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| Southern Belle |
2011
Stratford Hall Plantation, Stratford, Virginia, 10 December - Stratford Hall Plantation, home of the Lee family, is a treasure in the Northern Neck. I had the pleasure to participate with The George Washington Young Friends and dress in my finest gown for the lovely party given by Phillip Ludwell Lee! Dancing was performed as well by a local dance group from Fredericksburg and the house was alive with music from the Washington Camerata. This event is a must do for next year as well!
Historic London Town and Gardens, Edgewater, Maryland, 15 October and 6 November - For those who have not been to London Town, it is a small treasure right in our backyard! I had the pleasure to cook with a group of friends and living historians that are slowly becoming a cooking guild in October! We practice and teach each other various dishes while giving the site a continual hearth cooking program in first or third person. On 6 November, Market and Trades Day took place and went very well! We had a group of living historians interpreting 1765 - all improvisation. This allows us to adapt to discussions and issues of the day and answer questions to the public all in first person. We had Silhouettes By Hand on site as well as K. Walters at the Sign of the Gray Horse selling their items in the Brown Tavern to the visitors. This event will prove over the years to get bigger and better - so if you have a trade or something to sell - contact the site to get in on the day!
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| Created by Silhouettes by Hand |
The Battle at Mount Harmon, Earleville, Maryland, 24-25 Sep - Unfortunately, I did not get any photos at this event! The site is absolutely beautiful even if it is off the beaten path. The weather eventually cooperated over the weekend - but I decided to only make a day of it and even then had a ride there and back! I was able to sell earrings at the blanket sale, talk to friends, and see the horses!
Carlyle Housewarming, Carlyle House Historic Park, 6 August 2011 - The housewarming and moving in of the Carlyle family had a most wonderful feel this year. As Mrs. Hubble, the housekeeper, I was able to keep the servants moving about and cleaning all while supervising the delivery of crates, trunks, and boxes. While one crate was eventually found in the local market with half of the silver missing, we did get most of it back! Mrs. Carlyle had just given birth a few days before and was up and about visiting with her lady friends. This is such a wonderful event in a beautiful home and not to be missed next year!
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| Heart to Hearth Cookery |
This workshop with Susan McClellan Plaisted was everything I had hoped for and more. Not only did we learn how to make sugar plate, but we also made a most delicious coffee ice cream, aniseed comfits, and wafers. It was an extremely valuable class in that, even if you never make any of it on your own or ever again, you know how it was done and can appreciate those who did in the hot months of the 18th Century. Susan is an amazing teacher and I highly recommend her classes with Heart to Hearth Cookery. That she came a few hours closer to where I lived to give this course at London Town was a bonus!
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| Photo with Gunpowder by Ken Bohrer of American Revolution Photos |
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| With Laura Carpenter photo by Gregory Fisher |
Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation, Media, PA, 14-15 May - This site is one of the most beautiful I have been to and is a also a working farm. The areas for camping are somewhat secluded with streams nearby and trees for shade. The buttercups were abundant and turned the hems of my petticoat yellow. I attended as part of the 17th Light Dragoons and we had five horse on site. I was able to roast some chickens and make a bread pudding for the men as well as cook ribs, boiled potatoes, and carrots for our evening meal. The rain came down in a torrent with thunderstorms in the middle of Saturday night which spooked the horses and put our camp in disarray. Our Sergeant even poured water out of one of his shoes! I was luckily very snug in my wedge tent and had all in there that I did not want wet - and was fine! It was hard to start a fire the next morning as all was damp, but we were able to at least eventually make our coffee. We left early due to one of the horses injuring itself from the storm and the weather forecasters had been calling for more rain. 
