History Comes Alive

ST. FRANCISVILLE, LOUISIANA:

HISTORY COMES ALIVE

By Anne Butler


Photos by: Henry Cancienne

During the week, personable John Flippen works for the Federal Aviation
Administration, maintaining the navigation and communication facilities
for the airport in Baton Rouge. But on weekends, he leaves the present behind
and slips back into the 19th century as one of a growing number of re-enactors
dedicated to preserving the past and making it come alive for today’s observers.




The increasing popularity of re-enactments and living history demonstrations is just part of a growing trend in travel as the baby boomer generation demands more than mere static museum displays. Today’s travelers are more active and engaged, and they want stimulation and hands-on challenges both mental and physical. They are also well enough informed to want accuracy and authenticity rather than sensationalized or sanitized portrayals of history, and that’s right up a good re-enactor’s alley.



The state historic sites in St. Francisville, particularly Rosedown and
Oakley Plantations, have responded enthusiastically to the changes in travel
demographics with a continuing presentation of living history demonstrations
that involve the visitor in everything from period holiday celebrations
and weddings to antebellum funeral customs. Lost arts and old-time skills
are demonstrated on these plantation sites in appropriate historic settings,
with the presentations well researched and authentically presented. Special
activities and day camps involve visiting children in 19th-century games,
toymaking, and all aspects of antebellum life. In the outside kitchens,
costumed cooks sweat over the open coals as they prepare meals using the
very same recipes treasured by generations of the original families in those
very sites, carpenters sit astride the shaving horse to demonstrate vintage
construction methods and tools, and in the gardens visitors find growing
the herbs and plants so vital for cooking and medicinal uses on the early
plantations.



The most popular part of the annual Audubon Pilgrimage spring house tour in St. Francisville is the Rural Homestead, re-created early farmstead where the skills of the common folk are demonstrated, from quilting to carding wool, from plowing with a mule to riving cypress shingles with a hand froe, and grinding corn that’s made into cornbread on a woodstove. More interesting than reading some dry textbook? You bet. This is the type of lively activity that makes history come alive for children and visitors of all ages.



After hours, the Louisiana Vintage Dancers shed their workclothes and don splendid antebellum evening garb to whirl through waltzes and polkas, reels and quadrilles, all carefully rehearsed and set to period music of fiddle, banjo and guitar. It was vintage dancers who first captured John Flippen’s attention, performing at the Fall Muster at Beauvoir on the Mississippi Gulf Coast with the 12th Louisiana String Band, and he was so captivated that after moving to Louisiana in 2002 he joined the Louisiana Vintage Dancers after seeing them perform at the Audubon Pilgrimage in St. Francisville, first borrowing costumes to attend the balls and soon investing in his own Regency and 1860s costumes. These dedicated performers dance in all manner of historic venues, from the big plantations like Rosedown and Oakley near St. Francisville or Oak Alley and Houmas House along the River Road, to events like the Audubon Pilgrimage and St. Francisville’s popular Christmas in the Country weekend; they also generously share their talents to put on demonstrations to entertain nursing home patients, library patrons and other groups, mostly on a volunteer basis. Onlookers are welcome to join the dancers and learn the steps.



The Vintage Dancers also perform at Civil War re-enactments, and so it was only natural that John Flippen would also become involved in re-enacting, as some of the dancers participate in both activities. Perfect example is St. Francisville’s Day The War Stopped commemoration each June, featuring the Vintage Dancers performing and also the uniform-clad soldiers in both grey and blue re-enacting the Civil War burial of a Union gunboat officer in the cemetery of historic Grace Episcopal Church as the war halted for a brief moment of civility and brotherhood. John Flippen participates in both activities, and also portrays one of the historic characters in the graveyard tableaux as shadows deepen across the marble tombstones beneath the live oaks and the ghosts emerge to tell their stories. As a member now of the 10th Louisiana Militia (Confederate) and Battery 'K' of the First Illinois Light Artillery(Union), he participates in re-enactments at places like historic Jefferson College and Beauvoir in Mississippi, Camp Moore in Tangipahoa Parish, Jackson Crossroads, Pleasant Hill, and Port Hudson, to name a few. He is also involved in other events across the region, like the monthly firepower demonstrations at Port Hudson, Centenary College in Jackson, and Confederate memorial services at several cemeteries.




