Upcoming Events:
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July 19
August 16
November 1
Event at Huntlands
September 13
Civil War Conference
October 3-5
John Brown Panic of 1859 Interpretive Program
November 7-8
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The Mosby Heritage Area Association Newsletter - June 2008

Statement From The President
Last Comments from Gayle as President
Our thanks go to outgoing Board Members Suzanne Scheer, Nina Mckee and Childs Burden. I’m delighted to say that they have all agreed to join MHAA’s Advisory Board and we will still have the good fortune to make use of their talents and energy. I’m also moving to the Advisory Board and will be serving as Vice President.  I’m looking forward to lending a hand when needed.  

We are so pleased to welcome Paul Ziluca, George Thompson and Wayne Gibbens as new Board Members and Diana Reuter Twining, Barbara Freson and John Verrill to the Advisory Board.

The two years I have held the post of president have flown by and I’ve had a really great time.  Our education programs have grown like Topsy; we’ve worked out the kinks in our web site; and added this monthly electronic newsletter. The Civil War Conference is going into its 11th year, the Winter Lecture Series into its 13th, and the Aldie Triangle into its 5th year. None of this could have been done without the hard work of a remarkable Board of Directors. Each member has been wonderful to work with and has made my job simple.

Judy Reynolds, our Executive Director, is the glue that holds us together. Rich Gillespie, our Director of Education, is passionate about history and has more ideas about getting our message across than we have resources to carry out. I’ve learned so much from both of them and look forward to working with them in the months ahead.

Gayle DeLashmutt
President MHAA

Appreciation for Gayle's hard work.

Changes to MHAA Leadership
The Mosby Heritage Area Association welcomed new officers at the June Board Meeting.  Elected: President— Marc Leepson, Vice President—Gayle DeLashmutt and, Secretary—Susan Wallace. George Grayson continues as Treasurer.  

Completing their terms as officers were: President—Gayle DeLashmutt and Secretary—Franny Kansteiner.

In July, the MHAA welcomed four new members to the Board of Directors: George Thompson, Wayne Gibbens, Paul Ziluca and Marc Leepson (president)

Board Members serving additional three-year terms on the Board:
Lennart Lundh, Richard Hoover and George Grayson (treasurer)

New Advisory Board Members:
Diana Twining, John Verrill and Barbara Feason

Board Members going to Advisory Board:
Suzanne Scheer, Nina McKee, Childs Burden, Gayle DeLashmutt (vice president)

Board of Director Members with continuing terms:
Franny Kansteiner, Scott Abeel, Katherine Berger, Joseph Dempsey, Patrick Farris, Steve Hines,  Ed Keenan, Emily Ristau, Susan Wallace (secretary)
Don Woodruff, Jay Zieler

Civil War Conference set for Oct. 3-5, 2008
The Mosby Heritage Area Association will present the 11th Annual Conference on the Art of Command in the Civil War, titled SEPTEMBER 17, 1862, ANTIETAM, October 3 - 5, 2008 at the Middleburg Community Center, in Middleburg, Virginia.

In this space over the summer and early fall we will highlight the speakers for MHAA’s Civil War Conference.

Gary Ecelbarger: Mr. Ecelbarger has written five books, co-authored two others, and has published more than a dozen articles on Civil War topics. A veteran symposium speaker and history tour guide, he has been a participant of five previous Art of Command conferences. He published two books in 2008: Three Days in the Shenandoah: Stonewall Jackson at Front Royal and Winchester and The Great Comeback: How Abraham Lincoln Beat the Odds to Win the 1860 Nomination.

The additional Speakers for the 2008 Conference include: PETER CARMICHAEL, DENNIS FRYE,LESLIE GORDON, KIM HOLIEN, ROBERT K. KRICK, STEPHEN R. POTTER and,JEFFRY D. WERT. Speakers are subject to change.

For additional information and the complete Conference program please visit the MHAA website: www.mosbyheritagearea.org  Individual copies or quantities of the Civil War Conference brochures are available on request from the MHAA office or online.

