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Cavaliers, Courage, & Coffee Program
Nov 03, 2007
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Newsletter Archive:
September 2007

The Mosby Heritage Area Association Newsletter - October 2007

Statement From The President
by Gayle DeLashmutt
Where did October go? The MHAA board and volunteers were in a whirlwind of activity attending our biennual retreat at Weston, the three-day Civil War Conference held in Middleburg and a book signing and talk featuring Marc Leepson’s latest book Desperate Engagement. Every other year in the fall the MHAA board and the advisory board gather together for a day long retreat to reflect on the plans that were outlined in the previous session, to measure how well we were able to follow through and also to fine tune any plans for the future. We all have busy lives so I am especially grateful for the time given by our board members. It was not only a productive meeting but also great fun getting this entire group together for a whole day. Great ideas and enthusiasm were flowing and we’re excited and energized about MHAA’s plans for the future.  We were delighted to have Weston available to us for the retreat and were able to learn the history of the house and farm during a tour in the afternoon. You can read more about Weston, a little known historic treasure, in our place of the month featured below.

Gayle DeLashmutt
President MHAA

2007 Board of Directors and Advisory Board for the Mosby Heritage Area Association at its retreat at Weston.

Cavaliers, Courage, and Coffee
On Saturday evening, November 3, the Gray Ghost Interpretive Group will present Cavaliers, Courage & Coffee…When Mosby Owned the Night! at the Caleb Rector House in Atoka, VA. The evening, which begins at 7:30 p.m., is a living history program by lantern-light, with vignettes on life here in the Mosby Heritage Area during the Civil War’s most famous guerilla campaign.

Guests will walk through the historic village of Atoka where they will be treated to at least a half dozen players in period clothing, who share gripping stories and vignettes about the formation of Mosby’s Rangers and guerilla war the Rangers fought in the Piedmont of Virginia.
This is a great family event, which the kids will enjoy. It’s also a wonderful romantic date. Visiting friends and family are especially welcome. The program is full of drama, movement, stories and living history props. It’s a great way to be exposed to some of the stories of our region and a chance to gain a ‘sense of place.’

The program and refreshments are free. MHAA would appreciate donations to keep the program running. The historic Rector House in Atoka is located between Middleburg and Upperville just off Rte. 50.

Desperate Engagement Book Signing Draws Fans
More than 45 students of the Civil War gathered in early October to hear journalist and historian Marc Leepson discuss his new book, Desperate Engagement, at historic Oak Hill in Aldie. Leepson, who lives in Middleburg,  told the story of the little-known but crucial Civil War Battle of Monocacy, which took place on July 9, 1864, outside Frederick, Maryland, and Confederate General Jubal Early's subsequent march on Washington, D.C.

"Monocacy is known as 'The Battle that Saved Washington' with good reason," Leepson said. "If Union General Lew Wallace--who later wrote Ben Hur--had not held Early up for an entire day at Monocacy, which is just 40 miles from Washington, the Confederates very likely would have invaded the nation's capital at a very important point in the war.
“And there's no telling how that would have had an impact on the conclusion of the Civil War," he concluded.

Leepson signed books before and after the talk, which was a fundraising event for the Mosby Heritage Area Association. Proceeds from the sale of books  will assist the Middleburg-based organization in its work to educate, and advocate for the preservation of the historic, cultural and scenic resources in the Northern Virginia Piedmont.
The author has signed several additional copies, which are available through the MHAA office. To purchase an autographed copy, please call 540-687-6681 or email info@mosbyheritagearea.org.

Tenth Annual Conference A Success
The 10th annual Civil War Conference sponsored by the Mosby Heritage Area Association successfully concluded in early October with a walking tour of the Second Manassas Battlefield.  Art of Command in the Civil War, the 2007 conference theme, focused on August 28-30, 1862; The Second Battle of Manassas. Forty of our 75 attendees came from outside of Virginia -- from North and South Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Vermont, New York, Florida, Ohio and three from California," said Conference founder, Childs Burden. Childs was one of the founding members of MHAA and is President Emeritus.

“I believe that the conference is valuable to our mission by increasing the awareness of and the appreciation for our history and our historic sites because it raises the visibility of the Mosby Heritage Area Association. We had a group of 8 published historians speaking to a national audience over three days. Those folks return home with a better understanding of the rich history we have here as well as a better understanding of the threats which face our heritage area."

The 75 participants attended three days of lectures in Middleburg and heard from nationally known authors and historians, who presented nine sessions and guided a bus tour of the Second Manassas Battlefield.  Peter Carmichael, Gary Ecelbarger, Clark Hall, John Hennessy, Kim Holden, Scott Patchan, William Styple, Jeffry Wert were this year’s speakers.

“The 10th Annual Art of Command Conference focused upon the Second Manassas Campaign, which was a pivotal campaign in the history of the Civil War. Pivotal because it resulted in The Army of Northern Virginia moving from its defensive position at the very gates of Richmond in early June of 1862 to successfully forcing back elements of two federal armies into the defenses of Washington, D.C. General Lee accomplished this extraordinary success in less than 90 days! Those who attended this year’s conference came away with a renewed appreciation of this fascinating history,” Burden continued.

“Next year we hope to do a conference on the actions which follow The Battle of Second Manassas. The Battle of Chantilly (fought where Fair Oaks Shopping Center looms) occurred on September 1, 1862, after which the federal army moved back into the Washington, D.C. entrenchments. Sixteen days later the two armies will again meet head on near Sharpsburg, Maryland on the banks of The Antietam,” he concluded.

For additional information contact the Mosby Heritage Area Association at 540-687-6681 or 540-687-4195.  Visit www.mosbyheritagearea.org to learn more about MHAA and to purchase tapes, books and other items of interest.

The Store
Our October featured item is the Mosby t-shirt. This t-shirt plays with the famous “Got Milk” commercial and a quote attributed to Col. John S. Mosby when he captured Gen. Edwin Stoughton at Fairfax Courthouse in March of 1863. The front displays the question, “Got Mosby?” On the back the answer, “No—Mosby’s Got You!” is displayed with the Mosby Heritage Area Association’s logo and citing the quote’s origins. The t-shirt is a gray color with red print.     $25 each (Includes Shipping) You may pay online.  Click here to order: http://www.mosbyheritagearea.org/store.htm.

Plan A Visit to Weston
Weston, an early-American treasure, is one of Fauquier County ’s most completely preserved nineteenth-century farmsteads. The property goes back to Robert “King” Carter’s land grant, while the present-day 7500 square foot farmhouse, originally a 2-story log cabin, was built by the Fitzhugh family about 1817. A classic example of an early Virginia working farm, Weston retains its rare collection of ten original agricultural and domestic outbuildings: log kitchen, smokehouse, overseer’s cabin; dairy, corn crib, blacksmith shop, tool shed/workroom, two barns and a stable.

Weston: A Colonial Farmstead in Fauquier County, VA
The property, owned and preserved by The Warrenton Antiquarian Society, is a unique Fauquier County house museum and farmstead, home of the Casanova Hunt, a Commonwealth of Virginia Wildlife Area and, a National and Virginia Historic Landmark.

Tours by appointment only. Call (540) 788-9220 to arrange your tour or to book your special event. Visit: www.historicweston.org.

Did You Know?
That the cavalry battles along Route 50 from June 17-21, 1863, were the second largest cavalry engagement in the history of North America?  The Battle of Brandy Station, June 9, 1863 was the biggest.  Click on this link to learn more about these two cavalry battles...