What’s the big deal about re-enacting? St. Francisville resident John Flippen,
a Virginian who lived around the globe before settling in Louisiana primarily
for employment and re-enactment opportunities, says he enjoys the camaraderie
and the chance to preserve the past. His great-great-grandfather served
in the Confederate army, but he has uniforms for both Union and Confederate
soldiers—cavalry, marine and infantry, with jackets in butternut, grey and
blue--and they are authentic down to the last button and belt buckle, well-worn
brogans and bayonet, canteen and cavalry boots. When the re-enactments involve
weekend campouts, he has a tent and all the authentic accoutrements for
Civil War camp life. He has a pistol and rifle as well as cartridge and cap
boxes, and points out that great attention goes into ensuring the authenticity
of the weaponry; cavalry re-enactors, for example, have breechloading carbines
rather than muzzleloaders for reloading on horseback. Most cavalry units
have horses, of course, while artillery units have cannons, both big guns
and smaller mountain howitzers, mostly replicas for safety’s sake, and mule-drawn
wagons. Many of the wives of the soldiers also dress out and participate
in the dances and the camp scenes, and some of them even make uniforms from
appropriate patterns. Some battle re-enactments are enormous affairs involving
casts of hundreds, but others are quite simple, like the quiet memorial
services at cemeteries.



Visitors enjoy walking through the campsites and chatting with the re-enactors, though at actual battle re-enactments observers remain at a safe distance out of harm’s way. They never fail to be impressed with the authenticity of the equipment and dress, and John Flippen says this authenticity comes at a price. Simple soldier’s pants, he explains, can cost $60, while jackets can run up to $200 as can custom-made cavalry boots. The weapons are another expense, with rifles beginning around $400 and going up to $1000 for particularly unique ones. But the re-enactors make every effort to remove modern intrusions from the campsites; sometimes a provost marshall inspects the campsites and can levy small fines if he spots inappropriate ice chests or cell phones, for example.



From the boom of the cannon and crack of rifles, the whoops and thunder of hooves at the battle re-enactments to the sutlers’ tents hawking 19th-century gear and equipment, from the lively reels and elegant waltzes as hoopskirts wheel around the candelit camp dance to the evening campfires where soldiers listen to music played by camp musicians, swap stories or play cards, re-enactments transport the observer back in time. They see the sweat drip from faces as soldiers in wool coats cope with the Louisiana heat; they feel the horror and the tears as comrades fall in a hail of bullets, never to rise again. This is the history of America, of the building and binding together of our country, and to see it enfolding in the living flesh makes a far deeper impression than reading about it in a textbook. Many observers, seeing the re-enactments for the first time, are even moved to join the groups and become part of the living history themselves, and they are welcomed.




This is a trend noted nationwide, not just in Louisiana, as historic venues and
museums attempt to connect with modern, more active visitors. At Old Sturbridge
Village, a collection of historic structures near Boston, the director has
commented, “I don’t think people want to be shown so much; they want to
do more.” Instead of “watch me do it,” they want to be involved, to do it
themselves. And when the Louisiana Vintage Dancers grab partners from the
audience, they have that chance, and also when the re-enactors set up campsites
and encourage visitors to stroll through and chat, or when the demonstrators
at Rosedown or Oakley hand the tools or equipment to onlookers and invite
them to try their hand at whatever skill is being demonstrated, and encourage
visiting children to join the fun in rolling old-timey hoops across the
lawns. These visitors can be literally immersed in history, not mere onlookers.
And these days, that’s just what they want.



