During Civil War Weekend, scrapbooks and photo albums of previous Peterboro Civil War Weekends will be added to NYS Underground Railroad Trail information, Birdhouse exhibit, and video on Gerrit Smith that greet visitors to The Lodge / Visitor Center. The Peterboro Mercantile will have a new stock of tee shirts and Civil War items for sale along with other Peterboro heritage items.

The Barn’s permanent exhibits on the Smith Family, African-Americans in 19th C. Peterboro, the Underground Railroad, and abolition will be joined by ongoing displays, book-signings, and scheduled programs by authors on both days of the Peterboro weekend.  At 11:00 am both days, Robert O. Richter, Greene NY, will speak on his research for his 365 page book on the 114th New York Infantry Regiment, which was composed of 1133 men from primarily Chenango and Madison counties and parts of Broome, Cortland, Delaware, Oneida, and Otsego counties. 299 men of the regiment lost their lives during the war. 834 returned to the area and some moved to 40 states and territories. Richter is bringing the remaining copies of this comprehensive text for genealogical and historical research.

At 12:30 both days Cathryn Lahm, a professional photographer, will explain the photos, video, stationery, and publication of her visual recordings at the 2009 Peterboro Civil War Weekend. As an artist and an admirer of photography history, Lahm is an avid fan of Matthew Brady, who is, perhaps, the best known photographer of the Civil War era. Lahm composed her Peterboro pictures purposely eliminating background “modern” details and then applied post-production techniques to the photos to have them appear as if 150 years old.

Directly after the 2:00 skirmish, at 3:00 pm Rochelle K. Hamel shares her first novel The Darkness of Day, a story of a doctor from Central New York who enlists in the 122nd Regiment, New York Volunteers.  The story tells of his escape from Andersonville Prison and his journey home, where his family has been dealing with challenges and secrets in his absence.    Hamel has studied the letters of her great grandfather Sgt. William F. Fuller from Lairdsville in Oneida County. Fuller enlisted in 1862 as a private in the Co. C, 117th Regiment, New York Volunteers Infantry.

Much of the 2:00 pm skirmish takes place on the Gerrit Smith Estate around Smith’s 1804 Land Office which has exhibits on Smith’s wealth and his philanthropy.

The Peterboro Civil War Weekend Committee invites the public to step back in time on June 9 and 10 to commemorate the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War.  The 12th U.S. Infantry hosts the encampment. For two decades the Peterboro encampment has demonstrated aspects of military and civilian life. In recent years exhibits and programs on abolition and the Underground Railroad have been added. During the event Peterboro relives the period of the mid 1800s when the hamlet held national recognition because of Gerrit Smith’s Underground Railroad station, the visitations of famous abolitionists, and the connection with John Brown that sparked the Civil War. Peterboro sites are on the Heritage NY Underground Railroad Trail and on the National Park Service Network to Freedom Underground Railroad Trail. The annual event is an educational and fundraising event sponsored by the Smithfield Community Association, the Town of Smithfield, and private donors. Proceeds from the event support the preservation and promotion of the heritage of the Town of Smithfield. Saturday, June 9 hours are 10 am – 5 pm, and Sunday, June 10 from 10 am - 4 pm.  Admission is $8 for adults, $3 for ages 6 – 12, and free for children under 6. Parking is free.  For more information contact 315-684-3262 and civilwarweekend.sca-peterboro.org