Lawrence, MA: It's Civil War weekend on Campagnone Common

You missed it this weekend, but mark it on your calendar for next weekend:

From the Eagle Tribune: It's Civil War weekend on Campagnone Common
LAWRENCE — There will be cannon volleys and officers yelling commands during cavalry and artillery drills as Campagnone Common is transformed into a Civil War encampment this weekend.

"It's living history, and you get the feeling that you're actually there; it's very surreal," said Elizabeth Charlton, vice president of the Lawrence Civil War Memorial Guard, one of the sponsors of the Civil War Weekend.

This is the ninth year of the event, which will feature Civil War re-enactors from Maryland, Maine and Massachusetts, a children's muster, a concert by the U.S. Navy Band and artifact exhibits.

It will be held rain or shine.

"We get a lot of enjoyment out of it and have an opportunity to educate people about what the war was like," Charlton said.

Louise Sandberg, archivist in the Special Collection at Lawrence Public Library said 2,497 men from Lawrence fought in the Civil War, including 93 commissioned officers. Out of those, 202 did not survive.

There will be two exhibits at City Hall.

One of them will be about the Lawrence involvement in the Baltimore rebellion on April 19, 1861, when members of the Sixth Massachusetts Militia went south to fight the Confederates. When they arrived in Baltimore, they were attacked, suffering Lawrence's first casualty, Sumner Needham, who died 10 days later.

The other exhibit is the Irish involvement in the Civil War, highlighting local Irishmen who served, put together by Frank Ford of Methuen.

"It's U.S. early history and as for Lawrence, one of the significant conflicts on American soil involving Lawrence soldiers," said Joseph Bella, a member of the Lawrence Civil War Memorial Guard.


If you go:

What: Civil War Encampment featuring re-enactment, historic walk around the Common, pie eating contest and children's muster.

When: Tomorrow 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with the Navy band performing Civil War era music at 5:30 p.m. ; Sunday 10 to 4 p.m.

Where: Campagnone Common