North Country This Week

MADRID – A military presence will be visible this weekend in Madrid as more than 150 local and Canadian Civil War reenactors flock to Fort Tribute to showcase St. Lawrence County’s participation in the Civil War.

The Civil War Reenactment Weekend at the St. Lawrence Power & Equipment Museum, Route 345, will be held Saturday, July 30, and Sunday, July 31. Military camps will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday. A battle reenactment will take place at 4 p.m. Saturday, and 1 p.m. Sunday.

Admission each day is $5 for adults, $15 per car, under 18 free.

“While the Civil War did not have a battle this far north, we still want to honor those from St. Lawrence County who fought and who lost their lives,” stated Robert Clarke, executive director of the St. Lawrence County Historical Association, who co-sponsor the event with the Power & Equipment Museum. 

“Units of soldiers who mustered out of our county took part in some major battles and events of the time (1861-1865), such as the ones at Antietem, Gettysburg, Fort Fisher, and Union Army General William T. Sherman’s March to the Sea in late 1854,” Clarke added.

For nearly two decades this event has been held at Barnhart Island in Massena, just a year ago relocating to Madrid. Last year more than 700 people attended the event.

“The new site at Fort Tribute provides visitors additional exhibits to walk through and talk with living historians, beyond just the garrison at the fort, such as the blacksmith shop, log house and schoolhouse,” said Scott A. Wilson, Fort Tribute volunteer coordinator and a reenactor. “The Fort also had the only monument dedicated to the Congressional Medal of Honor recipients from the county.”

“It’s a great privilege to be part of an event that recognizes those that came before and gave the great sacrifice of their last full measure of devotion to ensure our country remained united. Lest we forget,” Wilson remarked.

Union units that will be represented this year include 12 U.S. Infantry, 157th New York Volunteer Infantry Co. G, 118th New York Volunteer Infantry, 115th New York Volunteer Infantry, 140th New York Volunteers, 148th New York Volunteer Infantry, 1st New York Light Artillery Reynold’s Battery L, 2nd Vermont Cavalry, and 117th New York Volunteers Field Hospital.

On the Confederate side, units that will be represented include 15th Alabama Volunteer Infantry Co. E, 2nd Mississippi, 61st Georgia volunteer Infantry Co. A, 55th Virginia Volunteer Infantry Co. A, 27th Virginia Infantry Co. M, Alexander’s Battery, Middlesex Battery, Ashland Battery, and 55th Virginia Volunteers Field Hospital.

“We will have nearly 150 living historians participating from soldiers, to field hospital staff and civilians providing key impressions of that period,” said Wilson.

Besides the battle reenactments, visitors can also enjoy Civil War medical demonstrations, a period cooking demonstration, infantry drills and artillery demonstrations.

New this year is Balladeer Linda Russell from New York City who will present The New York Volunteer: Songs and Stories of the Civil War. Accompanying herself on hammered and mountain dulcimers, guitar and penny whistle, she will trace the New York experience of the Civil War through the popular tunes of the day, from songs heard around Union campfires, to the ballads sung in the parlors back home. Interspersed with the music are excerpts from diaries and letters and other firsthand accounts.

Russell is scheduled to perform Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 11:30 a.m.

Schedule of Events

Saturday

10 a.m.: Camps open to public

10:30 a.m.: Civil War medical demonstration at Federal Camp

11 a.m.: Period cooking demonstration inside Fort Tribute

Noon: Women’s Fashion in the 1860s in the Log Cabin

1 p.m. Balladeer Linda Russell - Songs of the Civil War

2 p.m.: Artillery demonstration outside Fort Tribute

2:30 p.m.: Children’s Muster Drill inside Fort Tribute

4 p.m.: Battle reenactment

5 p.m. Camps closed

Sunday

10 a.m. Camps open to the public

10:30 a.m.: Civil War medical demonstration at Confederate Camp

11:30 p.m.: Balladeer Linda Russell - Songs of the Civil War

1 p.m.: Battle and closing ceremonies

Other activities will include Civil War Era artifacts and displays, Children’s Scavenger Hunt and Victorian games. In the Tractor Barn will be the Historical Association Gift Shop and food booth.

For more information, visit www.forttribute.org