A Ride Across the Mosby Heritage Area on Horseback
On the bright Saturday morning of May 31st, twenty riders assembled at Gum Tree Farm in Loudoun County to ride with Steve Boudreau, a member of the Historic Mosby’s Rangers, on a trail ride into history.  For the past two years, members of the Historic Mosby’s Rangers have been guiding trail rides to Civil War sites in the Mosby Heritage Area in the fall.  This was the first spring ride.

Before leaving Gum Tree Farm, Judy Reynolds, MHAA Executive Director, as Mary Hatcher Rector of Rectors Crossroads, gave a brief presentation of life during the Civil War in the Mosby Heritage Area.

Riders then rode over to nearby Welbourne, where our Civil War trail riders nearly collided with a Revolutionary War re-enacting group.  Connie Boudreau spoke of diary entries made by Mary Delaney who lived at Welbourne at the time of the Civil War. The roar of thunder in the background accentuated her story about cannons firing around Welbourne in 1862 during the Battle of Unison.

The riders went on to the historic Goose Creek Bridge where Eric Buckland met the group.  He detailed the action around the bridge by cavalry during the Battles of Aldie, Middleburg, and Upperville in June 1863.

From the bridge, riders returned to Gum Tree Farm for a luncheon prepared by our host, Franny Kansteiner, a MHAA Board Member.  Richard Gillespie, Director of Education, spoke about the importance of preserving the Mosby Heritage Area, its stories, and its heritage. 

Thunder, lightning, and the threat of tornadoes scattered the riders and luncheon guests around 1pm.   Despite the need to skedaddl”, a good time was had by all.

End of the trail.

A Celebration of Mosby’s Rangers Descendants
On June 10, as part of the 250th Anniversary Commemoration for Fauquier County and the 150th Anniversary of the American Civil War activities, the Mosby Heritage Area Association sponsored a reunion of Mosby’s Rangers Descendants, mostly granddaughters and grandsons.  This was the 145th Anniversary of the official organization of Company A, 43rd Virginia Battalion, known as Mosby’s Rangers.  

Because of the heat, the event was moved from the lawn at Green Garden to the Parish Hall at Trinity Episcopal Church in Upperville.  Descendants of Rangers Thomas A. Russell, Samuel E. Rogers, John Nelson Follin, Moses F. Burgess, Dr. James Wiltshire, George N. Slater, John Coyner, William Kincheloe, John H. Lunceford, and John Gideon Crigler, as well as descendants of Colonel John Singleton Mosby, were in attendance.   Descendants were presented with special badges noting the event, badges similar to ones given to attendees of reunions of Civil War soldiers following the Civil War.

Descendants of Mosby’s Rangers and Col. John S. Mosby with badges
Front Row: (2 ladies, from left) Isabell Thigpen, Ranger, Moses F. Burgess and Ethel Hume, Ranger, Thomas A. Russell Back Row: (rest of group, from left) Anne Coyner, Ranger, George Slater; John Kincheloe, Ranger, William Kincheloe; Kathy Ellis, Ranger John Gideon Crigler; Lynda Rozman, Ranger, John Nelson Follin; David Cooper, Colonel John S. Mosby; Rex Cooper, Colonel John S. Mosby; William McGuinn, Ranger, John H. Lunceford; Gray Coyner, Ranger, John Coyner; Dr. Joseph Rogers, Ranger Samuel E. Rogers; and George Wiltshire, Ranger, Dr. James Wiltshire..

The group was entertained by the Tuscarora Band.  This unique band wore period dress and played period pieces on period instruments.   Olivia Colville, Clay Steward, Eric Buckland, and Richard Gillespie, members of MHAA’s Gray Ghost Interpretive Group, presented the story of Green Garden.

Tuscarora Band.

As part of this event, Dr. Kay McCarron, Executive Director of the John Singleton Mosby Museum Foundation, along with Jackie Wright, Paul Rice and Lindsey Rice, copied photos and documents brought by descendants. They also interviewed and video taped descendants, telling the stories that have been passed along about their Civil War ancestors.  The information will be made available to area libraries and archives.  The collecting of histories from Ranger, servant, and Mosby family members will continue throughout the coming year in an effort to preserve the oral history about the Civil War in our area.  

