Saturday, June 16, 2012

Civil War Encampment at Ohio Veterans Home

Now known as the Ohio Veterans Home, the Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Home welcomed its first seventeen Civil War Veterans on November 19, 1888. An article at Ohio History Central states that by 2005 more than fifty thousand veterans had been residents of the Home. Virtually everyone in Erie County, Ohio has known either a resident, employee, or volunteer at this outstanding facility.

During the weekend of June 15-17, 2012, a Civil War Encampment took place on the grounds of the Ohio Veterans Home. Re-enactors from both the South and North took part in this event. Pictured below are re-enactors representing the First Ohio Artillery.

















These two gentlemen portrayed soldiers from Taylor's Battery, Co. C, from Virginia.






















Our grandsons were a bit intimidated when an Officer from the 128th Ohio Infantry asked them to enlist!






















Even President Lincoln made an appearance.






















The Heritage Minstrels played "Dixie" so very well!

















The ladies of the Thomas Neill Women's Relief Corps have been active in events which honor Veterans for decades. Thank you ladies for your many years of service to Erie County Ohio's Veterans!

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Wondering if you know how the ladies group got the name Thomas Neill? I have been trying to research a Thomas Neill who married a Barbara Kratt from the Castalia area. Was so surprised to see that name on your blog!

Unknown said...

Wondering how the ladies group got the name Thomas Neill. I have been trying to research a Thomas Neill who married a Barbara Kratt from the Castalia area and was so surprised to see that name on your picture.

Dorene from Ohio said...

There was a G.A.R. Post and a Women's Relief Corps Auxiliary named after a Thomas Neill, Jr. who died in the Civil War. See this blog post for more info:

http://sanduskyhistory.blogspot.com/2009/07/semiannual-encampment-of-ohio-gar-1869.html