Like many small communities across the state, St. Francisville has sometimes
struggled to find ways to interpret and preserve its past in ways both meaningful
and relevant to the present, and even to the future. As the picturesque
little rivertown approaches the observation of the bicentennial of its founding
in 1807, with the help of living history demonstrators and re-enactors like
John Flippen it seems to have hit on just the right formula, combining its
wonderful 200-year heritage with present-day attractions, great recreational
opportunities and romantic settings for weekend getaways as well as weddings
and honeymoons.



Besides the living history demonstrations and re-enactments, the St. Francisville area
has much to offer visitors. There are six antebellum plantations open for
daily tours: Rosedown and Audubon State Historic Sites, The Myrtles, Greenwood,
Butler Greenwood and The Cottage; Catalpa is open by reservation, and Afton
Villa Gardens opens seasonally. Picturesque 19th-century structures throughout
downtown St. Francisville are filled with an eclectic selection of little
shops, and reasonably priced meals are available in a nice array of restaurants.
Some of the state's best Bed and Breakfasts offer overnight accommodations
ranging from golf clubs and lakeside resorts to historic townhouses and
country plantations; a modern motel has facilities to accommodate busloads.
Recreational opportunities abound in the Tunica Hills, with excellent hiking,
biking, hunting, fishing, golfing and horseback riding, in addition to the
superb birdwatching. For online coverage of tourist facilities and attractions
in the St. Francisville area, see www.stfrancisville.us,
www.stfrancisville.net, or www.stfrancisvilleovernight.com;
or telephone (225) 635-3873 or 635-6330.

Feliciana Nature Society Announces...

Annual Hummingbird Celebration

The Feliciana Hummingbird Celebration promotes the unique breeding habitat found in the St. Francisville area. The Rogillio property on Tunica Trace is the subject of a research project, now in its sixth year, which focuses on the breeding ruby throat hummingbird population in the area.

The Feliciana Hummingbird Celebration will begin with a reception on Friday evening, July 27, at Rosedown Plantation State Historic Site, 12501Hwy.10, St. Francisville. Beginning at 6 p.m., visitors can enjoy wine and cheese while strolling the gardens of Rosedown. At 6:45 p.m., speakers David and Tracey Banowetz will present a program on gardening with native plants to attract birds and wildlife. The presentation is based on their experiences in landscaping their former home in suburban Baton Rouge. Admission is $10.

The festival will continue on Saturday, July 28. From 7:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., hummingbird biologists Linda Beall and Nancy Newfield will capture and band birds at two private gardens in the St. Francisville area. Visitors will have the opportunity to observe hummingbirds up close as they are weighed and measured. In addition, vendors will be at both homes with hummingbird plants, birding equipment, books, and crafts available for sale. Experts will be on hand to share advice about gardening, binoculars, and more. The gardens include the home of Carlisle Rogillio at 15736 Tunica Trace (Hwy. 66) and Murrell Butler at 9485 Oak Hill Road. In addition, the gardens of Hollywood Plantation, the home of Glenn and Eleanor Thomas, 9441 Sligo Road, will be open from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m., offering hummingbird observation and light refreshments. A $5 fee covers admission to all three gardens.

