Mike Parker: Join troops as they ‘Muster the Militia’ this Saturday
Reenactors and living historians are joining forces for an encampment at the Caswell Memorial Site to interpret life in Dobbs County, the current day Lenoir County, in 1775, as part of the celebration of this nation’s 250th anniversary. “Mustering the Militia will be held from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday, November 15.
During this living history program, you will see how local North Carolinians reacted to the coming conflict with Great Britain as tensions mounted between the colonists and the government of King George III.
You will also hear from Richard Caswell, who served as a Colonel in the Dobbs County Militia, and as member of the Colonial Assembly. Caswell will discuss the events that are occurring around the colony that stirred the boiling pot of revolution.
The program will feature both musket and canon firing demonstrations, as well as medical programs and talks on camp life.
The term “Mustering the Militia” refers to the historical practice of gathering or assembling a militia for training or military service. Those enrolled in the militia reported to a designated location for military training. Today, the term is also used for living history events that simulate these musters, offering educational experiences like historical demonstrations and reenactments. Some key terms important to the mustering process includes:
Assembly for duty: In historical contexts, “mustering” meant calling the militia together for regular training or to respond to an emergency.
Enrollment and training: Enrollment and training involved a formal process where men of a certain age were enrolled and required to attend musters for training and to ensure they were equipped with the skills necessary to give military service.
Logistics: Mustering involved accounting for soldiers, which included keeping records of names, equipment, and sometimes even their physical descriptions.
Many museums and historical sites now host “Militia Muster” events to recreate the experience of a historical muster. These events often include demonstrations of military drills, musket and rifle firing, and presentations about the history of the militia.
Visitors are often able to participate in activities like making their own cartridges or learning about the equipment used by militiamen.
Gov. Caswell wishes to announce that we are less than a week away from our November event on the 15th. Come out and see us. A schedule of events will soon be posted. Keep a watch out for it.
Members of the 3rd NC Continental line, Dobbs County Militia, representatives from Tryon Palace, and the Governor’s personal physician are scheduled to be at the Caswell Memorial.
The Moseley-Bright Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will also be dedicating the new fence around the graveyard on the Caswell Memorial site.
Admission is free.
If you have any questions, please email morris.bass@dncr.nc.gov or call 252-526-9600, ext. 221.
Mike Parker is a columnist for the Neuse News. You can reach him at mparker16@gmail.com.
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