Yankees In Falmouth - Falmouth VA USA
N 38° 19.314 W 077° 28.094
18S E 284230 N 4244414
Yankee soldiers first came to Falmouth in 1862 during the Civil War and they return every September, along with some Rebel soldiers.
Waymark Code: WM9REV
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 09/24/2010
Views: 4
During the Civil War, Union troops first entered and occupied Falmouth, Virginia in April 1862 and again in 1863. Falmouth is located on the banks of the Rappahannock River across from Fredericksburg where battle raged. Once a year, Federal troops return, along with some Confederate soldiers too, for the annual 'Yankees In Falmouth' celebration.
Re-enactors from Federal and Confederate units set up encampments at the Conway House which served as headquarters and a hospital during the war and was the home of the famous abolitionist, Moncure Conway, who helped lead many slaves to freedom. (The house is on the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.) For a weekend in September, it is possible to visit the occupied grounds and wander about the camps and chat with the soldiers. Activities include rifle firing demonstrations by Union sharpshooters and infantry units, bayonet drills and cannon firing demonstration by Confederate units, campfire story-telling, displays of artifacts and old photographs, historic presentations, and a chance to experience life as it was in the encampments of the Civil War. The privately-owned historic Conway House is also open to visitors.
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