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News Updates
Battle Of Blue Springs Group Recounts A Successful Year
Source: The Greeneville Sun
by Tom Yancey
Date: 2008-11-13
The annual wrap-up dinner Tuesday for the Civil War Battle of Blue Springs reenactment started and ended with a tribute to America's real veterans, since it was Veterans Day.
Army, Navy and Air Force veterans were among about 20 people who gathered at Ryan's Family Steak House to review the reenactment, and talk about opportunities for improvement next year.
Jim Allen, a former U.S. Army Desert Storm airborne infantry medic and later Army nurse who has been the reenactment director for six years, led the discussion.
He said 2,500 people paid to attend the reenactment on Saturday, Oct. 11, and Sunday, Oct. 12, and about 900 students attended Education Day on Friday for free. About 150 Boy Scouts paid registration and camped at the event as well.
Allen said the Education Day, directed by retired Chuckey Elementary School teacher Darlene McCleish, was "phenomenal," and the addition of almost 200 Boy Scouts (including about 50 that did not camp) to the weekend was a major plus.
"We want to recognize the town of Mosheim for their support," Allen said. The Town of Mosheim "owns" the reenactment, and provided $28,000 in operating capital.
After reimbursements from vendor and reenactor fees, and tickets, the town's actual, out-of-pocket expense for the reenactment turned out to be $7,226.42, Allen said. He said the Mosheim Board of Mayor and Aldermen, and especially Claude Weems Jr., are "still very passionate" about the reenactment.
He said Weems, who is also a member of the county school board, had high praise for this year's education day, which is now recognized nationally and supported by the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Areas.
Allen said Weems told him this year's education day was "absolutely wonderful," and "the right thing to do."
The battle reenactment takes place on the John I. Myers Farm on Brown Springs Road each year. Allen and others praised the Myers family for their "above and beyond the call of duty" graciousness to the battle committee and to the reenactors.
Allen said he was pleased that Myers was again able to personally attend Education Day.
This year was the 145th anniversary of the actual Oct. 10, 1863, battle, and coincided with the 200th anniversary of the birth of President Andrew Johnson.
Allen said that the Andrew Johnson Bicentennial Committee's decision to underwrite education day with a $13,000 contribution "was a tremendous shot in the arm" for all involved.
Reenactors in uniform from the 19th Tennessee Infantry (Confederate) and the 79th New York Infantry (U.S.) staged several events at or near the Johnson home throughout the year, and Carlos Whaley represented Blue Springs on the bicentennial committee and worked closely to coordinate several related efforts.
Allen said the Blue Springs Planning Committee hopes to continue "pursuing the challenge of really getting behind Greeneville and Greene County's historic tourism effort."
Allen also thanked The Greeneville Sun for its support and promotion of the reenactment as a company, and also expressed appreciation for the "passionate interest" in the event shown by several individual Sun staff members.
Allen, McCleish and others praised the Air Force ROTC cadets that helped at entry gates and otherwise made themselves useful handling messages and logistics. Allen said the cadets actually ran those parts of the reenactment they were responsible for, and turned it into "an excellent leadership training exercise."
Allen said the battle scenarios "went especially well," under the direction of Bill Ringel, the event's assistant director.
National, International
Allen said that although the event was slightly smaller than in recent years, it has developed a national and even international following.
He said one woman from California planned her vacation around the reenactment, as did a couple from Scotland, who came to Tennessee specifically for Blue Springs.
William "Dewey" Beard, of Strawberry Plains, who has been involved in the Blue Springs reenactment since its earliest days, said reenactors from Ireland and Scotland participated this year, and the 2nd Virginia Infantry had its "usual German entourage" this year, as in prior years.
Camp Ball Popular
Expanding and opening up the ladies tea and the camp ball to non-reenactors was among the "opportunities" identified for next year.
George Blanks, a grandfather who is a relative newcomer to the reenactment planning committee, said he encountered young girls at the ball who had no direct connection to the event, but like to wear ball gowns from the Civil War period, and like to dance.
McCleish said one home school group paid registration and signed the liability waiver primarily so that they could attend and participate in the camp ball.
She and others said they think many people would come to the ball and/or the tea, even though they may not have a strong interest in the battle.
It was suggested that a tobacco warehouse in Greeneville might provide a good site for an expanded ball, because a warehouse was the site of a very successful "big band" dance a few years ago, where many participants wore WWII-era clothing and some wore military uniforms.
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