Gloucester County issued the following announcement on Sept. 17
The Gloucester Museum of History will commemorate the 240th anniversary of the Battle of the Hook by hosting “Fire, Smoke & Muskets: Gloucester 1781,”a living history program Saturday, Oct. 2 and Sunday, Oct. 3 in and around the colonial court circle. The program will be held from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. each day – rain or shine – and is free and open to the public.
The family-friendly program will align with the Virginia Standards of Learning for students of all ages, with emphasis on Virginia studies, African American History, and the Revolutionary War. “We look forward to our historic court circle coming to life with the sights and sounds of the American Revolution,” said Robert Kelly, Gloucester’s Museums Coordinator.
As part of the education program, students will receive an inquiry-based worksheet to inspire critical thinking as they experience American history by interacting with figures from the past. Participants will encounter both heroes and villains coming alive through first-person costumed interpretation and will feel the ground shake around them during cannon and musket firing demonstrations.
There will even be opportunities to engage with dozens of American and British reenactors, including British Lieutenant Colonel Banastre “Bloody Ban” Tarleton, who would play an important role during Gloucester’s Battle of the Hook. A soldier from Lauzun’s Legion will also be on hand discussing their role in helping the Americans defeat the British at Yorktown in 1781.
Other activities participants will be able to observe include campfire cooking, colonial-era games, and music. Special activities for children will be offered and the Gloucester Museum of History will be open.
The program is made possible in partnership with the Gloucester Historical Society, Friends of the Gloucester Museum, the 7th Virginia Regiment, and Gloucester’s Parks, Recreation & Tourism Department. Visitors to the program are asked to wear a mask and practice social distancing. For more information, contact Kelly at 804-693-1234 or rkelly@gloucesterva.info.
Original source can be found here.
