Greetings from the Bennett Farm,

IT IS UPON US. The final year of this memorable anniversary of the American Civil War, the most defining and significant period in United States history, is now underway. Personally, I have been honored and privileged to have been able to travel with friends, family, and colleagues to many of these historic places during this commemoration to include the State Capitol in Raleigh, where I stood among hundreds of living historians dressed in gray and visitor onlookers, while witnessing the Stars and Bars being hoisted above the old capitol in this 1861 recreation of the beginning of this trying time. From there, my journeys have taken me to the battlefields of Fort Sumter, SC watching the glowing sunrise on April 12, 2011, and to Manassas, VA, where I took part in the hottest reenactment of my 25 plus years of living history. I then lived within the brick casemates of the mighty Fort Pulaski near Savannah, GA, camped and battled on the fields of Sharpsburg, MD, and in Fredericksburg, VA, I crossed the Rappahannock River in an authentic reproduction pontoon boat for the very first time.

Leading into the 1863 year of the war, I marched with the men of the Old North State to Chancellorsville, VA, had the privilege of cherishing a walk with my father across the fields of Gettysburg, PA, stood on the shores of Charleston, SC where I was among many who honored the men who died in the Battle of Fort Wagner, and finished the year finding where my Northern ancestors charged the hills of Missionary Ridge at Chattanooga, TN. The 1864 year was a challenging one with all of the harsh winter weather, which nearly kept me from attending the Battle of Olustee, FL, but did stop me from making it to Andersonville Prison. The spring brought a renewed enthusiasm for all living historians making our focus Spotsylvania Courthouse, VA, and then more recently Resaca, GA and Cold Harbor, VA.

Everywhere I have walked and camped out for the night on hallowed ground, I have spent much time reflecting on the remarkable challenges, sacrifices, and the astounding loss of life of so many, and so young. The more than 700,000 Americans, mostly young men and women not much more than teenagers who perished, is still so unfathomable by we who live in this present day. Perhaps it is why working at Bennett Place, the silent unassuming place of peace, is so humbling yet rewarding. It has such a powerful story in the ending of this magnificent sad war between Americans.

However, in all my travels and daily duties of my job, observing these 150^th Anniversary commemorative events compared to my in depth experiences with the 125^th Anniversary of the American Civil War, I have noticed a drastic difference in the level of interest and support, which is becoming more and more disconcerting in the remembrance of these men and women. With all of the hustle and bustle and distracting technology in today’s society, and the agonizing longevity of recent wars, I am not sure our present and future generations will ever truly take the time to appreciate the sacrifice our ancestors made from 1861-1865. We can only hope for a time of enlightenment.

Many of us, especially those who work professionally at Civil War landmarks and who are passionate of this time period, wish the American public had invested more time in studying, remembering, and visiting our nation’s Civil War landmarks during this more recent anniversary. This time period of America’s past will always be an important cornerstone in our nation’s foundation. So it is worthy of each generation passing on the torch of knowledge, respect, and remembrance of these Americans.

In conclusion of this moment of brief reflection, we now move forward into the summer season which already brings me back to 2011 to the 108+ degree temperatures that more than 8,000 living historians and some 50,000 visitors endured on the fields of Manassas, Virginia. We can only hope the summer will not continue in the same fashion. Fortunately, we have no major anniversary reenactments to direct our attention.

However, the Fall will jump start us into much more interest as we look to Georgia with the infamous March to the Sea by Major General Sherman’s Armies, and the embattled Confederacy in Virginia with Grant’s final push toward Richmond and Petersburg. We will be busy here on the homefront with our Tar Heel Harvest Fair & Farmer’s Market  in September, which will once again have many fun filled activities for children and adults to include the Pumpkin Carving Contest, the Pie Tasting Contest, and the field games of sack races, the Egg Race, and the three legged race. Livestock and wagon rides will be part of this wonderful autumn atmosphere, and artisans and vendors will demonstrate their craftsmanship as well as sell their wares.

Deeper into Fall we will have our full attention devoted to the design and construction of the exhibits for the new museum gallery, which will open in April 2015, just in time for the magnificent ending of the Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War.

So, we hope you have a cool and enjoyable summer, while taking time to visit a Civil War landmark along your travels. Please stop by the Bennett Farm if you are in the area, so you can take one last peak at our 31 year old museum exhibits, as they will soon become a memory.

GET READY FOR 2015!! The final chapter of the American Civil War in North Carolina is going to be exciting and unforgettable!!

Again, THANK YOU for your continued support of this National Treasure.

Sincerely,

John Guss, Site Manager

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