March 17, 2001 Reenactment
"After Action Report"
Surrender or Die, Yanks!!
Over 1500 people turned out to watch the return of Mosby's Rangers to Herndon Station, and a good time was had by all. Despite the weather forecast, the rain held off until the very end of the post-raid living history segment. Despite last minute worried of not having enough Federal reenactors, we had a goodly group. And the cavalry was magnificent! The professionalism and flair of the 4th Virginia Cavalry, Co. H (Black Horse Troop) under the able leadership of Lt. Terry Treat plus that of Jeff Smith (Capt. Mosby), Daryl Miles (Maj. Wells) and Wayne Gregory who heroically "galvanized" at the last minute to fill in for one of the mounted Federals really made the event.
There are obviously limits in holding a reenactment in an urban area. It's hardly camping in the woods, and one must train one's eye to ignore modern traffic signs and asphalt to get any sense of time travel -- not always an easy task. Nonetheless, that's what we must do if we're going to bring history to people's doorsteps. The folks who trek out to living histories at battlefield parks or to the big reenactments are already bitten by the history bug.
What was particularly gratifiying about Herndon was not only the size of the crowd, but also their enthusiasm and interest, and the phenomenal level of organizational support that Herndon community groups and the Town of Herndon itself put into the event, thanks to the event's civic organizer Richard Downer and his team.
We very pleased and honored that so many Mosby Ranger decendants attended, including the granddaughter of Mosbys best friend and first recruit, Fount Beattie. In addition to Mosby historian and Horace Mewborn who gave an excellent talk on the Herndon raid, historian and Ranger descendant Don Hakenson brought his extensive collection of Ranger photographs and Mosby historian Patrick O'Neill, an advisor to the Mosby museum project, attended.
Read the reports on the day's events:
Living Histories, Displays and Talks
Visit MosbysRangers.comFor information on the event, contact:
Richard Downer: mosbysraid@HRIAssociates.com
(general information, logistics, civic involvement)
Kathryn Coombs: MosbyWeb@aol.com
(reenactors, living history program, website)