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Fitzhugh Williams
Mohicanland Statesman
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 Posted - April 02 2007 : 11:53:57 AM
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The schedule and scenario for Siege if Fort William Henry has been posted. For anyone who is familiar with the area, where is Hearthstone Point Campground? And where will these things take place?
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Draft Schedule and Script for the Siege of Fort William Henry
Friday September 14, 2007
Afternoon (Time to be established) Sabbath Day Point Battle. Location DEC Hearthstone Point Campground.
Saturday September 15, 2007
8:30 AM All Officers Meeting
9:30 AM Assembly and Inspection for March
9:45 AM A detail of 16 or so French and English Grenadiers under appropriate Officers locate and detain the Mayor of Lake George and bring him before the assembled troops.
10:00 AM The Commanding Officers demand the Freedom of the Village. This being granted the Armies form marching order and parade through the Town. (Option do we leave some of each side in camp to skirmish and respond to alarms - maybe 16-20 guys). Camps open to the public.
11:00 AM – 1:30 PM – Location – Gaslight Village property - French Troops
demonstrate 18th century siege tactics.
11:00 AM – 1:30 PM – Location – Fort William Henry – English Troops demonstrate
actions of a garrison under siege.
12:00 PM Nooning/Desjeuner
1:00 PM French Artillery Commences firing with several rounds.
1:30 PM Marquis de Montcalm summons the Fort to surrender under a flag of parley. The English respond that they intended to make a gallant defense.
1:30 PM Armies assemble for Safety Inspection
1:45 PM English Artillery including that of Fort William Henry commences firing on the French siege lines with several rounds. French Artillery responds. Artillery fire continues until the end of the TWD.
2:00 PM Tactical Commences:. The basic premise is an attempt by the French to take the Entrenched Camp by coup de main. This begins with the French Regulars attempting a frontal assault on the Camp. The English respond with small arms and light artillery from behind the camp walls. A significant reserve is held in camp. Milice and Natives attack the left flank of the Entrenched Camp from the woods and swamp. They meet with some success and go back and forth with the English reserve for a while. Meanwhile the French Regulars and the English go at it with heavy fire in the front. The French commander decides to support the Milice and Native attack with two light field pieces. As these pieces arrive the English reserve begins to press forward and the Milice and Natives begin to give way. The French guns fire one or two rounds in support. The English reserve advances rapidly, driving the Milice and Natives before them and nearly overrunning the guns. The Milice and Natives regroup to the rear of the French Regulars who begin a spirited fire on the English reserve. Regrouped, the Milice and Natives return to the action beside the French Regulars. The French artillery continues to play. Under this fire, the English make a fairly orderly retreat towards the Entrenched Camp. The French advance towards the Entrenched Camp as English artillery from behind its walls opens fire. English infantry also fires from behind the walls. The action ends with the English forced back into the Camp but the French Commander choosing to allow the siege to play out.
3:00 PM Artillery duel continues with one or two French guns firing on the hour and half hour and one or two English guns firing on the quarter hours. This will continue until 5:00 PM.
3:00 PM As the French artillery fires the English flagpole is hit and the English colors fall in an ominous sign. A cheer goes up among the French forces.
3:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Location – Gaslight Village property - French Troops
demonstrate 18th century siege tactics.
3:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Location – Fort William Henry – English Troops demonstrate
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"Les deux pieds contre la muraille et la tete sous le robinet" |
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Wilderness Woman
Watcher of the Wood
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Posted - April 02 2007 : 3:53:44 PM
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Getting There:
Hearthstone Point
Route 9n, 3298 Lakeshore Drive
Lake George NY 12845
Hearthstone Point is located off the Adirondack Northway. Take Interstate 87 (Adirondack Northway) to exit 22. Bear left at the light and then make a left onto Route 9N (North). Park is 2 miles on the right.
Looks like a lovely spot. I do love that lake!
