PLATTSBURGH — The 26th Annual Battle of Plattsburgh Commemoration starts today and ends on Sunday.
1814 Commemoration Inc. organizers are presenting standard fare and new twists on old favorites.
The Crab Island Ceremony will be held 11 a.m. at the Battlefield Gateway Memorial Park on Sunset Dr. in Plattsburgh. (See Schedule on Page A3).
“For the first time, we’re going to be doing a ceremony at Fort Brown,” Tom Donahue, president, said.
“It’s the last remnants of a fort you can still visually see in Plattsburgh. We want to memorialize that site because there are probably people buried there, people got hurt there. It’s important for the public to know that that’s where the fort was when they wanted to fight the British and they gave the orders to send the troops out. That’s where they came from. That will be happening at 3 p.m.”
RAMPING UP
Beginning on Thursday, Sept. 12, museums will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. downtown, on the Old Base Museum Campus and in Chazy. Self-guided tours will also be offered during the same time frame at the Old Post Cemetery.
“More importantly is the Riverside Cemetery memorial which is where Captain Downie is buried,” Donahue said.
“We have the British attache that shows up. It’s a very moving ceremony. In the evening, the U.S. Army Band 10th Mountain Division is going to put on a free concert at the Strand.”
Friday, Sept. 13 ramps into the big weekend with museum tours, arrival of 1814 re-enactors, Bagpipes at Trinity Park, food court, exhibits, etc.
“There’s a couple more ceremonies at Culver Hill and Halsey’s Corners,” Donahue said.
At 11 a.m. a memorial ceremony will take place at the Culver Hill Historical Park located at 6453 State Rt. 22, in Beekmantown, which is two miles north of intersection of Rte. 374. On Sept. 6, 1814, a large British army numbering in the thousands marched through the Beekmantown countryside on their way to occupy the Village of Plattsburgh. In an attempt to slow that advance, a small American force consisting of regular army and militia, made a stand behind stonewalls on the rise of land known as Culver Hill. The result was a short but very intense skirmish that left several dead and wounded, including the leading British officer, Lt. Col. James Willington.
“Although casualties were sustained on both sides, Sept. 6 turned out to be the bloodiest day for the British army during the invasion. This year we will reflect on how these forces met as enemy combatants on that day, only to become close allies over the last two centuries,” Beekmantown Town Historian Gary VanCour said.
FESTIVITIES PLANNED
The ceremony, cosponsored by the Town of Beekmantown and 1814 Commemoration, Inc., is open to the public and parking is available.
“Then, we start with everything downtown – Music in the Park,” Donahue said.
“We have different bands playing in the park on Friday afternoon leading up to our kickoff for Friday night events. We will have a couple of speakers, myself, the mayor, and probably the British attache will say a few words. Then we have a band playing live on the steps of City Hall. That will be Frankie & the Moonlighters. It’s a ‘50s/’60s band, a seven-piece band. It should be a lot of fun. We top off that evening with the fireworks display, Rockets Red Glare, over the monument. The U.S. Army Band is going to be playing Stars & Stripes as the rockets and stuff go off. We have some beautiful weather, so life is good there.”
Saturday’s activities begin with the Cannonball Run 5K/ 1 mile Run/Walk at the Y on the Oval, 52 U.S. Oval. The 1814 Reenactor Encampment featuring 19th Century trades and military equipment demonstrations will be on the Kent-Delord House Museum grounds. A Children’s Old Time Village Fair will be on the Macdonough Monument grounds.
GOOD WEATHER FORECAST
“The monument is going to be open for the Monument Challenge, walking up the steps the 156-Club. If you make it all the way up and down you get your button entered in to a prize drawing,” Donahue said.
“We have three different history talks at Trinity Church from 10 a.m. to noon. There’s a talk about Capt. Downie, another one about bringing up the Confiance Anchor. The head of the Maritime Museum is going to give a talk about how that happened. Then one other talk on Gen. Benjamin Mooers. There were six swords given out after the war. He was presented one of them from Washington D.C. It’s at the CCHA Museum here in Plattsburgh.
“The interesting part is his fifth great-granddaughter called me back in April looking for the sword. They are going to come from California, and she’s going to give a talk about it so it’s pretty cool. Rotary is going to be doing the bed races Saturday morning, and that leads into the big parade that we have every year. The theme is Ships, Boats & Buggies from the 1814 era.”
Donahue is thrilled with the weekend forecast.
“It should be absolutely beautiful,” he said.
“We have the Macomb Ball Saturday night outdoors under the tent in Trinity Park. That’s always great, and the weather will be perfect for that. A lot of our volunteers have done a lot of work. We have had new volunteers this year, which is helping us. We were able to raise enough money to put it on. We hope everybody comes and has a really great time all weekend long.”