The Grandess Congress Ever (or Braddock Day), Carlyle House, Alexandria, VA, 9 April - This is the second year that I have been head cook at this event and we prepared The Grandess Dinner Ever for General Braddock, five Royal Governors, Mr. Carlyle, and Commodore Keppel. The menu was ambitious but was done, on-time, with three minutes to spare! Those at table had Potatoe Soup, Pullet with Onions, Baked Ham, Fried Fish, Beef Stake Pye, Apple Pudding, Stewed Lettuce, Artichokes in Cream, Sweetmeat Cakes filled with preserves, Seed Cake, Pound Cake, nuts, dried fruits, Jellies in Glass, Marzipan sweetmeats, and cheese. Toasts were held round the table and the men enjoyed a wonderful dinner while the housekeeper let those visiting the house know what was going on! The weather turned out to be overcast but nice and cool for us in the kitchen area. There was a hospital on-site with Mea Clift as "Fanny, Assistant to Charlotte Brown," and we were able to ensure she had water-gruel to serve the patients. The laundresses were on the lawn and there was a town doctor set up as well as the Ohio Land Company Representative trying to sell land to unsuspecting townspeople! We were able to feed eight at table and the rest of the volunteers and docents on-site. The day concluded with a positive note and very tired cooks. |
| Serving in the Tavern Room |
The Washington's Come to Dinner, Carlyle House, Alexandria, VA, 12 February - The Washington's visited the Carlyle's for dinner after attending Church this day. The event had a lot of interpreters moving about the house but unfortunately not many visitors. This isn't unusual at some of the events I have attended at various sites. It was still a lovely day with friends. I look forward to The Grandess Congress Ever Dinner on 9 April.  |
| Kim and Paul McClintock |
2010
Plantation Christmas, Gunston Hall, Lorton, VA, 11 December - This was my last event of the year and it was a wonderful place to be! As one of the Mason family, I was in the house greeting visitors with George Mason V. We had wonderful conversations with those who came in and paid their respects. A fine dinner was served on the grounds and I'm told our hospitality was typical of all Virginia households - generous and the food delicious! All-in-all, the interpreters presented a fine time for one and all, and it is well worth a visit at any time of year. Huzza!
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| Mrs. George Mason V (Elizabeth Mary Ann Barnes Hooe) |
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| Photo taken by Carlyle House Photographer |
Carlyle House Funeral, 30 October -
The recreation of Mr. John Carlyle's funeral is one of the most anticipated events of the year for me. He died in 1780. The site has a reproduction coffin which lies on a bier in the large dining room. The house comes to life, is all in candlelight, and has interpreters portraying family, friends, servants, townspeople, and the 1st Virginia Regiment are there to take watch over the house and body. Visitors are consistently coming through the house to pay their respects. At promply 9 pm, pall bearers carry the reproduction coffin down to the Old Presbyterian Meeting House (where he actually is buried) with servants carrying lanterns, and residents of the city of Alexandria, VA, line the streets as the Rector, family, friends, servants, and townspeople follow the procession to the grave site. Most of the time the residents get into the procession and come with us. This year we had the ceremony in the Meeting House itself which was very nice and then went to the grave site and paid our respects. It is a wonderful honor to his life. I portray a servant and open the front door for the visitors as they come in. I hand out rosemary to every person which is said to be used for a variety of reasons - some possibly folklore versus fact - but several I have heard are: rosemary is carried at funerals for remembrance, used by visitors near their nose to cover the smell of the body laying in state, to possibly ward off evil spirits, to represent the holy spirit, and thrown in the grave as the coffin was lowered in the ground. The house, completed in 1753, has its original flooring and is the only stone, 18th-century Palladian-style house in Alexandria.
Historic Seige Reenactment, Fort Mifflin, Pennsylvania, 13-14 Nov -
The Fort Mifflin event was interesting to say the least. I was able to stay in a casement where they had stored ammunition during the war along with the 1st New Jersey Loyalists. Staying over night in a haunted fort was a thrill and my cell phone e-mail were wiped clean over night. The e-mail were replaced with 10 blank draft e-mails all from myself. I was shocked by this as I did not create them, I normally lock my phone's keyboard, and they will not delete! With that said, this is one event that I will probably not do again. The site was not too concerned with authenticity and there was a lot of dead time inbetween doing things of which there was not much to do. The battle was contained just outside and in the fort which was nice as you were almost right in it versus watching from half a mile away. It is definitely worth visiting at least once. I did not cook this time which was nice and allowed me to relax but with that I was a bit bored. The last overnight event for the year for me and I'm ready for winter encampment!
The Battle at Mount Harmon, Earleville, Maryland, 23-24 Sep - The Mount Harmon property was secluded and just a lovely place to be! This was a very relaxing event in which I tried a new receipt - Apple Pudding! It turned out wonderful. The horses - Sergeant, Iggy, and Scooter - were all very comfortable here to the point they all laid down that night to relax! We were able to socialize with the 42d Highlanders just across the road, and I was able to walk the sutlers and the grounds inbetween the battles and meals. Overall a wonderful prelude to next year's larger scale Regional event. 
