Local History account

JEB Stuart Comes to Rockville
Peerless 140^th Anniversary Commemoration Event, June 2003

Peerless Rockville staged a Civil War weekend event to commemorate the 140th anniversary of JEB Stuart's cavalry coming to Rockville. Highlights included a Civil War encampment at the Beall-Dawson grounds, ceremonies (including the dedication of the Gettysburg Trail in Rockville), a period baseball game between teams from Rockville and Takoma Park, period music concerts, and living history re-enactments of the Confederate cavalry entering town (think of the charming sound of horses on modern streets) and a torchlight tour. The program and pictures for this event appear below.

Peerless also conducted a 139th anniversary day event in 2002. This was a warm-up to subsequent intended 140th anniversary programs, yet had unique activities.
Click here for the 2002 event.

Program

Friday, June 13, 2003: 5:00 pm +

Reenactors arrive and registration, set-up encampment Beall-Dawson Grounds
Reenactor event coordination meeting, 9:00 pm Beall-Dawson, Encampment

Saturday, June 14, 2003: 10:00 am – 10:00 pm, General Civil War History Theme

Opening Ceremony, 11:00 am (Fed. cavalry, welcome, speeches, music) Red Brick Courthouse
Commemorative stamp cancellation, U.S. Postal Service, 11:30–12:30 info. tent at Red Brick Courthouse
Picnic and Civil War Baseball, Rockville vs. Takoma Park, 12:00–3:00 pm Richard Montgomery High School Fields
Cavalry, Artillery and Infantry Demonstrations, [interspersed] Richard Montgomery High School Fields
Authors Book Signings, 4:00–6:00 pm Red Brick Courthouse
Dinner for Reenactors Beall-Dawson, Encampment
Concert, Federal City Brass Band, 6:30–8:30 pm Red Brick Courthouse
Flag Day Ceremony, 7:00 pm Veterans Park
Torchlight Walking Tours, 8:30–10:30 pm Encampment and Vignettes, N. Adams St.

Sunday, June 15, 2003: 11:00 am – 4:00 pm, Rockville in the Civil War Theme

Attendance encouraged at local church services in period dress, 7:45 am +
Ceremony (Confed. color guard, inaugurate Gettysburg Trail, speeches), 12:00 n Red Brick Courthouse
Living History: JEB Stuart´s entry to Rockville, 1:00 pm Red Brick Courthouse
"We Were There: Telling Rockville´s Story" Descendants Program, 2:00 pm Beall-Dawson House
Family Walking Tour, 2:45 pm Beall-Dawson, Encampment
Civil War Fashion Presentation, 3:00 pm Beall-Dawson House
Break camp, 4:00 pm Beall-Dawson, Encampment

Ongoing Activities, Saturday and Sunday

Encampment visits, ad hoc drills, impromptu music Beall-Dawson, Encampment
Period Music, Potomac Thunder (Sat. 10:30 am & 4:30 pm) Red Brick CH
"Yankee School Marm", children´s activities (Sat. only) Beall-Dawson Grounds
Walking Tours of "Rockville in 1863" (Sat. 12:00 noon, 2:00 pm; Sun. 11:00 am) start at Red Brick CH
Food Vendor, Ribs on the Run Red Brick Courthouse
Sutlers, selling sundry souvenirs Red Brick Courthouse
Lectures Red Brick CH Courtroom (2nd floor)
- Robert Trout, General JEB Stuart, CSA, Sat. 12:00 noon
- Bradley Gernand, Falls Church in the Civil War, Sat. 1:00 pm
- Kenneth Miller, Slideshow: The Lee Family, Sat. 2:00 pm
- Daniel Toomey, Marylanders in the Civil War, Sat. 3:00 pm
- George Kirsch, Baseball- Becoming Our National Pastime, Sat. 3:30 pm
- Capt. John Crawford, JEB Stuart, and Virginia Morton, JEB Stuart´s Spies, Sun. 11:00 am
- Michael Virts, Slideshow: Montgomery County Sites on the Gettysburg Trail, Sun. 3:00
Information Tables for Civil War History Groups (Sat: 1–6 pm, Sun: 1–4 pm)
- Montgomery County Civil War Round Table Red Brick Courthouse
- National Museum of Civil War Medicine Beall-Dawson Grounds
- Sons of Union Veterans Red Brick Courthouse
- Sons of Confederate Veterans Red Brick Courthouse
- United Daughters of the Confederacy Red Brick Courthouse

Pictures

Saturday, General Civil War History In Rockville

JEB Event '03, Union reenactors
Photo credit: Winifred Herrmann

Union reenactors muster

Parade to the opening ceremony

JEB Event '03, Parade to the Ceremony
Photo credit: Winifred Herrmann

JEB Event '03 Event, Union Color Guard
Photo credit: Winifred Herrmann

Union mounted color guard

Judge Woodward speaking at the ceremony

JEB Event '03, Speaker
Photo credit: Winifred Herrmann

Photo credit: Terry Rodgers

Costumed visitors
(Chief Treschuk and Beth Rodgers in foreground)

JEB Event '03, Town Ball Game
© David C. Walsh Photography/Pixwords

Town Ball game (Civil War era baseball),
Rockville (red hats) vs. Takoma Park (blue hats)

Photo credit: Terry Rodgers

Engaging visitors in mock drills

JEB Event '03, Introducing Concert
Photo credit: Dean Evangelista

Peerless (former) President Suzanne Fisher introduces the Federal City Brass Band for the evening concert in Courthouse Square Park. (Eillen McGuckian, Peerless Executive Director seated on left, Les Schumacher, event organizer standing to right)

Photo credit: Dean Evangelista	Photo credit: Dean Evangelista
At the evening outdoor concert of the Federal City Brass Band.

Sunday, JEB Stuart´s 1863 Visit, Living History

JEB Event '03, Reenactors in Historic District
Photo credit: Winifred Herrmann

Civilian reenactors strolling in the Historic District,
near the Beall-Dawson House

Photo credit: Terry Rodgers

Confederate color guard: Maryland Division Sons of Confederate Veterans Color Guard

Council Member Susan Hoffmann
role plays Dora Higgins

JEB Event '03, Susan Hoffmann as Dora Higgins

Photo credit: Terry Rodgers

Photo credit: Terry Rodgers

JEB´s cavalry arrives in town

Confrontation at the Higgins´ store

Photo credit: Terry Rodgers

Photo credit: Terry Rodgers

Ribbon cutting, opening the
Gettysburg Trail in Rockville

Descendants´ program

(l to r, first four)
1. ??,
2. Warren Crutchfield,
     descendent of Beall family slaves
3. Beth (Dawson) Rodgers,
     descendent of Lawrence and Mary Dawson
4. Eileen McGuckian,
     Exec. Dir., Peerless Rockville

Photo credit: Terry Rodgers