Mike Parker: Battlefield weekend brought dozens to study our history
When a variety of local history buffs began planning “Evenings on the Battlefield,” they wondered just how many people would pay the $150 fee to spend two days touring the Wyse Fork battlefield, visiting the CSS Neuse Museum, and learning the local history of this area.
In the end, roughly three dozen participated in the two-day event that began Friday evening with a “fireside chat” on the Wyse Fork battlefield. The highlight of the “chat” was hearing letters written by those who fought on the ground where participants were sitting. Since no event in Lenoir County is ever complete without food, participants were treated to hot chocolate, coffee, water, and a host of baked goods.
Saturday morning started promptly at 8:30 a.m. with a private “Breakfast on the Boat” held at the CSS Neuse II at the corner of Herritage and Gordon Streets. Food came courtesy of Lovick’s Café. Wyatt Creech and I were busy playing period music for the participants.
I did not exactly see how much food Lovick’s sent, but I do know absolutely no bacon was left. I thought my grandson Luke had snuck aboard and devoured the bacon, but he was nowhere near the place. Other breakfast delights included eggs, fresh link sausage, French toast, grits, coffee, orange juice, and water.
After breakfast, these history enthusiasts headed to the CSS Neuse Museum, where they had an overview of the day’s events, revised courtesy of the rain moving in. By 9:30 a.m., they loaded the buses. Wade Sokolosky and Dennis Harper, both experts concerning the battle, narrated the events that took place at Wyse Fork.
By 12:30 p.m., the buses took the now-hungry history buffs back to the museum for an indoor pig picking, followed by a tour of the museum. At 2:30 p.m., Wade Sokolosky gave a presentation about the development of hospital care in North Carolina. At 3:45 p.m., I spoke about the diary of a Confederate officer captured during the Battle of Hatteras Inlet and held prisoner of war five months at Governor’s Island in New York Habor and then at Fort Warren in Boston Harbor. In January 1862, Lt. A.E. Bell, who kept the diary, was exchanged and made his way home, arriving on January 20.
From 5 p.m. until around 6:30, participants enjoyed Brunswick stew and chicken pastry. As they finished eating, they took in a display of weapons used in battle by the soldiers of that time period.
Then the crowd took the buses to Harmony Hall to get a vision of medical care given to wounded soldiers at field hospitals. The day ended with transportation back to either Mother Earth Motor Lodge for those who stayed there for the weekend – or to the Visitor Center parking lot for those who had driven in for the event.
The reaction of a couple from West Virginia who brought their history-loving middle school daughter to the tour accurately sums up the feelings of the participants I spoke with. They said this tour was the best organized event they had ever attended. I am sure we will see many of these people again for the next history event that takes place here.
A special thanks to the Historical Preservation Group, the CSS Neuse Museum, the CSS Neuse Foundation, and the Lenoir County Historical Association for their willingness to work together with the flexibility necessary to make “Evenings on the Battlefield” successful. We need to thank the Tourism Development Authority for coordinating the myriad of moving pieces that culminated in a weekend these visitors are not likely to forget.
Mike Parker is a columnist for the Neuse News. You can reach him at mparker16@gmail.com.
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