Patriot Troops Drilling at Caswell Memorial Historic Site

Free living history program recalling how Continental soldiers, sailors and their families lived, fought, and died, during the Revolutionary War

August 2, 2009

LENOIR COUNTY NEWS -- During a celebration of America's independence, families can enjoy a free living history program recalling life in the 18th-century British army, and how Continental soldiers, sailors and their families lived, fought, and died, during the Revolutionary War.

From 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., the sound of colonial cannons firing, the sight of patriot troops drilling and the smell of an old-fashioned summer picnic will fill the eyes and ears of guests at the CSS Neuse State Historic Site-Governor Richard Caswell Memorial on Saturday, August 15, 2009. Furthermore, visitors will also have chance to see how cannons and muskets were fired, watch typical civilian activities of the period such as spinning and weaving, and move among the reenactions of colorful 18th-century dressed actors playing lawn games of the late 1700s including quoits (similar to horseshoes) and bocce. Children will have a chance to try their skills at old-fashioned games such as cup and ball, Jacob's Ladder and spinning tops, while visitors can also try their hand at playing against the actors in the various lawn games.

The program's highlight will be an outdoor picnic, scheduled from 12:00 noon until 1:30 p.m. Attendees are asked to bring their own picnic lunch and blanket.

Besides the Revolutionary War theme activities, attendees may want to step into the site's visitor center to examine exhibits on Governor Richard Caswell, North Carolina's first governor. Tours of the CSS Neuse gunboat will also be presented throughout the day.

Back in the late 1700s, when North Carolina was still an unsettled wilderness dotted with a few settlements and its capital was moving from place to place, Caswell was elected governor five times, more than any other person in the state's history! A Revolutionary War hero who walked with George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, Caswell became known as the "Father of the State." But Caswell had not always supported the revolutionary thoughts of his cohorts.

In 1764, several thousand people from North Carolina, mainly from Orange, Anson, and Granville counties, were intensely dissatisfied with wealthy North Carolina officials whom they considered tyrannical and corrupt. During this time, taxes were collected by local sheriffs supported by the courts, and had the sole control over their local regions. Many of the officials were considered greedy and would often band together with other local officials for strength. Furthermore, the function of the entire government depended upon the integrity of these local officials’ honesties, unfortunately at times, sheriffs would intentionally remove records of their tax collection in order to further tax the citizens. Additionally, the system was endorsed by the colonial governor, who feared the banded strength of the various county officials. Therefore, the Regulator uprising was the effort to eliminate this corrupt system of government, and the primary goal of the Regulators was to reform government and reduce taxation. However, the wealthy ruling class at this point time viewed this as a threat to their power, and called upon the British colonial militia to crush the rebellion and hang the leaders. By the end of the rebellion, it is estimated that out of the 8,000 people living in Orange County at the time, more than six thousand supported of the Regulators. It should also be further noted that this uprising was against the local governing officials - not the British Empire.

Even though the uprising was unsuccessful, some historians consider the Regulator uprising to be a catalyst to the American Revolutionary War with, ironically, many of the anti-Regulators such as Caswell, going on to become Patriots during the American Revolution. Notwithstanding, during the Regulator uprising Caswell was an active member of the militia, who fought in the Battle of Alamance against the Regulators in 1771, and the battlefield is now a state historic site.

When the relations between the colonies and England began to sour in 1774, he was elected to the Continental Congress. During the American Revolution he rejoined the military and became a war hero by leading patriot troops to victory at the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge in 1776.

In addition to the attraction of the free living history program recalling life in the 18th-century at the CSS Neuse-Governor Caswell Memorial in the city of Kinston, visitors may also study the remains of the Confederate ironclad gunboat CSS Neuse, which is also housed at the Memorial. So, guests attending the living history program should also take the opportunity to learn about this salvaged Confederate ironclad the CSS Neuse and its role in the Civil War.

The CSS Neuse-Governor Caswell Memorial State Historic Site is located off of U.S. 70, west of downtown Kinston, in Lenoir County of North Carolina. Visitors can exit on U.S. 70 Business East (West Vernon Avenue), and the site is approximately one-half mile on the right.

Lastly, the CSS Neuse-Governor Caswell Memorial is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources and administered by the Division of State Historic Sites. The mission of the CSS Neuse-Governor Caswell Memorial is to preserve and interpret the history of former Governor Richard Caswell, the CSS Neuse and the Civil War in the eastern region of North Carolina.