This event was the best of the year - sort of. So many interpreters on site, wonderful sutlers, and a camp site made just for us. We had a wonderful shady spot in which to cook and for the horses to be piqueted. I was there as part of the 17th Light Dragoons (British) of which we had two horse and two guests horses in our area for the Commander, 64th Regiment of Foot, Michael Grenier, to ride along with another unit member. I was able to cook a bread and carrot pudding on Saturday morning which left me free to go to market and see what the sutlers had to offer. If Deb Peterson is going to be on-site, I make it a point to pick up some odd spice or ingredient for my box. I was also able to see The Silly Sisters again which is always a treat for me. I love to just look at her artistry in clothes. I met up with lots of friends as well as new acquaintances. The "sort of" part of this event was that one of my unit members was hurt, dislocating his shoulder, so Saturday afternoon and early evening was spent in the ER. Yet, when I did finally get back to camp, dinner was almost prepared by the unit so all I had to do was finish broyling the pork stakes and stewed lettuce. The meal turned out most excellent and I'm constantly getting repeat requests for bread pudding and stewed lettuce in my menu. All-in-all a great event and the site really took care of us and the horses with wood, water, hay, and straw - even the ice cart came by a few times which was so convenient and saved us trips off-site to replenish. Next up - Mt. Harmon!
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| Melissa McMillan |
Colonial Market and Fair, Mount Vernon, VA, 18-19 Sep -
I was privileged to assist Sarah Cowen of "The Silly Sisters" at this year's market fair. Her work is absolutely outstanding and I am honored to not only wear her clothes but to represent her at this event. She has made items for Mount Vernon, a reproduction jacket of which is currently on display in the museum (one of Martha's WITH buttons). It was certainly a different experience to be on the "sutler" side of this hobby and I learned a lot. I had a wonderful time and saw many that I know and have been to events with or am friends with on Facebook. If you have not seen Sarah's clothing, you must make an effort to find her at an event and look at the difference in not only quality of materials but workmanship - as was once told to me - there is a "look" about her clothes that cannot be beat. I think it is representative of the period in Georgian elegance.
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| Me and Gema Gonzalez |
Historic London Town Gardens, Edgewater, MD, 11 July - This is one of the most ideal sites I have been to and interpreted at. The house is situated on the water, the view is spectacular. This house has stood here since 1765. Since 1765. Did I say since 1765? The day was most perfect with a cast of players that really made the house come alive. There was a Mrs. Brown the Tavern owner's wife, a tavern keeper, a Ship's Captain, Mr. and Mrs. Dick of London Town, and their son-in-law Mr. Stewart, Mrs. Robertson, Mrs. Cockburn, Grace the Cook, Mary Jones and Thomas both convict servants, Mr. Disney a Wood Mill owner, and Mr Wallace a Merchant of Annapolis there. I portrayed Mary Jones, who was a very lazy and bad servant. She kept eating the oysters as they were to be taken to the guests, she served raw cabbage, carrots, and turnips to the ladies for tea, and then even had several gentleman callers from the Ship's Company looking for her! Scandalous! The next event here will be in November. You'd do well to check it out! It was a most wonderful event. |
| Mea Clift, Me, Terry Rockhold, Greg Fisher |
Under the Redcoat, Colonial Williamsburg, VA, 25-27 June - I was able to participate once again within the Officer's Mess Kitchen at the UTR. I always look forward to this event for several reasons: for one I get to walk into the city along with the others as if I have traveled for miles. I pick very carefully what I carry in as if it was my only belongings. Cooking on the green for the officers is a very special treat in which I have a purpose while at this event. Those who have chosen to do hearth or camp cooking have a lot to share either directly or indirectly in order to get the meal prepared and to teach others the techniques of this hard yet satisfying area of the hobby. The kitchen area may at times seem as if in chaos, but there is an organization to it that the head cook, Emily Cline, manages graciously and confidently. I have learned several things these past two years while participating in the event - which is a goal of mine in trying to be an accomplished 18th Century hearth cook. This year I made just about all of the pies which included Bacon and Egg to eat cold, Vegetable, Venison, and A Florendine of Apples and Oranges. The weather for both Saturday and Sunday hit the 100 degree mark so everyone had to pace themselves while near the fire. A lot of the way the dishes were prepared was changed to make it more manageable for the cook staff in that they were boiled, stewed, or roasted without compromising the meal itself. I also was able to walk around the city as an indentured servant to a town merchant, assist at the Cavalry demonstration on Saturday, and attend a couple of parties which gave the entire weekend a wonderful feeling of accomplishment and fun! Overall I would recommend UTR as an attendee of a British Brigade unit.