For more information visit www.audubo nbirdfest.com or call 1-800-488-6502

War Stopped

THE DAY THE WAR STOPPED in St. Francisville, Louisiana by Anne Butler One Saturday in June each year marks The Day The War Stopped in the little 19th-century river town of St. Francisville, Louisiana, and in 2007 the dates of this commemoration are Friday, June 15, through Sunday, June 17. This is surely one of the most unusual and touching of Civil War re-enactments, commemorating the events of another hot June day in the year 1863, when a small procession trudged up the steep hill from the Mississippi River, sweating in the summer heat and staggering under the weight of a coffin. The white flag of truce flew before them, and the guns of their federal gunboat, the USS Albatross, fell silent at anchor behind them as the ship's surgeon and two officers struggled toward St. Francisville atop the hill. The procession was not an impressive one, certainly not an unusual event in the midst of a bloody war, and it would no doubt have escaped all notice but for one fact--this was the day the war stopped, if only for a few mournful moments. It was June 12, 1863, and ten miles south of St. Francisville the Siege of Port Hudson was pitting 30,000 Union troops under Major General Nathaniel P. Banks against 6,800 weary Confederates under Major General Franklin Gardner, fighting over the all-important control of traffic on the Mississippi River. Port Hudson and Vicksburg were the only Rebel strongholds left along the Mississippi, and if the Union forces could gain control of the river traffic, they could cut off supplies from the West and completely surround the Confederacy. Admiral David Farragut had attempted to destroy Confederate cannons atop the Pt. Hudson bluffs from the river, but of his seven ships, only his flagship and the USS Albatross passed upriver safely, leaving ground troops to fight it out for nearly another month. Commanding the Albatross was Lt. Commander John Elliot Hart of Schenectady, New York, the early gateway to the West. Born in 1825, Hart at age 16 was appointed a midshipman in the US Navy and in 1848 graduated from the US Naval School at Annapolis. He served on the frigate Constitution during the Mexican War, and in 1862 was assigned command of the small steamer Albatross as part of the Farragut’s squadron. If his bravery in life was renown, Commander Hart would have even more lasting impact through his death, for after having shelled St. Francisville, Hart “suicided,” died by his own hand in a fit of delirium, perhaps brought on by yellow fever. Hart was a Mason and had asked that his remains not be consigned to the river waters, so a delegation was sent from the Albatross to determine if there might be brother Masons in the town of St. Francisville. There they found one of the oldest Masonic lodges in the state, Feliciana Lodge No. 31 F and AM; its Grand Master was absent serving in the Confederacy, but its Senior Warden, W. W. Leake, was reportedly nearby, his home being in the direct line of fire from the river but "his headquarters being in the saddle.” Leake was soon found and persuaded to honor the request for Masonic burial; as a soldier, Leake said, it was his duty to permit burial of deceased members of the armed forces of any government, and as a Mason it was his duty to accord Masonic burial to the remains of a brother Mason regardless of circumstances in the outside world. And so Lt. Commander John Hart was laid to rest in the Masonic burial lot in the cemetery of Grace Episcopal Church, whose bell tower had made such a tempting target for his shells. Episcopal services were conducted by the Reverend Mr. Daniel Lewis, rector of Grace, and respect was paid by Union and Confederate Masons alike. And then the war resumed, with Lee's northern invasion turned back at Gettysburg July 3, Vicksburg falling July 4, and Port Hudson finally surrendering July 9, all in one catastrophic week. But for one brief touching moment of brotherhood, the war had stopped in St. Francisville, and this moment is re-enacted one weekend each June. The commemoration opens Friday evening, June 15, at 7 p.m. with a presentation of graveside histories in the oak-shaded cemetery at Grace Episcopal Church, where the graceful monuments date from the 1800’s and bespeak several centuries of life and death in the community. This will be followed by an open house and tour across the street at the Masonic Lodge at 7:30 p.m.; the highlight of the program here will be the presentation of a short history of the Masonic Order, sure to be of interest to members of the general public, and the introduction of this year’s very special guests, direct descendants of both Hart and Leake families, who will meet each other for the first time. Representing Lt. Commander Hart will be his great-great-granddaughter Mary Servais, her husband Mike and three