The Mosby Heritage Area Association would like to thank the committee members and sponsors who helped make this event a success.   Sponsors included The John Singleton Mosby Museum Foundation, the Historic Mosby’s Rangers, Akre Capital Management, Gray Ghost Vineyards, Mosby’s Confederacy Tours, Don Hakenson & Gregg Dudding, Mosby Tours, Soldier’s Trace, Peter Rogers, Carol Buckland, and Eric Buckland.  The committee members who worked tirelessly over the past six months includes Judy Reynolds, Richard Gillespie, and Gayle DeLashmutt from MHAA; Kay McCarron; David Goetz, a member of MHAA; Lynda and Rick Rozman, members and volunteers of MHAA; Don Hakeson; and Eric Buckland, a member of MHAA.

MHAA is still looking for descendants of Mosby’s Rangers, their servants, and Mosby family members. We are compiling a database with descendants for a larger event in June 2009.  Please contact MHAA if you or someone you know is a descendant of Mosby’s Rangers, servants, or Mosby family members.

Bicycling in the Mosby Heritage Area
June 15th was another wonderful June day in the Mosby Heritage Area.  On that day twenty bicyclists and one dog, Mickey, assembled at Green Garden to take a 20-mile ride through the beautiful countryside with stops at historic sites along the way.  Board member Jay Zeiler, a biking enthusiast, organized the ride.

Leaving Green Garden, the bikers’first stop was Aryshire Farm, where they were treated to water and brownies.  They were given a history of the farm, information about organic farming, and a tour of the carriage house.

Next stop was the Ebenezer Churches. Richard Gillespie, Director of Education, met the riders at the churches to explain why there are two churches with the same name sitting on a hill near Bloomfield.  He also told the story of how Mosby’s Rangers used the churchyard to divide spoils of war after a raid on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

The next leg of the trip took riders to the village of Unison where they were met by Telle Zeiler, who had set out lunch.  While sitting on the porch of the old country store, Mitch Diamond, a member of the Unison Preservation Society, told how soldiers passed around and through the village during the Battle of Unison. 

The riders were then off to Welbourne. This time they were met by a Civil War re-enacting group (see “A Ride Across the Mosby Heritage Area on Horseback” above).  While sitting in the shade of the porch, Rich Gillespie talked about the events that happened in and around Welbourne during the Civil War.  To end his presentation, the group assembled in the parlor to hear the words written by Mary Delaney in her diary about the death of Ranger William Turner following a raid on Loudoun Heights. The diary entry mentions the parlor where the group was standing.

In early afternoon the group completed its circuit back to Green Garden.  There were smiles all around.  Susan Wight, owner of Mickey the cycling dog, later wrote: “Mickey and I had a fabulous time on the ride….I know it’s the most interesting, informative and entertaining history lesson I’ve ever had, and to be able to do it biking on a gorgeous day in the country was a real treat.  To hear the men and women who lived those days, in their own words, in the very area and homes where this history was played out was awe inspiring.”

Susan Wight and Mickey preparing to ride.

Bicyclists in front of Green Garden.

News Shorts:

Save The Date!
On Saturday September 13, 2008 the Mosby Heritage Area will
sponsor an evening at Historic Huntlands to benefit MHAA's  Educational Programs.  Our sincere thanks goes to Dr. Betsee Parker for her generosity in opening Huntlands for this event.  Huntlands, one of the most stunning properties in the northern Piedmont, is rarely opened to the public.

Cavaliers, Courage and Coffee Presentation: “Other Voices”
The July 19th Cavaliers, Courage and Coffee presentation will feature “Other Voices” from the Civil War years in the Mosby Heritage Area.  Unlike past presentations, the members of the Gray Ghost Interpretive Group have researched the feelings and reactions of citizens and soldiers concerning Col. Mosby, his Rangers and the war. These other voices include women, African Americans, Unionists, and Union soldiers.  The program begins at 7:30 pm at Atoka (4 miles west of Middleburg off Route 50).  Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for students.

