ARARAT, Va. — An annual event at the birthplace of a Confederate hero in the Virginia foothills has been canceled this year, yet not for the reasons one might think in light of more recent history.
With mobs removing statues and vandalizing monuments honoring those who led the troops in gray, and activists demanding the renaming of military bases memorializing them, organizers of the Civil War Reenactment and Living History celebration are calling a truce for 2020.
The cancellation decision isn’t related to that political turmoil, but another familiar foe of late — COVID-19 — a spokesman said of the event usually held on the first weekend every October in Patrick County.
“No, it’s 100% coronavirus,” Tom Bishop of the J.E.B. Stuart Birthplace Preservation Trust said Tuesday of the temporary shelving of the living history/reenactment. “Please make that clear.”
The event at Laurel Hill featuring battle recreations and other attractions, which would have marked its 29th year this coming fall, has been halted on only one other occasion during its history, due to extreme weather conditions.
That was in 2015 after heavy rains had caused flooding, mudslides, washed-out roadways and other problems that led to a state of emergency being declared for Patrick County.
Bishop related that the board of directors of the Stuart birthplace trust met on June 23 and decided to cancel the 2020 event given ongoing concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.
Normally, hillsides at the site are filled with people of all ages drawn by Civil War battle reenactments highlighted by uniformed troops in blue and gray, artillery units and cavalry mounts.
Organizers strive for a setting that is both entertaining and educational, with speakers, demonstrations and exhibits conveying what life was like during America’s greatest conflict, including period music and clothing worn by troops and civilians.
‘Bad scene’ feared
The popularity of the Civil War Reenactment and Living History event was one factor in its cancellation for this year.
The birthplace board analyzed the situation from the standpoint of sponsoring a large gathering where it could “have something happen,” Bishop explained, such as a major COVID-19 spike traced to the event.
“We thought that would be a bad scene for the reenactment,” he said. “We’re just not going to take a chance.”
Much uncertainty still surrounds the spread of the coronavirus and regulations imposed by health officials in response. While there is some movement toward reopening society, the Laurel Hill group is unsure what the climate might be three months from now.
“We wouldn’t want to spend time and money on promotion,” Bishop said, only to be forced into a last-minute cancellation in case the COVID-19 pandemic worsens this fall as some predict. “We felt it would be a good thing to do now, and hope we can get back together next year.”
Other regular reenactment events around the country also have been canceled by COVID-19, with Bishop saying he knows of only one that is now scheduled.
‘Heroes’ still hailed
The birthplace spokesman mentioned that unlike some parts of the U.S., Surry and Patrick counties continue to honor the sacrifices made by Confederate troops, who some accounts have shown were fighting against an invading army rather than to preserve slavery.
“We love our Patrick County (history) and we still have our heroes,” he said, which include Maj. Gen. Stuart, a Confederate cavalry commander who was mortally wounded during the Battle of Yellow Tavern near Richmond in May 1864.
In 1884, the name of the Patrick County seat then known as Taylorsville was changed to Stuart in his memory.
Bishop also pointed to the presence of the J.E.B. Stuart Highway (Route 58-West) through southern Virginia, saying there have been no calls for renaming either it or the town.
However, a local Circuit Court judge did order the removal of a portrait of Maj. Gen. Stuart from the courthouse there several years ago. It now occupies space in another governmental building in Stuart devoted to veterans of Patrick County.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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