Prince William Resolves, Dumfries, VA, 5 June -These Resolves were reenacted for the fourth straight year by over 20 local first-person interpreters led by Gregory Fisher as Mr. Forshee Tebbs and Mike Cecere (Historic Dumfries President) as Mr. Andrew Leitch both of Prince William County. It was standing room only as visitors all packed the room to hear two sessions of the debate, and wonder at the discussion that would decide their lives and livelihood. I am the Prince William Resolves Chapter Regent and was given the opportunity to participate again for the second year in order to honor the anniversary of the signing of the Resolves. The debate started out with Mr. Fouchee Tebbs banging his gavel and calling the meeting to order. The Clerk of the Court (Paul King) proclaimed, “Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! The Dumfries Town Meeting, in the County of Prince William, in the Colony of Virginia, this Committee is now in session!” Mr. Tebbs then went on to say, “ Thank you Sir! Before we begin to raise the vote, I wish to remind everyone that only Freeholders and Property Owners who are inhabitants within this County will be allowed to vote on these Resolves and that the County Sheriff will be responsible for resolving any disputes on this matter. Are there any objections?” Mr. Blair (Ted Borek), rising from his seat, exclaimed, “Aye! I request from this committee to explain as to what right you self appointed committeemen have to place a sentence of death upon this town!” The townsfolk and others in the room mumbled and commented on this statement, wondered at its meaning, and what Mr Blair really meant? Mr. Tebbs called for “Order!” Mr. Grayson (Bob Bailey) rose and quietly stated, “Sir, if you permit me, before the committee adopts these proposed Resolves, I believe ‘twould behoove the public if the minutes from the meeting of this week past be read so that there is no misconception as to our being “self-appointed” as Mr. Blair suggests.” Mr. Blair seconded Mr. Grayson’s recommendation. And so the minutes were read and a spirited debated commenced. What a wonderful day. |
| Greg Fisher, Lauren and Jess Phillips, Ridgely Davis |
Revolutionary War Battle and Camp, Colonial Plantation, PA, 16 May - I was able to participate with the 17th Light Dragoons of the British Brigade at this event for one day. I was exhausted by attending the Boyscout Jamboree the day before, but the decision was made at the last minute to stop by Colonial Plantation to check it out. The site was absolutely beautiful, tranquil, and relaxed. This was the first event with the 17th, and they made me feel very welcome! We had a wonderful dinner of stew and bread cooked by one of the dragoons (Ridge) and I was able to cook breakfast of scrambled eggs, thick slices of bacon, and using my 18th Century toaster - toast which relieved our Commander (Jess) of the task! Our camp was in a remote part of the open areas under a canopy of trees, streams running nearby, and just a great overall site.
Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center, Boyscout Jamboree, Kutztown, PA, 15 May - The Boyscout Jambo for Pennsylvania was held at the Heritage Center. I believe there were upwards of 5,000 boyscouts and their family roaming the grounds. I was asked to do demonstration cooking with a light dragoon in which I strung up a chicken and cooked it over the fire, baked a potato and sweet potato, had hard biscuit (homemade by Zach Langley), and other dried fruits representative of what a campfollower might have foraged and cooked while on the move. I was surrounded by timelines from 1600's English Civil War, World War II, Vietnam, and us - Revolutionary War - units. It was a very long day answering questions on how long the chicken took to cook (my estimate of 2-1/2 to 3 hours was pretty dead on), to if my chicken was real, and when could they come back to sit around my fire (no boyscouts were allowed fires in their camp). It was a very successful event and fun to do.
Mother's Day, Gunston Hall, Gunston, VA 9 May - The Gunston Hall Mother's Day Program went very well. I participated in an 18th Century Fashion show that represented clothing worn by living historians from 1750's to 1800. It was an overall success and a nice way to spend the day. Most of us were able to walk the grounds a bit even though it was very windy (needed extra hat pins) and cool to talk to visitors at the mansion. We then did dance demonstration which is always fun and I always mess up - and I had a silhouette cut out of me in period clothing by an extremely talented artist. Overall a wonderful Mother's day. My Mom would have loved to be there in person even though she was in spirit. |
| Bonnie Fairbank |
The Grandess Congress, Braddock Day, The Carlyle House, Alexandria, VA, April - My first full 18th Century dinner prepared on-site and for General Braddock and eight Colonial Governors was a dream come true. We had the perfect weather and were able to get all done by 2 pm! The dinner was served on the veranda and consisted of Vermicelli soup, roasted duck with carrots, baked capon with onions and potatoes, forst meat balls with gravey, fried haddock with pickles, beef stake pye with mushroom catchup, a porcupine, spinach and cheese tart, a seed cake, fruits, nuts, cheese, jellies, and little cakes. Each man toasted to the General's health before the meal was started. There were four of us that coordinated this dinner. We prepared the meal on-site, set-up the dinner table as appropriately as possible (we only had an hour to serve the meal so all three courses went on the table at once!). I must give a heartfelt thanks to Gema Gonzalez, Katy Hayes, and Dory Gean Cunningham for all of the hard work they put into the event. I think we are still sorting through the cookware and utensils to get them back to their rightful owner. The meal turned out excellent.