Lake George |
"It is more deeply stirring to my blood than any imaginings could possibly have been." |
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Fitzhugh Williams
Mohicanland Statesman
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Posted - April 02 2007 : 7:08:52 PM
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| Then I take it that the event is not actually at Fort William Henry? |
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Monadnock Guide
Council of Elders
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Posted - April 02 2007 : 7:34:48 PM
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| My Gawd - that's quite a schedule there Fitz ... |
you can keep "The Change" |
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Fitzhugh Williams
Mohicanland Statesman
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Posted - April 03 2007 : 09:27:24 AM
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Thanks, WW. I found the locations I was looking for. I was looking in the wrong place. I took a look at the aerial images on MapQuest, and it looks like most of the area they will be using is in the village. After rereading the scenario it looks like most of the action planned is in the village. Some places really shouldn't try to recreate a place that has been destroyed, like the actual site of Bradock's Defeat. Maybe Fort William Henry is another.
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Seamus
Guardian of Heaven's Gate
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Posted - April 03 2007 : 09:57:59 AM
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| Fort William Henry is a tourist trap built on or close to the original. The Village looks like a cheap imitiation of the Jersey Shore Boardwalk...........t-shirt, tattoo parlors and junk shops everywhere. To say it is ruined is an understatement. |
Life's journey is not to
arrive at the grave safely
in a well preserved body,
but rather to skid in sideways,
totally worn out, shouting
'...holy sh*t ...what a ride!'
~~Mavis Leyrer, Seattle
Seamus
~~Aim small, hit the b*****d right between the eyes!~~ |
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Wilderness Woman
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Posted - April 03 2007 : 12:08:28 PM
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Very true, Seamus. It is very highly commercialized. But drive a few miles north of the village, find a quieter spot along the lake, and look out over that lake. Lovely!
The park and campground looks to be very nicely wooded and should be a pretty place. It sounds as though the camps will be set up in there, if I am reading that right, which wouldn't be too bad. |
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Wilderness Woman
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Posted - April 03 2007 : 12:40:59 PM
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I did a little searching online for some photos and found these that show the true beauty of the lake and of the area:
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The photo below shows the southern end of the lake and part of the village of Lake George. The fort is nestled in there somewhere, near the large boat landing.
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And this one shows the fort. You can see how little space there is around it.
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Fitzhugh Williams
Mohicanland Statesman
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Posted - April 03 2007 : 2:59:24 PM
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It sort of reminds me of Lake Lure, which is beside the village of Chimney Rock of "The Great Mohican Gathering" fame. I had some fun times there, but that is another story, and nothing concerning The Great Mohican Gatherings. Over the hills and far away, as someone once said. Or was it Over The River and Into The Trees? Well, anyway, I get the picture. Not exactly Fort Ti.
So for the other major event of the summer, Crown Point. What is this location like? |
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Wilderness Woman
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Posted - April 03 2007 : 3:59:24 PM
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Crown Point is totally different! It sits right on the shores of Lake Champlain. It is much more open and you have the sense of the great expanse of the lake. There is no commercialization around, and no village to mar the effect. Lots of space for encampments and battles.
It is very beautiful in its own way. The ruins are still there and have been preserved, but not rebuilt. So you have this sense of very old history... a sort of starkness about it. You almost feel as though you want to whisper as you are climbing around the ruins, and that you might see a ghost of a soldier around the next corner.
Here is a good site that has several photos and tells quite a bit about it: Fort Crown Point
And here is another photo of it.
