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The Battle of Rich Mountain 150^th Anniversary

Western Virginia: The First Campaign
1861 - 2011

With the coming of Fall/Winter, local events for the first year of the 150th Anniversary cycle have now concluded. Some links are provided below that relate to the commemorative activities for 2011. Additional events for the future can now be found in the Beverly Heritage Center CALENDAR.

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"In The Footsteps of Lee: Robert E. Lee in Western Virginia"

This one-day automobile tour exploring the locations of General Lee's inauspicious debut in the mountains took place on September 10th. See pre-event details HERE.

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The Battle of Rich Mountain 150^th Anniversary

NOTE: A Post-Event Page has now been set up for the Rich Mountain Reenactment and Tour of 2011 and already has many good links about the big tour and reenactment weekend. You can see that HERE.

(What follows below is the original pre-event information: now also history!)

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Commemorate the start of the Civil War in the mountains of West Virginia.

1. SCHEDULE FOR FREE TOUR EVENTS
2. REENACTMENT SCHEDULE
3. BEVERLY HERITAGE CENTER & BATTLEFIELD SCHEDULES
4. MAP AND DIRECTIONS
5. EVENT INFORMATION FOR VISITORS AND REENACTORS
6. PRESS MATERIALS - TEXT RELEASES AND PHOTOGRAPHS

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 Free Public Events of the Special 2011 Battlefield Tour

*July 6, 6 pm  Reception with hearty hors doevres, music, Civil War Art Exhibit.
                    8 pm  Speaker Hunter Lesser “The First Campaign”
                    Randolph County Community Arts Center, Elkins

*July 7 – 8 pm Speaker A. Wilson Greene,
                    Harper-McNeely Auditorium, Davis & Elkins College, Elkins

*July 8 – 8 pm Blue and Gray Choir concert, Randolph County Community Arts Center, Elkins

*FREE to the public through sponsorship by the West Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission

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REENACTMENT SCHEDULE
150^th Anniversary Rich Mountain Reenactment

Scheduled events at Rich Mountain Battlefield Civil War Site are all FREE to the public

Reenactment activities take place at or near Field of Fire Park and Camp Garnett, at the western side of Rich Mountain. Signs will direct visitors to the site from Beverly OR from Route 33 west of Elkins at Norton exit. Plan ahead to allow at least ½ hour from Elkins to get to the site, plus time to park and walk to activities.

Saturday July 9

11 – 3                   Guided tours of site at the Battlefield

11:00                    Sutlers and camps open

11:30                    Civil War period wedding

1:00                       Living History scenarios

3:30                       Skirmish for the Pike

4:15                       Demonstrations Begin:

                                           Living history and/or demonstrations will include:

• Michigan 1^st Artillery – Loomis Battery,
            cannon demonstrations and interpretive display
• 9^th Ohio Infantry, “German” regiment, drills and historical program
• Governor Pierpont of the Restored Government of Virginia
• Civil War field press and telegraph
• Civil War soldiers in camps and preparing for battle
• Laundress and civilian activities
• Rifle and cavalry demonstrations
    

6:00       BBQ Dinner $8 (by advance ticket or while supplies last)

8:00       Camp Dance by the Rich Mountain String Band

Sunday July 10

11 – 1                   Guided tours of site at the Battlefield

11:00                    Sutlers and camps open

11:00                    Civil War church service, all welcome

1:00                       Troops form up, dress parade

1:30                       Memorial Ceremony

2:00                       Battle of Rich Mountain Reenactment

Monday, July 11
6:00 pm  Commemoration Ceremony at Rich Mountain Battlefield:
Rich Mountain 150 Years ago today.

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 SITE HOURS AND FEATURES

Beverly Heritage Center & Crawford Store
Corner of Main St. & Files Creek Rd., Beverly

Reenactment Week Hours
Tuesday July 5 through Monday July 11
10 am to 4 pm each day, until 6 pm on Friday

Museum, Visitor Services, and Gift Shop

• Rich Mountain & the First Campaign of the Civil War:
• Historic Beverly
• Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike

Living History at Beverly Heritage Center or in Beverly

• July 8 – afternoon – print shop open
• July 9 – 11 to 1 – Civil War living history
• July 9-11 - US Signal Corps telegraph operations at the Beverly Heritage Center

 

Rich Mountain Battlefield Civil War Site
Five miles west of Beverly on Rich Mountain Road

Open to the Public Dawn to Dusk Daily
Self Guided Tours: follow interpretive signs

During Reenactment
Guided tours at Battlefield:
11 – 3 on Saturday (9 July) and from 11 – 1 on Sunday (10 July)

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LOCATION

To get to the Beverly Heritage Center or the Rich Mountain Battlefield, see the maps and directions on our location page, HERE