Event
Capt. Flaggs’ US Quartermaster City Christmas Event: Prospects of Peace 1864
Fee:
Free. Free with park entry passDates & Times
Date:
Time:
Duration:
Type of Event
Description
Encounter a Union-garrisoned town during the 1864 Christmas season. Join the conversation as park staff and living history volunteers portraying Federal soldiers and civilian workers talk about the town’s transformation from war-torn community to successful war machine for Union General Philip Sheridan’s Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Experience a tempered holiday celebration overshadowed by realities of war.
Please note: traffic flow in Lower Town will be modified from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, December 3 and 4:
- Traffic eastbound on Shenandoah Street will close to vehicles at the intersection of Shenandoah Street and Shoreline Drive. Traffic will be rerouted to Shoreline Drive for park visitors or to US 340/Washington Street for Olde Tyme Christmas event attendees.
- Traffic westbound on High Street and Washington Street will close to vehicles between Shenandoah Street and Henry Clay Street.
- Hog Alley and Public Way will be closed to vehicle traffic.
We recommend parking in the Visitor Center parking lot at 171 Shoreline Drive, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425. Park shuttle bus service to Lower Town will run from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, December 3 and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, December 4.
Saturday, December 3
9:00 - Park shuttle bus service begins
11:00-4:00 - Living history exhibits open (throughout historic Lower Town)
11:00-3:00 - "Decking the Halls: Ornaments for the Tree." Make 19th century tin tinsel and tin spiral decorations and edible ornaments to use on your tree at home. (Tent on The Green - Shenandoah Street)
Noon - "The Perfect Gift, 1864." Visit the shopkeeper, a Civil War veteran, to discover what this last Yuletide of the War means and the types of gifts Americans are hoping to receive. (Dry Goods Store - Shenandoah Street)
2:00 - "Caught Yesterday, French Bill, Notorious Murderer and Bushwacker." Follow the Provost Marshal as they deal with the crime and punishment of a well-know Union deserter. Guided tour includes a historic weapons firing demonstration. (Begins at tent on The Green - Shenandoah Street)
3:00-5:00 - "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 to period dance music by Wheaton's Parlor Orchestra. (Tent on The Green - Shenandoah Street)
9:00 - Last park shuttle bus
Sunday, December 4
9:00 - Park shuttle bus service begins
11:00-4:00 - Living history exhibits open
12:00 - "A Visit from St. Nicholas, 1864." This is the most famous and well-remembered American poem of all time. A program for young and old alike! (Dry Goods Store - Shenandoah Street)
2:00 - "Caught Yesterday, French Bill, Notorious Murderer and Bushwacker." Follow the Provost Marshal as they deal with the crime and punishment of a well-know Union deserter. Guided tour includes a historic weapons firing demonstration. (Begins at tent on The Green - Shenandoah Street)
3:00 - "Wagons, Ho Ho Ho!" Seen as a great gift from the Army to its soldiers fighting in the Shenandoah Valley, the US Quartermaster pulled 1,000 supply wagons with over 6,000 mules from Harpers Ferry to the front. Meet the soldiers and the animals, and inspect a wagon that represents a once-vast 6-acre operation along Potomac Street. (Market Street, next to the park's wagon)
6:00 - Last park shuttle bus
Reservation or Registration: No
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