Monthly Archives: October 2023

The very nature of a living history organization is a constant state of “remembrance”…we gather at many historic places, and countless historic events, for the very purpose of paying tribute to the service and sacrifice of men who served and, in many cases, died in the course of the American Civil War…of course, we are especially dedicated to those who served in the 62nd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry and their families…in many cases, we ARE their families…

And we, like those we were organized to honor, experience the same sense of loss…the very gentleman who started the 62nd Living History family twenty-nine years ago, Gordy Sheaffer, is mourning the loss of his mother Donna several months ago, and his father Gordon, just this week…in the early years of this organization, Donna & Gordon Sheaffer were constant and avid supporters of every thing pertaining to the 62nd, great and small…

And likewise, we remember our dear friend Joe McShane, who departed our ranks two years ago on October 1st…from the time Joe & Cindy McShane joined the Company many years ago, Joe was a loyal and dedicated servant to our cause, and our family…

So, tonight, as in every night, we remember…………

[ The photo collage in the image was created by Chloe Armstrong, in memory of Joe McShane]

SEPTEMBER 9 & 10, 2023

The 62nd family has had a long-standing relationship with the Gettysburg Foundation for events and activities, including Volunteer Work Day, the Remembrance Day Illumination, and now, the Children of Gettysburg-1863…when our friend and museum manager Bethany Yingling contacted us about setting up a living history encampment to support the museum, we were very excited for the opportunity…for many years the Rupp House has been a notable stop for anyone visiting historic Gettysburg, and in recent years, it was the headquarters for the Foundation…

Two years ago, the house was transformed into an interactive display of the experiences of the children who lived in Gettysburg at the time of the Battle of Gettysburg…this is a fantastic source of information and personal stories, which reaches into the hearts of everyone who enters, but especially the children, as it teaches them many aspects and lessons, taught by the allowing them to become a child of Gettysburg, through the interactive nature of the museum…

Of course, having a living history family camped in the side lawn, including children of similar ages, added to the event for all who visited during the weekend…

Throughout the weekend, we were happy to demonstrate many aspects of “camp life”, including cooking [and doing dishes!], playing “rounders” and games, as well as the “soldier’s life”, by demonstrating some of the drilling, marching and soldiering lessons that so many young men and boys were quickly taught…

And once again, this event proved to be a source of great joy, as we were able to make a connection with another family member–another descendant of a 62nd Volunteer…it never ceases to amaze me how the Lord puts us right where we need to be, and our “family circle” continues to expand through our events…not only do we get to meet fellow descendants, and share tears and stories of how our ancestors served together, but several times in the last year, we have witnessed connections made within those families, either at or through our living history events…

It is my hope to start a page within this blog site soon that will share these connections, and stories, and how they came together…as I have always said, those are the moments that make each event a special and lasting memory…our visit to the “Children of Gettysburg-1863” was no exception!

Photos for this post were provided by Katie Wolfe, Amy Skeel and Georgia LaCroix

AUGUST 26 & 27, 2023

For the second consecutive year, the 62nd PVI Living History Family was invited to take part in a “walk through history” in Apollo, Pennsylvania…and once again, the Roaring Run Watershed, and event coordinator Chris Troup organized a wonderful weekend of history…

The event actually started on Friday, as Chris and his 40th PVI unit conducted morning and afternoon school sessions, offering various demonstrations, talks and activities for local children…it was during that time that the 62nd folks got our encampment established between the trail and the banks of the Kiski River…

For both Saturday and Sunday, there were Civil War events at both ends of the trail: The 40th PVI, along with a light artillery unit, offered skirmishes and demonstrations at the mouth of Roaring Run, which visitors could access by walking the trail, or riding the “shuttle”, a large wagon pulled by a tractor which made many trips throughout the event…there were also guest speakers scheduled each day, and as the events concluded for the day, the sounding of “Taps” echoed through the river valley, a solemn tribute to remember the countless lives lost during the Civil War…

As for the 62nd folks, we had our encampment at the other end of the trail, closest to the trailhead parking area…this made for a near perfect location to greet and educate the visitors to the event, which we took full advantage of…we were able to share cooking and baking demonstrations, camp life, drilling, and most importantly, personal stories of the men from Armstrong County who served in various regiments and capacities throughout the Civil War…and as is the case with every event we participate in, many friendships and connections were made, which makes it all worth the time and the effort…

If you would like more information about the event or the Roaring Run Watershed, you can go to:

https://www.roaringrunapollo.org

We are grateful to Chris & Danielle Troup for inviting us to be a part of this great event…photos appearing in this post were submitted by Danielle Troup, Katie Wolfe and Susan Carson Bowser…