The Battle of Petersburg, Battersea, VA, April -This event was very easy for me and the first time I cooked at an earthen kitchen. My set-up was pretty much the basic minimum. It was the easiest set-up and tear-down that I've ever had to do! It was a really great event even if everyone was not totally period correct and the sutlers were limited. I had an amazing time and saw many friends. Thanks to Jim Mullins for digging the "stove" out of the earthen kitchen that had been dug out by the Fort Lee military so that I could use it the next morning. I was able to fry our sausages very well on it and would love to have had several of them going at once to cook the meal! I was able to really enjoy myself at this event and cooked breakfast and provided a cold "dinner" or lunch for our men and other campfollowers. The city hosted the evening meal and provided us with excellent BBQ! I was also able to serve our two horses, Sheba and Floyd, with all the carrots and apples they could eat! 2009
Under the Redcoat 2009, Williamsburg, Virginia June 2009 - I had the most wonderful opportunity to cook with the British Officer’s Mess on Saturday, 27 June 2009 as part of the “Following the Army” program. It was a pleasure to represent the Grenadier Company, 64th Regiment a Foot of the British Brigade, and participate within Elizabeth Pidgeon’s (33rd Foot) kitchen. She served as head cook and as second-in command for the mess. I was able to make specific dishes for the 3-course meal. We made approximately 34 dishes for one dinner, and they were served to the British Officers as hosted by Ensign Prym also of the 33rd Foot.
The Redcoats are Coming! Jerusalem Mill Village, Maryland, October 2009 - The Redcoats are Coming! from 9-10 October 2009 at Jerusalem Mill Village had to be the event of the year for me. I truly felt that I was living the history of my ancestors. I was a camp follower for the Provost (www.vonheers.org) which, for this battle, was with the 4th Continental Light Dragoons (www.fourthdragoons.com). The ladies of the 4th were gracious, welcoming, and polite. We each had separate kitchens and I must say they were far busier than I with roasting eight chickens on their spit!
We set up camp in about an acre paddock which housed our units and the 10 horses who also attended! I learned my first lesson around horses – do not wear your straw hat (especially near Floyd!). Schatzi, Petey, Comanche, and Floyd were a welcome addition to the Provost and were spoiled by me with carrots and apples. On Saturday night, Floyd decided to get loose and roam around camp. In the middle of the night, one of the 4th yelled, “Does anybody know whose horse this is?” Woke us all up and poor Floyd lost his freedom.
This event gave us hot, cold, and rainy weather. It was interesting to cook in a drizzle. I prepared meals for the Provost the entire weekend, and had put together a very simple period menu with everything in season or of the time. I made my signature bread pudding once again. I think this was the best one yet. We broyled sausages and sauerkraut and fried up some apples as well as made broyled pork stakes, made fried potatoes, and stewed lettuce.
While my role seemed simple, it was not. The meals took time to prepare. The fire must be constant, consistent, with loads of hot coals. The food either cut up or ready for cooking at least an hour or more before the meal. Each dish seemed a separate event that had to be timed just right or something could end up burnt, cold, or not done enough. I am happy to say that they ended well done even though I fret each meal. I learn every time I attend one of these – yet it seemed as if there are things I can still do better.
The camp had to be clean, no camp furniture in the streets, and no trash or waste lying about. I was constantly aware of this and kept the camp clean for our men. When the men marched off, that left me to watch our belongings and ready the next meal. No sentries were posted which was dangerous! We were up at 6 am every morning and that did not seem time enough to get the fire to where I could get coffee or breakfast ready to the men’s satisfaction. I was actually told that maybe I needed to get up earlier! A joke it truly was or I would have used my rolling pin to the scoundrel. We were in bed each night after midnight – very long days. I did have help or offers of help from our men which assisted me during critical meal times but no others are yet in my camp kitchen. All, in all, a wonderful – if exhausting – time.
