Fort Johnson, NY - Montgomery County Historical Society
Route 5. P.O. Box 196
Fort Johnson, NY 12070
Old Fort Johnson Website*
Old Fort Johnson National Historic Landmark
The Heritage & Genealogical Society and Green Hill Cemetery Commemorate Montgomery County in the Civil War With Three Great Events in Three Great Locations
For Immediate Release
Contact: Alessa Wylie, Museum Coordinator
Montgomery County Historical Society
518-843-0300
museum@oldfortjohnson.org
In conjunction with the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, three local historic organizations will commemorate Montgomery County's involvement with three different events on three different days. Green Hill Cemetery in Amsterdam, NY; Old Fort Johnson National Historic Landmark in Fort Johnson NY; and The Heritage and Genealogical Society in conjunction with the Montgomery County Department of History & Archives in Fonda, NY will all be hosting programs at their respective sites on August 15th, August 17th and August 18th respectively.
On Wednesday, August 15th from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Fultonville Historian Ryan Weitz will conduct a hands-on workshop to learn how to properly clean gravestones. Participants then will practice the techniques learned by cleaning soldiers' stones in the Civil War Circle in the Cemetery. We'll also learn a little bit about some of the soldiers buried in the Circle while we clean.
Green Hill Cemetery opened in 1858, just a few years before the war began. An article in the Amsterdam Recorder in June, 1862 describes the joint burial of Corporal Frank Lane and Captain Elisha S. Young at Green Hill with over 2, 500 people in attendance. The first local casualties, they are buried side by side in the Civil War Circle. The simple, granite gravestones mark great sacrifice of these men.
Cost is $5.00 and registration is encouraged. Please call Old Fort Johnson 518-843-0300 for more information or to register.
On Friday, August 17th from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Old Fort Johnson will host an evening program entitled Voices of the Civil War. This evening, candlelit event features readings from Civil War letters, military reports and personal sketches. Visitors will be led through select rooms in the Old Fort where they will stop and listen to excerpts from the various documents. This year's selections includes the letters of Palatine Bridge, NY native Caroline Frey Giddings, wife of a US Army officer stationed in New Orleans during the Civil War; her husband, Grotius R. Giddings' military report after the Battle of Gettysburg; an account sent to the newspaper by Corporal Frank N. Lane of the 32nd Regiment of NY Volunteers and a letter that Lane took "from a rebel's knapsack"; and personal sketches after the war by members of the local E.S. Young Post No. 33 of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR.)
The guided, candlelight tours will be given regularly between 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Reservations are not required. Tours will be given on a first come, first served basis. There will also be local Civil War items on exhibit. The cost is $5.00 for the guided tour. For more information please check out the Old Fort website* or call 518-843-0300.
On Saturday, August 18th from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. the Heritage & Genealogical Society in conjunction with the Montgomery County Department of History & Archives will hold a "Camp Mohawk Day" with a variety of activities for the whole family. Listen to author Mark Silo talk about his book on the 115th New York State Regiment of volunteers who trained at Camp Mohawk outside of Fonda. Enjoy period musical entertainment of "Rural Felicity". Civil War reenactors will be on site. Bake sale available. This is a family friendly event with activities and games for the kids also. Civil War artifacts from the collection of the Department of History & Archives will be on display. Open to public, no charge.
There will also be a special postal cancellation at the event. So bring your own envelope or buy a pre-printed one at Camp Mohawk Day!
A chicken barbecue will be provided by Texas BBQ - tickets available through members of the Heritage Society and at the Department of History & Archives for $10.00 or purchase that day for $11.00.
Camp Mohawk served as the training camp in August and October 1862 for the 115th and 153rd New York Regiments, both consisting primarily of men from Montgomery and Fulton Counties. Col. Simeon Sammons commanded the 115th Regiment while Col. Edwin Davis commanded the 153rd. An historic marker along Route 30A north of the Village of Fonda identifies the site of Camp Mohawk.
We hope that you'll join us at any or all of the above mentioned events.
Green Hill Cemetery is located on Cornell Street which is located just off Church St. (Route 67 E) in Amsterdam. Old Fort Johnson is located on Route 5 at the intersection of Route 67 in the Village of Fort Johnson, one mile west of Amsterdam. The Montgomery County Department of History and Archives is located at the Old County Courthouse, 9 Park Street in Fonda. For more information on any or all of these events, please call Old Fort Johnson at 518-843-0300 or the Montgomery County Department of History and Archives at 518-853-8186.
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