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Monadnock Guide
Council of Elders
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Posted - April 03 2007 : 4:47:23 PM
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| Very nice WW, and some great links - Lake Champlain, Shelburne etc. |
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Tim Cordell
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Posted - April 04 2007 : 12:09:26 AM
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This IS the signature event of all of the 250th F&I reenactments. It IS in Fort William Henry as well as the Fortified Camp & the Village. My Daughter works (Lake George Library) on the actual ground of one of the French cannon batteries which will have cannon firing at the reenacted siege. Living here, I would rather take a minute looking out at Lake George from the fort at one of the most beautiful lakes in the world than wherever it is that you live. To disparage the village and the Fort re-creation is arrogance without portfolio. We in NY State have preserved 6 million acres of land in the Adirondacks-the largest forever wild parcel in the U.S. 5 minutes out of the village and you're in them. The Fortified Camp is totally preserved by the state. It sits on very valuable land..Does that count? Lake George Village is busy and touristy in the summer but very good the rest of the year..A small rural place where "everyone knows your name". This is and always has been an economically depressed area because-Hey-it's cold!.. The trade off is to get some income in the summer--and live decently and in a great place for 10 months without the plodding desperation that 99.99 percent of the country goes through. Not bad.
So, as you can see by the detailed schedule of events for the commemoration of the siege and massacre, the State, Fort William Henry Corporation, the Village and the dedicated reenacting groups involved have put together their best effort in achieving the recreation the most authentic chain of events of the final days of Fort Williaqm Henry. But, as my Mensa advisor cautioned me.."Do not try to understand them..and do not try to make them understand you". I will discuss Pennsylvania at another time..beware. Also, my 18th century adventure at Goodnow Flow in the high Adirondacks will be posted at a later date. |
Tim Cordell |
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Wilderness Woman
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Posted - April 04 2007 : 08:26:51 AM
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Tim,
As a fellow New Yorker, I agree with all you have said regarding all that our state has done to preserve a great deal of beautiful wilderness. And as I tried to make very clear, the lake and the surrounding areas are very, very beautiful. I love that lake and that whole area! And the village is very pretty and has a touristy kind of charm. For people who are interested in that, it is great.
I don't think that any of us begrudge the village of Lake George its summer-season tourist income. If that is what helps to keep the wonderful history of that area alive, then it is well worth it and I am all for it. I think that we were simply speaking as re-enactors, discussing the arrangements that have been made for the event (which sound absolutely marvelous!), and comparing notes on available open space between various events and sites. Many re-enactors favor sites that are situated so that they can immerse themselves in the 18th century as much as possible, with few 21st century distractions. (Yes, we all realize that port-a-johns also keep a total immersion from happening, but they are necessary for sanitation reasons.) If so, then Fort William Henry may be a place where they choose not to participate.
I hope this helps to explain our conversation. And I would like to apologize most sincerely if any of my comments offended you in any way. I know how passionate you are about the Fort, and I thank you for that. Without passionate people, these historic places, whether actual or recreated, would not exist. |
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richfed
Sachem
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Posted - April 04 2007 : 08:32:52 AM
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Nicely said, WW ... Despite it all, I have always loved Fort William Henry. I guess it goes back to being there as a kid. My father brought me there ... he also took me to John Wayne's "Alamo," recommended "They Died With Their Boots On," and took me to Gettysburg ... I can trace my interest to these things to him for sure.
Anyway, nice analogy, Fitz! Gorgeous photos, Joyce! And good to see you, Tim! |
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Fitzhugh Williams
Mohicanland Statesman
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Posted - April 04 2007 : 09:38:33 AM
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| I am very glad that Fort WH has been preserved, and I would like very much to see it. I think something should be done to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the seige. But I don't believe they should try to recreate a battle on that site anymore than they should have tried to reenact the Siege of Charleston on the origninal ground, or Braddock's Defeat, or Battle Road in New England. And even on some sites that have been preserved, like Kings Mountain, where NPS rules prohibit a believable scenario, it should not be done. A recreation of Kings Mountain was also done at Historic Brattonsville the same year and was a much more believable event, to both participants and spectators. I enjoy going to all kinds of events, but some I attend in jeans and a tee shirt with camera in hand. |
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Tim Cordell
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Posted - April 04 2007 : 7:25:55 PM
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| It's snowing here-I hate this place. |
Tim Cordell |
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Monadnock Guide
Council of Elders
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Posted - April 04 2007 : 7:37:10 PM
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| Heh, heh, - it's snowing here too, like all get out, - life couldn't be better. ;) |
you can keep "The Change" |
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Monadnock Guide
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Posted - April 05 2007 : 08:25:53 AM
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| Aw shucks, only eneded up with a little over a half-foot. |
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Pvt. Chauncey
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Posted - April 26 2007 : 09:12:03 AM
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Good day,
It might be worth noting that they recently hired Wes Dykeman as curator and he is guaranteed to bring some polish and raise the bar. (For those who don't know Wes, he has long been associated with Fort Ti and is the Indian you see in so many pictures there.)