November Workshop
On the weekend of November 7-8, 2008, the Mosby Heritage Area will sponsor a unique program: The John Brown Panic of 1859.  The program is a part of the American Civil War’s Sesquicentennial observance, which begins in 2009.  Richard Gillespie, Director of Education, and members of the Grey Ghost Interpretive Group will lead 34 participants along the route used by John Brown on his raid on Harpers Ferry in October 1859 and look at the effects this raid had on the Virginia countryside of the Mosby Heritage Area.  More information will be available in the coming months.

Loudoun County High School Junior Allison Hinke Wins John Divine Memorial History Award from MHAA
The Mosby Heritage Area Association awarded Loudoun County
High School Junior Allison Hinke the John Divine Memorial History Award for her Loudoun County Social Science Fair Project, The Impact of Development on Agriculture in Loudoun County.   Allison takes Advanced Placement U.S. History with teacher Monica Gill.  Mrs. Gill had MHAA’s Mosby, Heritage, and You program brought to her classes this past December.  The inspiration for her project all goes to Allison even though she was absent the day of our program.  The award presented by MHAA is in honor of the contributions made by historian John E. Divine to Loudoun County’ history. 

Allison Hinke, 2008 winner of the John Divine Memorial History Award.

Eagle Scout Project
Matt Carlson, an Eagle Scout candidate and student at James
Madison University, has completed his Eagle Project in cooperation with MHAA Education Director Rich Gillespie.  Matt constructed eight lightweight, yet sturdy, outdoor benches  for mobile use during our Gray Ghost Interpretive Group programs.   A dozen heavyweight benches for use in the amphitheatre we create at the beginning of each program were built in 2006 by Eagle Scout Stephen Novitch.  Now, with the additional new benches, we can set up benches wherever we go so visitors will have  places to sit.

Matt Carlson at Atoka.

Gray Ghost Interpretive Group Helps with Journey Through Hallowed Ground Camp
Gray Ghost Interpretive Group members Heidi Carbaugh and
Olivia Colville worked with our Director of Education Rich Gillespie to present a day-long session to the Journey Through Hallowed Ground’s Extreme Journey High School Summer Camp on Monday, June 23rd.   Using the background of antebellum northern Virginia, they focused on slavery and the impact of the abolitionist raider John Brown on the region. This Mosby Heritage Area Association contribution to the JTHG camp made for an intense first day for the 31 campers.  The presentation included first-person accounts, interaction with the material and social culture of 1859, music, poetry, hiking, biking, and of course, hair-raising story-telling.  In the words of Extreme Journey Camp Director Angela Stokes, “Thank you for taking these students through a spiritual crevasse and bringing them out safely and new on the other side.”  

Summer Interns
MHAA is very fortunate to have a group of dedicated volunteers (see November e-newsletter archived on our website at the bottom of the News Page.)   We are proud to say that our group of volunteers has grown since November.  During the summer, we are giving most of them a break.  Taking their place are two student interns; Anna Anderson, a rising junior at Foxcroft School and Victoria (Vicky) Gravett, a rising senior at Wakefield School.  These two young ladies will be with us through August.

MHAA Logo
Thanks to MHAA member, J. W. Gipple, the new logo for the Mosby Heritage Area Association presented in our April newsletter will be copyrighted.  Mr. Gipple a resident of Loudoun County and a lawyer specializing in copyright law, offered to help the MHAA get the new logo copyrighted. 

MHAA Education Programs Reach 4,429 Students in 2007-08 School Year
This year our five school programs, Mosby, Heritage, and You;  A Slavery Odyssey, 1840-1880;  The Impact of the Civil War in the Aldie Triangle;  Loudoun, Lexington, & Cresswell;  and  250 Years:  Favorite Stories of Loudoun have been extremely popular.  In 2007-2008 MHAA has worked with 42 schools, speaking to 188 classes, reaching 4,429 students and some 270 teachers, administrators, and parents; each with an intensive program and take-home follow-up materials. 

Each program comes with handouts for the teacher, as well as for the students, plus a scavenger hunt booklet for their county.  Each program features stories tied to local historic places where these stories played out, and that have been preserved, underscoring the crucial need for stories to be known by students such that the appropriate places can be saved if and when the time comes. 

