Pembroke 300th Anniversary - Civil War Encampment

Step back in time to a Civil War campsite in Pembroke, Massachusetts.  We'll spend an hour and 14 minutes in a time gone by, experiencing a slice of 19th century military life.

Uniformed Union and Confederate Troops assemble on present-day Pembroke High School's lawn.

“We are from the first Massachusetts Calvary.” a mounted soldier offers.  “We're part of the army of the Potomac, Calvary division.”

“Hazzah!' is yelled as muskets fire.  “Take your men over there.  Right face!”

A Captain in the Union Army says that 'We've been on this field.  We knew there were some Confederates out there so there are a couple of my cavalry men checking out the woods area.  They seem to have come into a nest of Confederates.  I'm not sure how many, but hopefully they're getting a good look at them.”  Captain goes on to say that he and his men have been trying to reach the railroad just beyond this whole area where small groups of Confederates have been found.

Cannons are loaded and used beside white tents that these soldiers call home. “Fire!”  Puffs of white spread through the air.

“The tactics of the 1860s,” a soldier says, “were dictated based on everybody's fondness for studying classics......some would try to move their troops across in mass formations....The classic example of failure to take into consideration mass volume of accurate fire was in Gettysburg.  Just marching up against a heavily entrenched enemy...That was pretty bad.”

See period gun replicas handled, loaded, and fired.

Did you know that pistol design changed after 1840?

CLICK HERE to watch Pembroke Community Media Center's John Mattinson's adventurous day at Pembroke's 300th Anniversary Civil War Encampment.

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Pembroke Community Media Center, Inc., right here in Pembroke, is an IRS 501(c) (3) tax-exempt, Commonwealth of Massachusetts non-profit company created by and for the residents of Pembroke.

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