Just as a start, they hosted the 250th of Rigaud's raid back in March, which went over really well. Also, as part of the seige for the FWH 250th, they will be using the Fort's cannons to fire upon the French at regular intervals and will be having tours on seige tactics for the public, something that is rarely (if ever) done.
I think FWH suffers from the fact that the Town of Lake George is a Tourist Trap and therefore, when in Rome.... But I also think it will do much better in time. The town is taking an enormous interest in the 250th events, it with Warren Co. have given an unprecedented amount of money for the event, and it is going to great lengths to get the shops and residents involved in their history. I think these things speak quite well for the future of Fort William Henry.
YH&S,
Pvt. Chauncey (back from a very long scout)
quote:
Originally posted by Seamus
Fort William Henry is a tourist trap built on or close to the original. The Village looks like a cheap imitiation of the Jersey Shore Boardwalk...........t-shirt, tattoo parlors and junk shops everywhere. To say it is ruined is an understatement.
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Pvt. Chauncey
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Posted - April 26 2007 : 09:17:43 AM
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Actually, they will not be recreating a battle on the site. The French seige cannons will be on the hill, along with some make-shift fortifications that will indicate to the crowd something about the tactics of a seige offence. The English cannons will, of course, be going off from the fort, and they will have for the public a demonstration of seige defense. Each hour, a couple of shots will go off from each side. But this isn't meant to be an LOTM-style round-the-clock blasting. Think "demonstration".
The battles will be like those at any other event -- something for the crowd rather than any actual "recreation". The massacre will be closer to the real thing but even then, it won't be at the actual location. Just "our best guess."
YH&OS,
Pvt. Chauncey
Member of the FWH 250th Planning Committee
quote:
Originally posted by Fitzhugh Williams
I am very glad that Fort WH has been preserved, and I would like very much to see it. I think something should be done to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the seige. But I don't believe they should try to recreate a battle on that site anymore than they should have tried to reenact the Siege of Charleston on the origninal ground, or Braddock's Defeat, or Battle Road in New England. And even on some sites that have been preserved, like Kings Mountain, where NPS rules prohibit a believable scenario, it should not be done. A recreation of Kings Mountain was also done at Historic Brattonsville the same year and was a much more believable event, to both participants and spectators. I enjoy going to all kinds of events, but some I attend in jeans and a tee shirt with camera in hand.
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Pvt. Chauncey
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Posted - April 26 2007 : 09:22:19 AM
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WW -- you are quite right about reenactors often wanting to situate themselves where it is most real, and interestingly for me at least, just up the road from the town of Lake George is the ONLY place where some reenactors have the most real experience possible, and that is on the Lake George Tactical every fall. Nearly a full week, 24 hours a day, no pitched camp other than what you can bring in on foot or by canoe; no fixed battle sites, just going out into the woods or on the water to find the enemy, who could be anywhere ...
http://reenacting.net/lgt
The really funny part is that the town knows we are there every year and the tour boats come into the bays where they know they may hear muskets firing. What they don't know is that the people on the boat are in line with the end of someone's musket in the trees...
It's an interesting contrast within such a short distance.
quote:
Originally posted by Wilderness Woman
Tim,
As a fellow New Yorker, I agree with all you have said regarding all that our state has done to preserve a great deal of beautiful wilderness. And as I tried to make very clear, the lake and the surrounding areas are very, very beautiful. I love that lake and that whole area! And the village is very pretty and has a touristy kind of charm. For people who are interested in that, it is great.