children, Andy, Elliot and Maggie. Representing W.W. Leake will be his great-great-grandson Robert Shands Leake of Baton Rouge, great-great-great-grandson Navy Lt. Commander Robert Timothy Leake, and yet another W.W. Leake from Colorado Springs. On Saturday, June 16, downtown St. Francisville’s main street is the locale for a lively parade beginning at 10:30 a.m., with the honored guests riding in special conveyances and the Shriners in their popular “funny cars” giving onlookers a thrill. Lunch is served at the Masonic Lodge from 11 to 12:30. A concert of vintage music is presented from 11:30 to 12:30 at Grace Episcopal Church’s Jackson Hall, followed by period dancing by beautifully costumed performers from 12:30 to 1:30. From 1:30 to 2:30, a touching dramatic presentation focuses on Hart's young family in Schenectady. The drama centers around Commander Hart’s wife Harriet Emeline Van Vorst, whom he married in 1855 in St. George’s Episcopal Church in Schenectady. She is introduced reading her husband’s last cheerful letter to their young son Elliot, a missive filled with chatty news of blackberry picking and kittens delivered by the ship’s mouser, just as the news of his death arrives, delivered by Mrs. Hart’s father, the mayor of Schenectady and Master of St. George’s Lodge, which received its warrant in 1774. The play is followed immediately in Grace Church cemetery by the re-enactment of the burial. The role of W.W. Leake of St. Francisville, who survived the war to become Master of Feliciana Lodge, will be played by his great-great-grandson, while the Schenectady Masons will be represented by Francis Kawowski, PM, of St. George’s Lodge. Beautiful Grace Episcopal Church, established in 1827 as the second oldest Episcopal congregation in the state, is a well-preserved brick structure reminiscent of Gothic country churches which dot the English countryside, and its peaceful oak-shaded cemetery where Commander Hart rests in peace is filled with fine statuary and Victorian monuments of marble and stone. Hart’s grave is marked by a monument dedicated “in loving tribute to the universality of Free Masonry.” These activities are all in historic downtown St. Francisville, and all are open to the public. The commemoration of The Day The War Stopped spills over to several outlying sites as well. Oakley Plantation of Audubon State Historic Site, where flamboyant artist-naturalist John James Audubon tutored the young daughter of the family while painting many of his Birds of America studies, brings to life the war years for visitors with authentic costumes and Civil War encampments, lectures on the war in this particular area, and black powder and musket demonstrations on Saturday, June 16, from 2:30 to 5 p.m. At Rosedown Plantation State Historic Site on Sunday, June 17, from 1 to 3 p.m., demonstrations explain Civil War medical techniques and their far-too-oft conclusion: burial customs. Other activities are held at nearby Locust Grove Cemetery, another state historic site and final resting place of Sarah Knox Taylor Davis, first wife of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and daughter of U.S. President Zachary Taylor, who succumbed to yellow fever as a young bride while visiting relatives on Davis' sister's plantation, Locust Grove; on Sunday from 1 to 3, this peaceful little graveyard is the site of a talk on Sarah Knox Taylor Davis as well as a class on gravestone renderings. Details on the annual Day The War Stopped in St. Francisville, Louisiana, may be obtained online at www.daythewarstopped.com. Located on US Highway 61 on the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge, LA, and Natchez, MS, the St. Francisville area is a year-round tourist destination, with six historic plantations-Rosedown and Audubon (Oakley Plantation) State Historic Sites, Butler Greenwood, the Myrtles, the Cottage and Greenwood--open for daily tours, Catalpa Plantation open by reservation and magnificent Afton Villa Gardens open seasonally. Reasonably priced meals are available in a nice array of restaurants in St. Francisville, eclectic shops fill restored 19th-century structures throughout the historic downtown area, and some of the state's best Bed and Breakfasts offer overnight accommodations ranging from golf clubs and lakeside resorts to historic townhouses and country plantations; a modern motel has facilities to accommodate busloads. The scenic unspoiled Tunica Hills region surrounding St. Francisville offers excellent biking, hiking, fishing, birding, horseback riding and other recreational activities. For online coverage of tourist facilities, attractions and events in the St. Francisville area, see www.stfrancisville.us, www.stfrancisville.net or www.stfrancisvilleovernight.com, or telephone (225) 635-6330 or 635-3873. Photographs, including high-resolution pictures, available upon request from pat@bluegoosemedia.com.