons of Maine responded with such enthusiasm that the state exceeded her quota of four regiments of infantry by raising five. The 20th Maine, ultimately one of the most famous units from Maine, was the “extra” fifth regiment mustered in that summer of 1862. We want to recognize the brave volunteers of the other regiments, as well as the 20^th, who left home and hearth behind that fateful summer. 

We look forward to our joint venture with MPBN to showcase Maine’s contribution to what many call “the turning point of the war”. 

It has come to our attention here at the Maine Living History Association that there are misunderstandings about our group as well as the upcoming Civil War event, ‘We Are Coming, Father Abraham’.

The MLHA was formed to support living history and its affect on the state of Maine and her citizens. Presently, there is a heavy concentration on the Civil War as that is celebrating its Sesquicentennial. Most of our original members are also focused on that era and so the foundation was created. Our present activities have afforded us the funds to officially become established as a Non-Profit 501 c 3 organization.  As the funding becomes more available and other parties become involved, the focus will be more widespread to include, but not limited to Vikings through yesterday. If it honors the history of Maine, it will be considered.

Some of what we are presently offering and what will form a more precise mission in the months ahead, is to organize events each year as well as offer assistance to groups/individuals wishing to do the same. Lectures, trips, discounted museums, future fiscal sponsorships, and possibly discounted insurance are also in discussion.

Presently, we are organizing the event at Good Will Hinckley as well as supporting a request to recognize the homestead of Sgt. Andrew Tozier. We have also been requested to assist in fund raising for the 1st ME Cavalry monument on the Aldie battlefield in Virginia.

We have members from all walks of history: reenactors, professional Living Historians, Historical Society members, authors, ancestors, amateur history buffs, etc. We even recently had a carpenter who has never had a connection to history join to share his talents while supporting ours.

Our members are couples, singles, and families, young, older than young and everywhere in between. We work together for the common good and have a fun time doing it. We share skills and learn new ones. There is truly a place for everyone here. We are not limited to any specific role other than to share our love of history while helping to preserve it and pass it down.

Regarding ‘We Are Coming, Father Abraham’ (WACFA), this event was originally planned to be held at Fort Knox State Historic Site. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we were asked to find another venue. Our group and our event have been graciously welcomed by the family of educators, professionals and community members at Good Will Hinckley.

Although WACFA includes the “Mustering in of the 20^th ME”, it is not focused solely on them.  In fact, the unit was borne of the call to arms that President Lincoln issued in 1862, which is what the WACFA event seeks to recreate!

This event is about Lincoln’s call in July of 1862. We are honoring those men who answered the call…. The 20^th ME being the icon, if you will, of the Maine spirit. The focus is on Maine and the activities surrounding that fateful time in our history. We will follow along as men leave their homes, muster in and go off to war. We will experience camp life already being experienced by infantry, cavalry, and artillery. We will see the turmoil at home as women are struggling for a right to vote. We’ll celebrate the joy of a newly married couple and join them for a full scale reception supper and dance and then the groom’s pending departure to go to war.

The event website is being updated, if you have not signed up for email updates, please do so by visiting gwh2012.civilwarmaine.org

If you have any questions, please ask!  The more communication we all have, the better the group and the event will be!  You may reach us via email at hq@civilwarmaine.org or by phone at 207-200-6542.

We look forward to seeing you in the past.

~Miss Rose and the entire MLHA family.

--

Thank you for the overwhelming number of emails and phone calls requesting information about dates for BAFK2012. Unfortunately, Fort Knox is not available for us to organize an event next year. However, we have a new location, with greater space, and more opportunities than the fort can allow. This new event will make BAFK2010 pale by comparison. So I, along with a group of devoted volunteers, have a wonderful event in the works up here.

The theme, “300,000 more… the mustering in of the 20th Maine”, that was chosen soon after BAFK2010, will focus on Lincoln’s call in July 1862 and honor the resulting regiments of the 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th Maine.

The muster sheets will start blank and be filled in by participants and spectators with the names of the respective soldiers. Each Regimental soldier will have a printed hand out with his information on it and the participant/spectator will then sign his name in the muster sheet.

The dates will be August 24-26, 2012 and were chosen as that is the time frame when the 20th Maine mustered in 150 years before!

We will also honor some lesser known Confederate soldiers and officers who hailed from Maine.

The venue is a sprawling 2400 acre campus full of fields, streams and woods. The main battle area is 1200×800 feet with a larger field adjacent to it (but more difficult for spectators). It is taking place on a campus for homeless and troubled kids.

The school, Good Will-Hinckley, was dedicated in 1889, but was founded during the civil war for the many orphans who were created by the war. You may read about it at http://www.gwh.org . If you search Google maps for “16 Prescott Drive, Fairfield, Maine”, you will see the area involved. Fairfield, Maine, is also the homestead of Brig. Gen. Selden Connor of the 19th Maine Regiment.

The folks of Good Will-Hinckley wish anything and everything we can bring to this event. (With the exception of live fire). What a wonderful opportunity for ALL to participate and share their particular impressions. Accommodations for cavalry are already in place.

In addition to the military, the event will also offer a wonderful area for civilians to reenact and/or do living history. A blood drive in honor of one of the 20th ME members is being done and the Red Cross will don period clothes to add to the weekend.

One of the other highlights (and a future gem for the state of Maine) is that we are building a period field oven/bake house on campus. The only other one the mason is aware of is in Williamsburg, VA. So, as you see this venue is absolutely amazing.

Previous to 2012, much smaller weekends were held here, and brought 2000 spectators, so the opportunity to teach our passion is assured.

We will have some old friends returning again this year. So far:
(some with final confirmations in January)
USNLP (US Naval Landing Party)
New England Brigade (command staff and units; all blue coats at BAFK were NEB members)
Liberty Greys (command staff and units; I went to Sturbridge last week and met with them)
12thGA;
What Remains (NE civilian unit)
US Sanitary Commission, Boston Branch (on the condition I make blueberry cobbler again)
Our confederate buddy from SC who wishes to “shoot him some yanks” as he did at BAFK.

Along with some new faces:
Richard Irons Historic Masonry
1st ME Cav
35th VA Cav
Skowhegan History House
LC Bates Museum
Red Cross

I will have a break down of individual units (infantry, artillery, other cavalry, and civilians) as made available.

A website is being done and you may now sign up there for updates. (civilwarmaine.org) Please sign up for updates as individual email updates I did with BAFK2010 will not happen, Although I am always available for individual questions/concerns. The event phone number will be available soon as well.

Mind you, moving the originally planned event for the fort has taken some revamping and all this has come together in the past few weeks. Things are still in the works for planning and the opportunity to add more is welcome. Anyone who wishes to join in on the planning is most welcome to do so. Please email me at battle@civilwarmaine.org so I may ad you to the committee. (please also add hq@civilwarmaine.org to your approved list as well).

I look forward to seeing you all as we honor those who gave so selflessly for the freedoms we have today.

With much appreciation and reverence,

~Miss Rose

PS…. For those wondering, the 2nd Manassas is August 3-5, and Antietam is September 8-9.