TWO ARMS IN AMESBURY *
Civil War Reenactment & Living History Weekend
(June 2nd & 3rd) 2007

Location:
Woodsom Farm, Lion’s Mouth Rd., Amesbury, Massachusetts


Many reenactments occur nearer to the Mason-Dixon Line, but…
This is the other end of “Where it All Began” – between the birthplaces of famed abolitionists Wm. Lloyd Garrison and J. Greenleaf Whittier.

On the border with New Hampshire, Amesbury, Massachusetts was home to Quaker abolitionist / poet, John Greenleaf Whittier. Originally a part of Salisbury, Amesbury can claim to be one of the six communities along the end of the Merrimack River – an area first settled in 1635. Amesbury has many treasures, but one of its greatest is the home of J. G. Whittier which has been maintained much like Whittier would have kept it until his death in 1892. It is packed full of amazing memorabilia from the movers and shakers of the northern abolitionist movement and just across the river is the home of William Lloyd Garrison who, in his paper “The Liberator,” urged immediate unconditional emancipation.

Amesbury can also claim the home of Nathaniel Currier (of Currier & Ives fame) which is located just on the edge of the spacious and beauteous Woodsom Farm. “The Farm contains approximately 370 acres of prime pastureland, bird nesting sites, open space, drumlin hills, and wetlands, bisected by Lions’ Mouth Road and is located approximately two miles from the Town Center.”

The City of the Town of Amesbury (fun name, huh?) is undergoing an amazing period of transition. The downtown is thriving with new destinations, excellent eateries and eclectic shops amidst “ould time” family businesses and the elegance of historical brick mills towering over and around the roaring waters of the Powow River. Amesbury is truly a city experiencing Renaissance.

Amesbury’s Bartlett Museum exhibit continues to be “Amesbury At War: A Tradition of Service & Sacrifice which includes a fantastic diorama of the Battle of Hatcher’s Run. Just across the glorious Merrimack River is Newburyport which keeps a fantastic museum at the former home of Caleb Cushing. Last year the public was thrilled by our eclectic gathering; the 11th and 13th MASS Infantry Regiments, the 5th Mass Battery, Liberty Greys, and assorted units put on quite a show. This year we hope to host a full battle reenactment – the largest yet witnessed in this area. A minimal registration fee ($5 / reenactor) will be partially refunded and artillery bounties may be available. Your participation in this “historic” event would be immensely appreciated.

Proceeds go toward historic preservation & restoration of recently defiled historic monuments of Gettysburg.

Sincerely,
P. “Jancy” Jancewicz, Event Coordinator
19 Whittier Avenue, Amesbury, MA 01913
978.834.0142
jancyman@comcast.net

Alternate Email:
historicusrex@yahoo.com

 


*This title designates a reference to the Raise the Arm Event and the fact that it is the second gathering at that place while playing with the "TO ARMS!" recruitment Call for volunteers during the Civil War.