Date: September 21, 2010
Contact: Mike Litterst, 804 226-1981 x. 30
On Saturday, September 25 and Sunday, September 26, 2010, Richmond National Battlefield Park will present special living history and ranger-led programs at the Fort Harrison battlefield in Henrico County to commemorate the 146th anniversary of the battle. Volunteers portraying Union and Confederate infantry and artillery units will provide cannon and rifle firing demonstrations, while historians from the National Park Service and Henrico County will provide tours of battlefields involved in the Battle of Chaffin’s Farm on September 29-30, 1864. Program hours are Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Parking is available for this event at the Fort Harrison Visitor Center, 8621 Battlefield Park Road, off Route 5 in Henrico County. The event is free of charge and open to the public.
On September 29, 1864 Union armies under General U.S. Grant assaulted the Richmond and Petersburg fortifications simultaneously in an effort to weaken and possibly break the Confederate defenses. The fighting outside Richmond at New Market Heights, Fort Harrison and Fort Gilmer, referred to collectively as the Battle of Chaffin’s Bluff, proved the most serious threat to the Confederate capital prior to its fall.
Artillery demonstrations by the Goochland Artillery will take place at 11a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Sunday. Immediately following the artillery demonstrations, Confederate infantry will demonstrate the firing of Civil War rifles and small arms and discuss the role of infantry during the battle of Fort Harrison.
Walking tours of Fort Harrison will be conducted by Park Rangers at 10 a.m., 12:15 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. Tours of the New Market Heights battlefield by Henrico County Parks & Recreation will leave from the Fort Harrison Visitor Center at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. Additionally, an evening campfire program of Civil War music by local musician Al Neale will take place in the fort on Saturday evening at 8 p.m.
About Richmond National Battlefield Park
Fort Harrison is one of 13 Civil War sites protected by Richmond National Battlefield Park around the city of Richmond, Virginia. The site is located six miles southeast of Richmond of State Route 5 in Henrico County. The main park visitor center is located at the historic Tredegar Iron Works (470 Tredegar Street in Richmond) and provides museum exhibits, audio-visual programs and orientation services to help plan a visit to the battlefields. For additional information, contact Richmond National Battlefield Park at 804-226-1981 x 23, or via the internet at www.nps.gov/rich. Updates about park programs and events are available on both Facebook (Richmond National Battlefield Park) and Twitter (RichmondNPS).
