Double Duty Weekend

1st Sgt Fred Minus and Cpl Leon Brooks participated in two weekend events. The first was Connecticut 29th Civil War Regiment Monument Dedication Ceremony.

Two members of the 3rd USCT out of Philadelphia came up with us to celebrate and remember the heroism of the 29th Connecticut Colored Regiment C.V. Infantry. Contingents of reenactment groups attended from as far away as Atlanta. The USCT's combined regiments to form up as the 54th Massachusetts. Also, contingents of the Irish 9th Regiment, the 9th Mass., and the 9th & 10th Calvary Association/10th Calvary Buffalo Soldiers were represented. Individual reenactors also portrayed historical figures at the festivities. The event was held in Criscoulo Park, New Haven Connecticut, the historic regiment's original encampment site. It is the culmination of a ten year herculean effort by The Descendants of the 29th Colored Voluntary Infantry Regiment, Inc.

It was well publicized and well attended. Various state and local notables spoke, and the assembly was treated to a musical selection by Varrick Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church. of Comedian and activist Dick Gregory gave the key notes speech. The Monument is by renowned sculptor Ed Hamilton. To find out more about the 29th and the event, visit the website .

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Last weekend was also Raising Day — 250th Anniversary of the Trenton Barracks Rafters Raising in 1758. Colonial craftsman used authentic hand tools to build exact full-size replicas of the original rafters as you watched. There was a debate in the 18th century among Trentonians for and against building a barracks in Trenton. Visitors at the event could participate in the reenactment by signing with a quill pen on the petition to the Colonial Legislature if you are a supporter.

Colonial merchants sold authentic replica products, and colonial musicians played music.

Fresh bread was baked in the colonial clay oven, and period dishes and beverages were served.

Archeologists Richard Hunter and Ian Burrow of Hunter Research gave lectures on and tours of the ongoing archeological dig behind the barracks where artifacts have been excavated from the 1735 Trenton steel plating mill. There is also a paper mill and other structures being unearthed.


Because of our trip to New Haven, we didn't arrive until the second day. Fred Minus, who is on the Old Barracks staff prepared the oven for baking. As a regiment we usually only do Rev War and Civil War interpretations, but the Old Barracks 250th Year Celebration gives us the opportunity to portray African-Americans in the French and Indian War.

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Cpl Leon Brooks - 6th USCT

The HUZZAH!! SUMMER WRAPUP

The Battle of Monmouth was huge. There were about two thousand reenactors in attendance. We had several members participating but no cadets this time.


Sgt Minus and Corporal Brooks did living history for the Cub Scouts at Pine Hill Scout Reservation.


The regiment sponsored two youths this year for the Old Barracks Summer Day Camp. The plan was also to send cadets to musician's camp to learn fife and drum. We sent three last year, however not enough youth signed up to hold the camp this year. A sign of the times.

The campers demonstrated the drills, displayed items they crafted, and sang songs that they learned before parents and friends at the end of camp ceremonies, and received various awards.


It was very gratifying to see Darrien, one of our cadets, serving as voluntary camp staff. We sponsored him a couple of summers ago for the musician's camp and now he is a corporal in the Fifes & Drums of the Old Barracks.



The First Rhode Island went to Valley Forge National Historic Park to film a documentary, "We Were Here", a documentary about black patriots who were at Valley Forge. Each member did an interpreted a soldier documented to have been there historically. The filmers also documented their reasons for doing living history, and their views about being a black soldier during the American Revolution.





Pictures were taken at to the monuments to African-American Soldiers and the Rhode Island Regiments, and visited the encampments and fortification built by the historic regiments.



Valley Forge Photos by MJTiccinoImages.com





1st Rhode Island Regiment participated troops and cadets participated in the Battle of Brandywine Reenactment.

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Pine Hill Living History Event

Pine Hill Cub Scout Day

August 1st, Sgt Minus and Cpl Leon Brooks visited the Pine Hill Scout Reservation to do living history for Cub Scouts. 1st Sgt Minus did a Civil War presentation and Cpl Brooks did Revolutionary War.


Two exhibits were set up, one for Rev War and one for Civil War, which included poster boards and artifacts. There were other stations as well as ours. The event staff scheduled the order in which the dens visited them. Each presentation was to go for 25 minutes.

Unfailingly, I received the usual questions from the kids, who wanted to know if I fought in the war and if I shot anyone. A twenty-five minute presentation is a long time for this age, so my presentation was mostly show and tell, explaining the uniform and the uses of different artifacts in the exhibit. This time I had a volunteer in each den serve as a model who put on the the parts of a 1st Rhode Island uniform as I explained them, the finally being them holding a musket, and exclaiming: "He is now dressed to kill!" This held their attention and gave me a chance to tell them about the 1st RI and blacks in the Rev War. I demonstrated how a flintlock musket works, and I let everyone have a chance to hold the musket. I played a recording of fife and drum music and explained how in those days boys their age served as fifers or drummers in the army. Then I had them form up in ranks and briefly drill. At the end of the presentation they were sworn into the 1st Rhode Island of Foot of the Continental Army.

Cpl Leon Brooks