National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior

PO Box 65
Harpers Ferry WV 25425

304 535-6748 phone
304 535-6244 fax

Harpers Ferry NHP News Release

Release Date: Immediately
Contact: Marsha B. Wassel
Phone: 304 535-6748

Prospects of Peace: A Soldier’s Prayer

Harpers Ferry National Historical Park invites the public to attend Prospects of Peace: A Soldier’s Prayer 1864 on December 3-4, 2005. This special program offers a glimpse into our American Civil War past. In 1864, the country was torn apart by war, but families remained hopeful of re-union with their loved ones.

This living history program looks in on the town during its last wartime Yuletide in 1864. Union soldiers attempt to create their own version of Christmas at the front, while living in a town of citizens with questionable loyalties. With prospects of peace still four months away, young Charles Moulton, of the 34th Mass Regiment, stationed in the Provost Marshal’s office, muses about happier times at home.

It looks dubious about my coming home for Christmas…
Oh for a silent peek in upon that jovial family circle.

Perhaps for many, there is little reason for Christmas cheer. Far from home, soldiers dream of family hearths, while those at home mourn the absence or loss of a loved one. Citizens who recalled years of abundance, now face hunger and destitution. For others, freedom seemed imminent. The enslaved flooded into Union occupied areas, while the Union moved to consider ordinances to abolish slavery. President Lincoln pressed forward with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, forever banishing slavery. With Abraham Lincoln re-elected, the nation looked toward a new year, the conclusion of war, prospects of peace, and possibly freedom for 4 million enslaved African Americans.

Schedule

Saturday, December 3, 2005

• 12 noon “Our Men At Arms” presents a special tribute to soldiers past and present. At the flagpole near the Information Center.
• 12-9 pm Historic exhibits open.
• 12:30-2:30 “Decking the Halls: Ornaments for the Tree.” Make and take a 19th- century style ornament. Experience the new fashionable 1850s parlor decoration – a Christmas Tree. A Civil War era Santa is on hand to greet young and old. At the Lyceum Tent.
• 12:30-1pm “Mail Call: Packages From Home.” Witness the local citizens gathering to receive their censored mail from the US Provost Marshal’s office. Begins at the Lyceum Tent.
• 1-2 pm “The Perfect Gift: Christmas 1864.” What did the people of Harpers Ferry consider as appropriate gifts for this Yuletide? This ranger-guided tour begins at the Lyceum Tent.
• 2-3pm “A Cry For Peace. . .On Earth.” Soldiers look for disloyal citizens aiding Confederate Partisan Ranger, John Singleton Mosby. A weapons firing demonstration.
• 3-4pm “Pulled, Spun and Poured: Decorative Sugar Arts.” A 19th-century Yuletide treats demonstration. Meet at Roeder’s Confectionery.
• 3-5pm “A Grand Military and Citizen’s Ball.” Join the 34th Massachusetts Officers and their wives as they host a Victorian Dance. Dance instruction provided by the Victorian Dance Ensemble and music by Wheaton’s Parlor Orchestra. At the Lyceum tent.
• 5-6:30pm “Prospects of Peace: A Soldier’s Prayer.” A lantern-lit walking tour. Take a compelling journey through the town’s turbulent Civil War years. Space is limited. Reserve your free ticket at the Shenandoah Street Information Center. (304-535-6029) Begins at Lyceum tent.
• 6:30pm “How the Yankees Stole Santa Claus.” An optical journey through America’s stormy past. A Victorian shadow show for children of all ages. At the Lyceum Tent.

Sunday, December 4, 2005

• 11-4pm Historic exhibits open
• 12 noon “The Perfect Gift: Christmas 1864.” What did the people of Harpers Ferry consider as appropriate gifts for this Yuletide? This ranger-guided tour begins at the Lyceum Tent.
• 12:30-1pm “Mail Call: Packages From Home.” Witness the local citizens gathering to receive their censored mail from the US Provost Marshal’s office. Begins at the Lyceum Tent.
• 1-2pm “A Cry For Peace . . .On Earth.” Soldiers look for disloyal citizens aiding Confederate Partisan Ranger, John Singleton Mosby. A weapons firing demonstration.
• 1-3pm “Edible Pictures: the Art of Springerle.” Join us at the woodstove in Roeder’s 19th-century Confectionery kitchen to bake and decorate this unique German cookie for your Christmas Tree.
• 2-3pm “Pulled, Spun and Poured: Decorative Sugar Arts.” A 19th- century Yuletide treats demonstration. Meet at Roeder’s Confectionery.
• 2-2:30pm “Mail Call: Packages From Home.” Witness the local citizens gathering to receive their censored mail from the US Provost Marshal’s office. Begins at the Lyceum tent.
• 3-4pm “Ho For Christmas.” Carolers, sometimes called ballad mongers, strolled the streets in America tempting pedestrians to purchase sheet music of carols. A musical performance at the Lyceum Tent.
• 4pm Special exhibits close.

-NPS-

Updated: Monday, 21-Nov-2005 14:07:21 Eastern Standard Time
www.nps.gov /archive/hafe/new/nr-prospects-peace.htm
Author: Marsha B. Wassel

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