Since we’ve added a greater variety of programs, we’ve been able to get into schools that previously ignored us.  This has been especially obvious with the addition of an African-American history program.  Programs this year were given to 4th, 5th, 6th, and 11th graders.  Rich Gillespie will be working on new programs for the coming school year, especially ones targeting high school students.

Site of the Month: Heritage Farm Museum
Plant a seed in your young farmer’s imagination and watch it grow at one of the Metro area’s newest museums. At the Heritage Farm Museum, you can meet Milkie the Cow, travel back in time to the Waxpool General Store and be a farmer for a day. Your family will reap the rewards of time well spent.

The museum specializes in hands-on classes and programs that meet the Standards of Learning for Virginia. The Gift Shop features Virginia’s Finest label products and creative gifts for home and family. The museum is conveniently located off Route 28 and Route 7 in Claude Moore Park, Sterling.

Join us for our fourth annual Autumn Apple Festival on Saturday, October 25th from 10:00 - 4:00.  Visit our exhibit "Virginia Apples for Flavor: The Story of Hill High Orchards".  See historic orchard tools at work.  Learn how to make cider.  Visit with local orchardists, and browse locally made apple products.

Hours:
Tuesday through Saturday 10:00AM - 5:00PM
Sunday Noon - 5:00PM

Fees:
Adults - $5.00
Children - $3.00
Discounts for groups and seniors

Heritage Farm Museum
21668 Heritage Farm Lane
Sterling, VA 20165
571.258.3800
www.heritagefarmmuseum.org

Kids on Ponies.

Inside the Heritage Farm.

Waxpool General Store.

Did You Know?
At the beginning of the Civil War, just days after the firing on Fort Sumter, Virginia and all other states were called to provide soldiers to put down the Southern rebellion of South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas.  President Lincoln called for 75,000 ninety-day volunteers on April 15, 1861.  While over a half-million volunteered in the first three weeks, Virginia Governor John Letcher made Virginia’s position clear the next day: no troops would be forthcoming from the Old Dominion, nor were federal troops to be allowed through the Commonwealth to get South. 

On April 17, Virginia’s Secession Convention delegates voted 88-55 to secede, subject to a popular vote on May 23rd.  

We all know where those 55 “nay” votes were—western Virginia--or were they?    Below are the votes of the convention delegates representing area counties, including those in the Mosby Heritage Area.  The popular vote five weeks later was far more pro-secession.
           
Warren County—Robert H. Turner (Yea)
Frederick County—Robert Young Conrad (Nay), James Marshall (Nay)
Berkeley County—Allen C. Hammond (Nay), Edmund Pendleton (Nay)
Clarke County—Hugh M. Nelson [of Long Branch] (Nay)
Jefferson County—Logan Osburn, Sr. (Nay)
Fauquier County—Robert Eden Scott (Yea)
Loudoun County—John Armistead Carter (Nay), John Janney (Nay)
Prince William County—Eppa Hunton (Yea)
Fairfax County—William H. Dulany (Nay)

Store: Christmas in July
We can only imagine snow and cold weather during the long, hot days of summer.  The Mosby Heritage Area Association is cooling things down with a Christmas in July sale.  The following items will be reduced by 20%.  A $5 postage and handling fee will be added.

Got Mosby T-Shirt, Navy Polo, and Green Hat shown

“Got Mosby” Tee-shirts: $16 + $5 = $21 (S – XL sizes)
“Got Mosby” Tee-shirts: $17.60 + $5 = $22.60 (XX Large sizes)
Polo Shirts: $28.80 + $5 = $33.60 (S – XL sizes)
Polo Shirts: $32 + $5 = $37 (XX Large sizes)
Specify color for polo shirts (navy, gray, pine green)
Hats:$16 + $5 = $21
Specify color of hats (green, black, denim navy blue)
Maps: $16 + $5 = $21

To take advantage of this offer, you will need to order through our webpage order form, not through PayPal.  You can pay by check or credit card.

Click here to get to the order form.