I don't think that any of us begrudge the village of Lake George its summer-season tourist income. If that is what helps to keep the wonderful history of that area alive, then it is well worth it and I am all for it. I think that we were simply speaking as re-enactors, discussing the arrangements that have been made for the event (which sound absolutely marvelous!), and comparing notes on available open space between various events and sites. Many re-enactors favor sites that are situated so that they can immerse themselves in the 18th century as much as possible, with few 21st century distractions. (Yes, we all realize that port-a-johns also keep a total immersion from happening, but they are necessary for sanitation reasons.) If so, then Fort William Henry may be a place where they choose not to participate.
I hope this helps to explain our conversation. And I would like to apologize most sincerely if any of my comments offended you in any way. I know how passionate you are about the Fort, and I thank you for that. Without passionate people, these historic places, whether actual or recreated, would not exist.
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Pvt. Chauncey
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Posted - April 26 2007 : 09:33:56 AM
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WW -- these photos from above the fort and lake are gorgous!! The bottom one is most important for the event in September. If you look at it, you'll see a big green area. That is (I think they call it) Battlefield Park. It contains the beautiful Indian Fountain, the statue of Isaac Jogues, and further east is the remains of Fort George.
Here is another site to get a good look at the area: http://www.historiclakes.org/wm_henry/lg_battle.html
That said, I am pretty sure there is a specatular set of pictures on the main Mohican Press website. Richfed??
YH&OS,
Pvt Chauncey
Member of the FWH 250th Planning Committee
quote:
Originally posted by Wilderness Woman
I did a little searching online for some photos and found these that show the true beauty of the lake and of the area:
And this one shows the fort. You can see how little space there is around it.
Image Insert:
73.13 KB
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Wilderness Woman
Watcher of the Wood
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Posted - April 26 2007 : 10:28:11 AM
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Well, my gracious! First Susquesus returns from his Hermitage in the Wilderness of Minnesota, and now Pvt. Chauncey has returned from his long scout in the Wilderness of the Northeastern Woods! Huzzah! Welcome back, Chauncey! Welcome home!
I'm very glad to hear that you are on the planning committee for this event, and thanks for clarifying some things for us. It sounds like it is going to be a great event, and I truly hope I am able to attend. |
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Pvt. Chauncey
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Posted - April 26 2007 : 11:21:48 AM
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Hello WW -- Not only am I'm helping plan, I am planning to get the women involved in helping with some of the organization (interpreting the event, etc.) and I'm going to be getting them signed up to be massacred. ;>) Will you be there? I'll nogotiate to find a nice Indian to take you to New France... hehehe
And actually, it was this event that brought me back to MohicanLand. I want to help spread the news that this is going to be something wonderful to attend.
YH&OS,
Pvt. Chauncey
quote:
Originally posted by Wilderness Woman
Well, my gracious! First Susquesus returns from his Hermitage in the Wilderness of Minnesota, and now Pvt. Chauncey has returned from his long scout in the Wilderness of the Northeastern Woods! Huzzah! Welcome back, Chauncey! Welcome home!
I'm very glad to hear that you are on the planning committee for this event, and thanks for clarifying some things for us. It sounds like it is going to be a great event, and I truly hope I am able to attend.
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Fitzhugh Williams
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Posted - April 26 2007 : 4:11:16 PM
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| Hey, if WW gets massacred, I might have to go and see that!!! |
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Pvt. Chauncey
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Posted - April 26 2007 : 4:22:59 PM
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No no, she gets captured and taken away, not killed. Think Eunice Williams (but a bit older ;>) ) because I think it would be too hard to stage an Alice Monroe ... (no big cliffs nearby)
quote:
Originally posted by Fitzhugh Williams
Hey, if WW gets massacred, I might have to go and see that!!!
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250th of Fort William Henry
