Wethersfield: Skirmish

music
ambience: skirmish re-enactment battle, fife and drum

Every June, Wethersfield, CT, holds a festival honoring its history which predates, the Revolutionary War. I’m Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet. Part of the celebration is a demonstration of a skirmish between redcoats and revolutionaries. With hundreds of spectators looking on, regiments of reenactors assemble, costumed as colonial troops, complete with firearms.

“Because there was really no battle of Wethersfield, we don’t do a reenactment because it would be misleading. We do a demonstration.”

Paul Akerman is the National President of the Brigade of the American Revolution.

“Today’s battle begins as the American troops are mustering on the green here in Wethersfield. We’re preparing to march to join Washington’s army around New York – preparing for the British occupation. We will begin by mustering the troops and drilling them, and a raid will come from the cove, from the Connecticut River — a raid of British troops, supported by a large contingent of Loyalists who guide them to our mustering ground — and they will raid us, and we will respond by deploying our flank company which is the rifles. They have the ability to keep the enemy at distance by having increased range and accuracy of the rifle while we form our heavy infantry, and we will have a small contingent of Dragoons. After the heavy infantry is formed, they will engage the raiding party, and drive the raiding party up to a point where strategically they will be in a poor position, and the Dragoons will come down on the weak side and drive them back hopefully, to the river, or round them up even, to take them as prisoners.”

We’ll hear more about the Wethersfield Festival in future programs. .Pulse of the Planet is presented with support provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities. I’m Jim Metzner.

Wethersfield: Skirmish

Travel back in time 226 years, as the Second Continental Light Dragoons prepare for a British invasion.
Air Date:06/08/2006
Scientist:
Transcript:


music
ambience: skirmish re-enactment battle, fife and drum

Every June, Wethersfield, CT, holds a festival honoring its history which predates, the Revolutionary War. I'm Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet. Part of the celebration is a demonstration of a skirmish between redcoats and revolutionaries. With hundreds of spectators looking on, regiments of reenactors assemble, costumed as colonial troops, complete with firearms.

"Because there was really no battle of Wethersfield, we don’t do a reenactment because it would be misleading. We do a demonstration."

Paul Akerman is the National President of the Brigade of the American Revolution.

"Today’s battle begins as the American troops are mustering on the green here in Wethersfield. We’re preparing to march to join Washington’s army around New York - preparing for the British occupation. We will begin by mustering the troops and drilling them, and a raid will come from the cove, from the Connecticut River -- a raid of British troops, supported by a large contingent of Loyalists who guide them to our mustering ground -- and they will raid us, and we will respond by deploying our flank company which is the rifles. They have the ability to keep the enemy at distance by having increased range and accuracy of the rifle while we form our heavy infantry, and we will have a small contingent of Dragoons. After the heavy infantry is formed, they will engage the raiding party, and drive the raiding party up to a point where strategically they will be in a poor position, and the Dragoons will come down on the weak side and drive them back hopefully, to the river, or round them up even, to take them as prisoners."

We'll hear more about the Wethersfield Festival in future programs. .Pulse of the Planet is presented with support provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities. I'm Jim Metzner.